G. B. S. The Movie Critic
"THE CINEMA is a much more momentous invention than printing was."1 Thus did Bernard Shaw, in 1914, blast his way into a new role-that of movie critic. His startling view of the importance of the cinema is, so far as an extensive search reveals, Shaw's first recorded statement on the films. From that optimistic beginning, Shaw the movie critic became, in turn, violently antagonistic, hopeful, enthusiastic, and disappointed. His last printed statement on the movies,2 published in 1949 just a few months before his death, showed that he had become disillusioned in the course of his observations of the cinema. He recognized, it is true, that in modern films "there is no limit to scenic possibilities; and directors may spend millions of pounds profitably instead of a few thousands." But, he lamented, "The results so far include megalomaniac demoralization, disorganization, and waste of time and money." Yet Shaw was able to summon some of his original optimism-enough, in fact, to close his final statement on the movies with the hopeful prediction: "These evils will cure themselves." Bernard Shaw has been examined from an astounding multiplicity of viewpoints. Any bibliography of Shaw will reveal studies of Shaw the music critic, the drama critic, the critic of society, religion, politics, Shaw the Fabian, Shaw the dramatist, Shaw the propagandist, and even Shaw the "saint." One would think the beleaguered man's potentialities would have been exhausted. But it seems that no one has thought of examining Shaw the movie critic, although Shaw did, characteristically, have exciting and violent views on the subject of this new art form. 1"The Cinema as a Moral Leveller," The New Statesman: Special Supplement on the Modern Theatre, III (June 27, 1914), 1. 2"Shaw's Rules for Directors," Theatre Arts, XXXIII (August, 1949), 1 .