The Film Spectator (issue of April 30, 1927)

Hollywood: Film Spectator, Incorporated. Very Good+. 1927. (Vol. 3, No. 5). Periodical. [slight damage to the lower right corner of the rear cover, otherwise a nice clean copy]. A typical issue of this iconoclastic film journal -- not a "trade paper," but rather an attempt to take an intellectual critical approach to screen fare, styling itself as "The only publication conducted solely for those who THINK about motion pictures." It began publication in 1926, thus pre-dating what came to be known as "the trades" (The Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety) by several years, and lasted, with a couple of interruptions, until 1942 (with a title change to Hollywood Spectator in 1937). Over a dozen then-current movies are reviewed in this issue, notably among them: MR. WU, starring Lon Chaney (which is very well reviewed, but prefaced by an editorial rant, under the heading "How Irving Thalberg Fails to Measure Up," which holds the MGM wunderkind responsible for what the reviewer considered a particularly ridiculous plot twist); SORROWS OF SATAN, a late D.W. Griffith production, which is pronounced "a terrible picture"; and Buster Keaton's epic/comic masterpiece THE GENERAL, which utterly befuddles the poor reviewer. His review begins with the statement "Something should be done about Buster Keaton," complaining that "his frozen face has taxed the patience of the public long enough," and ultimately finding THE GENERAL "a dreary picture." Interspersed among the film reviews are short opinionated pieces on various aspects of films and the film business, the titles of which will give a sense of their flavor: "Industry Has an Inferiority Complex"; "Time Industry Was Using Its Strength" (which makes passing reference to the industry's treatment of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and refers to movie czar Will Hays as "that prince of pussyfooters"): and "Why Not Beauty in Screen Titles?" It's only 20 pages long (covers included), but is jam-packed with interesting commentary. .