Correspondence for this column should be aüdressed to the Editor, North-China Daily News Office, 17 The Bund, Shange hai, and to ensure secrecy, marked "Letters to the Editor" said "Timidity", Two Srars ONLY,
m their ilk are nothing new (does r s cheap brandy?) and other Shanghai cinema fans,—and theatre managers.
Nor do I thiok these correspondents are British, for whatever be the faults or shortcomings of our friends of the "bulldog breed", they may ever be. credited for one grand and sterling virtue: a common love for truth, and of fearlessness when in the face of truth, be that to their credit or otherwise. A sharp contrast this, to that pettiness so disgustingly found in the lesser lilliputian minds and states.
As to the review appearing in "Modern Screen" and reprinted by your correspondent in your columns today, does this not speak for itself Quote: "outstanding throughout this picture is the wealth of pageantry and beauty in the background, and remarkable too is the fact that the story clings as closely as possible to actual history".
What more need be said? Middle Age English history, or European history in general for that matter, is certainly never meant for. neurasthenic imbeciles, but ey are facts nevertheless and if "Timidity" and his flock are unable to stomach it, either in print or as presented to them in illustrative animated panorama, via the silver sereen—they are more than welcome to stay away. There are always such sweet little things as "First Love", "Susannah of the Mounties," "Hotel for Women" (Oh no, I forgot, that's too, "too naughty for nervous little bearded children), to be seen; or perhaps they are looking for some super-super-expurgated travesty of. history as "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex", trash which will never, nor can, pass the mark for accuracy when the annual question of awards is considered by the Academy.
In staging this self-imposed boy-cot, they are, as I said, more than Welcome. But in so doing, let these lilliputian would-be despots ever remember that the mentality of Lil-lieut was never the mentality of Brobdingnag. Or in other words, and plainly, it you don't like it, little. men, don't try imposing your will on others who do, In passing I wou: mention here also that the common plea is given out that such pictures as "The Tower of London" should not be shown to Chinese audie.ces, lest they be shocket, stunned and horrified to discover that the foreign devils are more than that in name only. For the information of "Timidity" and his friends, let it be known that not only is European history, in all its details, taught in even senior Middle Schools, but that the European classics, embracing the best authors of that continent, are fully and unexpurgatedly translated into the best Chinese and may be purchased in any Chinese bookstore; and that for that matter, the average senior Chinese schoolgirl is better acquainted - with Victor Hugo, Dumas, Pere et Fils, Maupassant, Zola, Tolstoy, Dickens, etcetera, than many a Western guest in this country, And as to criticisms of current pictures, of course "Timidity", Two Stars ONLY (what a pity!) and so forth, do not, I take it, read Chinese, else they could read for themselves the very excellent reviews appearing regularly in the native press, and of details and comments even to the question of dialogue—points which the average critic in the foreign press hardly takes notice of. These correspondents likewise are doubtless no patrons of Chinese films, or they would see for themselves how the Chinese themselves spare nothing, nor are they ashamed to admit, what sadistic scoundrels their medieval ancestors were. I here refer to the "bad ones", torture scenes, etc, of historic native films, many of which for their frankness, wit and sheer artistry, are certainly more than worthwhile seeing.
And so it is Sir, that we are now learning things: we of the Chinese and they of Europe. Of their respective virtues and faults, xo coming io understand each other better and so help prevent the repetition of those ertórs by that noble principle so ably advocated by the Apostle Paul, and summarized by hih in those few wottis "Coniebb your faults to one anoter". This, the one and only meane, when rightly applied, for universal improvement, Or again, as Pope put st:
ree to feel amother's woe, To hide the fault I see.
mercy I to others show.
mercy show to me."
Magnificent principles these, but never meant for the minded.
Fair effieism, as the management of the Nanking rightly puts it, ib what. makes horse racing interesting. the arrows of Lilliput were fever to be taken seriously by a iver, or by anyone with a head, and heart as great as his.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.