Page:Screenland October 1923.djvu/37

SCREENLAND



Screenland October 1923 - pilcrow.png The photoplay shuns the facts of sex and whets the appetites of curiosity mongers with fiction of sex, says Mme. Petrova.

the screen afraid of sex?"

We put the question naively.

Laughter.

Mocking, magnificent and ironic laughter.

Petrova speaks with the poniard of irony. When she writes she dips her pen into vitriol and veracity. When she laughs the heathen gods awake and shudder and the powers of darkness slink away, their tails between their legs.

is brilliant, ruthless and relentless. Bogies do not jump at her from sentimentally shadowy corners. Superstitions do not shackle her nor traditions hamper her.

We said again, more timorously, "Why is the screen afraid of sex?"

"IS it?" she asked. More laughter. And before our mind's eye came scenes from here and there which must have sent the youths and maidens of the great towns and small hell-bent for the park benches.

"Still," we protested feebly, "there's less of it now than there used to be in the flaming films gone by."

Which same Madame admitted.

is probably true" she said, "some time ago I saw a very well-known picture made by a famous director, who shall be nameless in the interests of discretion. In that picture a scene occurred the equal of which for sheer ribaldry I have neither seen or heard of since. At that time I said to my companion in the theatre. 'This is the high point of sex on the screen. They can go no farther.' It has evidently proved to be so.

"Possibly a reaction has set in. I do not see very many pictures and therefore cannot constitute myself as an infallible judge, but it is quite likely that there has been a reaction and that with this reaction the screen will revert to putting skirts on the piano legs and valances of lace and tulle upon the nude statuettes.

is, however, afraid of the reality of sex. It will tear rents in the skirts covering the piano legs, but will not remove them. Result: an urgent and persistent curiosity regarding these factual and not always lovely objects."