To the Editor of the "Norta-Crixa Datty News,"
Sir,—Perhaps the writer of your notes on the picture shows in Shanghai, can tell us why one never sees a British film out here? I have only had the pleasure of seeing three or four all told in my life but in each case, they were fully equal in photographic effect, and acting, and, as regards plot, immeasurably superior to, the average Yankee production which seems to hold the field in the China market. 7 In fact, the absence of British films is so marked, with the ex—ception of the Pathe Gazette which Seems to be a British production, that one suspects a Film Trust, which has already secured the sole control of all firm distribution in the East and is determined that none but Yankee productions are to be handled. One does very occasionally sea an ian or French film, and the film "All for a Woman" recently shown here even seems to be a German production, judging from the names of the producers, but if is safe to say that 99 per cent. are American.
When one considers the number of Chinese that nightly attend the picture shows throughout -China, and the fact that they are being shown all the while American life, names, customs, helped out with descriptions thereof in the American language, the advertising and educative effect of all things American becomes very apparent.
Can your contributor or anybody else, explain another point in connexion with the movies, although it has no relation to the foregoing It is this. Why is the so-called comic film reserved almost exclusively for Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard? The ordinary film world teems with actors and actresses but the humorous (?) section appears unable to find any talent other than that represented by these three men.
Appreciation of their art is doubt a matter of taste, but I must confess the efforts of Harold Lloyd and Snub Pollard to ba funny bore me to extinction, and in fact appear almost pitiable at times.
Charlie Chaplin is a born and natural comedian, the other two are not, and never will be funny. But why cannot some fresh talent be discovered and a change rung, both as regards the star performers in these "comic'' pictures and their subject matter T am, ete.
Hankow, Oct. 16, 1922.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.