Dubbing

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THE CINEMA IN PARIS; To Dub or Not to Dub Films -- Successful Original American Pictures
HERBERT L. MATTHEWS.
Published: June 4, 1933

DUBBING," like the poor, is always with us, in those countries where the national language is not English. A new and perhaps decisive contest over the desirablity or not of doubling American films in the French language is now engaging the critical and producing world of Paris. What has brought it on in this particular case is the showing here of "Grand Hotel." at the Madeleine, which, under the direction of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, specializes in "dubbed" films.

The critical success of the film from the point of view of the acting and production was unanimous. No picture that has come out of Hollywood in recent years has received such acclaim here or attracted such crowds to a film house: But almost equally unanimous has been the condemnation of the strange voices that speak for the seven famous stars on the screen.

One must, of course, in all fairness put aside the dislike on the part of the American and British colony. Naturally, it is a painful disillusion to one whose native language is English, and who has seen and heard the actors and actresses in many pictures with their original voices, to hear Joan Crawford speaking like a Paris midinette, and a high querulous, squeaky voice seemingly come from the mouth of Lionel Barrymore. The distributers are concerned with reaching the widest possible public, which is to say the native French. Theirs is a business proposition, which deals as best it can with what is, perhaps, the most difficult problem before the motion picture industry. The days when the old silent films could go to every corner of the world by the simple expedient of changing the subtitles is no more. The point which is really at issue is whether the various national publics—in this case the French—would rather hear substituted voices, than the original version with small subtitles run along the bottom of the screen.

The Public to Decide.

It is on that question the controversy is now raging, and it has brought out once again the conflict between the distributer and the critic. In the first place, is one justified in taking the comment of a trained, intelligent, educated critic as typical of the general run of audiences which sees the films in question? The distributer, of course says no. In the second place, is it a fair assumption to make that the audiences on the boulevards and other places in Paris are representative of the great mass of French men in the provinces who must also be reached if a film is to be a financial success? There again the distributer says no.

In other words, the problem is not what one might call esthetic but economic, and it must be pointed out that on neither score is there unanimity of opinion. There are a few critics who champion the "dubbed" film and there are French producers who are quite bitter over the economic advantages which they claim doubling gives to the American companies.

In the latest number of L'Ecran (The Screen), for instance. Maurice Landeau, a well-known film critic, comes to the support of the dubbed film against his confrères. He was answering an article by H. André-Legrand in Comoedia, where the latter had said:

"Men whose authority cannot be denied, such as Charles Méré and Pierre Wolf in the Paris Soir, have said how much it was to be regretted that a film like 'Grand Hotel' has been 'dubbed.' This opinion for the first time, perhaps, has been confirmed by virtually all spectators. Without doubt they refrained from demonstrating in the picture house because they were face to face with a work full of merit, remarkably well produced and interpreted by stars of the first order. But, in going out, every one spoke indignantly and vehemently against so flagrant a mistake, and pronounced a verdict which I heard repeated by a hundred voices: 'It is an assassination!' It seems to me that expression of opinion was not an exaggeration."

An Editor's Viewpoint.

Jean Pascal, the editor of the Agence d'Information Cinégraphique. was another who took the same point of view, for after a very favorable criticism of the film itself, he expressed regret that it had been "spoiled by doubling."

To these, and other critics, M. Landeau replied: "I saw 'Grand Hotel' myself. There was no criticism anywhere in the hall from an attentive public which jammed every inch of space. Never before, I believe, has so intimate an accord been attained between the atmosphere of the work, the acting of the interpreters, and the quality all sound of the voices. What do the voices of Greta Garbo, the Barrymores and Joan Crawford matter? Their tones as given correspond to the demands of our French ears. Why should it matter when their doubles are chosen with such art?"

Nevertheless, one must admit that M. Landeau is in the minority of critics. On the economic side however, it is not a question of majority and minority, but of nationality and profits. Both the American producers and the French directors of film houses are for the "dubbed" film, while the French producer is against.

Representatives of the American producers here are quite emphatic in stating that "dubbed" films became more and more popular during last year. They also say that French exhibitors demanded them and, indeed, were chiefly instrumental in bringing about new regulations permitting their entry at the discretion of the Minister of Fine Arts. The Dépeche de Toulouse, the great Radical-Socialist daily, carried on a referendum in November among its readers and asked them whether they preferred foreign films in their original versions with super-imposed titles in French, or dubbed versions. A slight majority favored the "dubbed" versions.

The cinema trade papers are, on the whole, also favorable to the dubbed film. They, and other film publications, as well as Harold L. Smith, European representative of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, have recently completed all sorts of studies of the film industry during 1932, which revise some of the earlier, tentative figures.

Dubbed American Films.

Sixty-six American films dubbed into the French language and nearly 150 original versions of American films were passed by the censors during 1932, according to Mr. Smith. Among the dubbed American films which were particularly liked by the French were "Tarzan," "A Connecticut Yankee." "Shanghai Express," "The Man I Killed," "Mata Hari," "Transatlantic," "The Crowd Roars," "Frankenstein," "Resurrection," "Dishonored," "Trader Horn," "Morocco," "Congorilla," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." "Africa Speaks" and "Dirigible."

The outstanding successes in original versions which were released generally with superimposed titles in French were "Scarface," "Movie Crazy," "Public Enemy," "Palmy Days," "Arrowsmith," "Her Man," "Murders in the Rue Morgue," "Over the Hill" and "Daddy Long Legs."

During the year a few remaining French versions of American films which were made in Hollywood in French with French casts were released in France. However, this practice of producing French versions in Hollywood has been discontinued because it was found too expensive.

With one exception the French Government has been rather liberal in its interpretation of the film regulations of July 1, 1932, which govern the importation of American films until June 30 of this year. The exception is the limitation that original foreign dialogue films may only be shown in ten cinemas, five in Paris and five in the provinces. This is proving one of the greatest handicaps to the release of American films in France which the industry has had to face for years, and, in fact, it threatens to eliminate an important part of the American film business here. These pictures could be shown with superimposed titles in French, to explain the action and dialogue, in many cinemas throughout France. A few pictures of this type which were censored before July 1 have been generally released throughout France with much success. "Scarface" is an example. The average film, it has been estimated, must be rented to 100 to 200 different cinemas if it is to be profitable.

A film like "I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang," for instance, which is having a phenomenal success in Paris, could be sold throughout France, if the film regulations did not prevent it. The measure, of course, was proposed by the French film producers as a direct means of cutting down American competition in France.