The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Sep 1935)

"he Man of 84 Faces {Continued from page 21) gasped in complete amazement. "It beats me," confessed Foster. "I really don't know." "But what is it — certainly something more than make-up?" "That's true," admitted Foster. "]\Iake-up and costume are just the props that set the character on first appearance. The grooming of the hair has a lot to do with it. Touselled hair suggests an eccentric individual, straggly sideburns a person of bad taste, a growth of beard a rough, tough mugg, and a stiff collar a politician perhaps. But those are superficial characterizations. In life a well-groomed person may be a rat at heart. So that can't be entirely it." Foster meditated a minute over this strange faculty of changing his personality. "Someone said, 'The eyes are the windows of the soul,' " he continued. "If you wish to judge character, study the eyes. In them you can find sincerity or insincerity, fearlessness or cowardice, courage or despair. You know the first trace of insanity shows in the eyes. And if your eyes are covered or downcast, you can be anything." But Foster wouldn't attribute his diversity of characterization to a studied technique of using his eyes. "Gee," he said, "I don't know anything about the technique of acting like George Arliss who mastered everything there is about characterization. He's flawless. I don't pretend to have any technique. "I do believe I have an expressive face," admitted Foster. "It shows whatever I'm thinking. That's caused me plenty of trouble. When I was a salesman back in Philadelphia, I could never sell any person I instinctively disliked. Try as I would, I couldn't keep that dislike from registering in my face. "But that failure as a salesman stands me in good stead as an actor. In all my batting about, selling washing machines and advertising, singing in grand opera, and working on the stage, I've met all types of people. I have studied them and become interested in them. I try to think as they think. When I'm called upon to play a role, I pick out some character from my past, and imagine how he'd think and act. I become that person. And perhaps it's that faculty, together with an expressive face, that has made me seem like so many different people on the screen." If variety is the spice of acting, then Preston Foster admits he's enjoyed his career. He says that it's much more interesting than being just himself in a walk-through part. It necessitates a study of human psychology. "Of course," he admitted, "one doesn't become a definite screen personality by always being different. It takes longer to become known and a name. The only persons I haven't deceived have been my parents. Friends have seen me in roles like 'Dr. X' and said they didn't know I was in the picture till they read my name on the main title. A theater usher after seeing 'Hoopla' wrote to find out how old I was and in what other pictures I'd appeared." "And how do you feel about your new contract?" I asked. "Will you be yourself?" "That, of course, I don't know," he replied. "I hope not." He paused before continuing. "It's kind of a dangerous spot," he observed. "Stars like Crawford, Harlow, and Garbo are all so glamorous one is likely to be forgotten." I looked at his full, blue eyes . . . his set face. And I read in them a fierce challenge, the challenge of a man who'd told many bosses to take it and like it, who'd seen life, been battered by it and come up smiling. There was a fearless look in those eyes that said, "I'm afraid of nothing — not even Garbo." John Gilbert in "QUEEN Movie Highlights of the Year (Continued from page 37) JANUARY — Charlotte Henry, Jack Oakie as Tweedledum, and Roscoe Karns as Tweedledee, in "ALICE IN WONDERLAND." FEBRUARY— Greta Garbo and CHRISTINA." MARCH— Anna Sten in "NANA." APRIL— Wallace Beery in "VIVA VILLA." MAY— Myrna Loy and William Powell in "THE THIN MAN.' JUNE— Ronald Colman in "BULLDOG DRUMMOND STRIKES BACK." JULY— Frank McHugh and James Cagney in "HERE COMES THE NAVY." AUGUST— Claudet+e Colbert in "CLEOPATRA." SEPTEMBER— Mae West in "BELLE OF THE NINETIES." OCTOBER— Norma Shearer and Fredric March in "THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET." NOVEMBER— Greta Garbo in "THE PAINTED VEIL" DECEMBER — Jeanet+e MacDcnald and Maurice Chevalier in "THE MERRY WIDOW." 4****STAR PICTURES YOU SHOULD SEE / WARNER MYRNA BAXTERLOY A FRANK CAPRA Production " ed on the story by ROBERT RISKIN MARK HELLINGER WALTER CONNOLLY HELEN VINSON "ONE NIGHT OF LOVE" CHARMED YOU '1ADY FOR A DAY" WON YOUR ACCLAIM "IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT" GAVE YOU HAPPINESS The same producers now give you the charm and joyousness of all in this grand and glorious romantic comedy. THE CAPTAIN HATES ^ SEA A LEWIS MILESTONE Production VICTOR McLAGLEN JOHN GILBERT ALISON SKIPWORTH WYNNE GIBSON HELEN VINSON Walter Connolly Fred Keating Leon Errol Walter Catiett Tala Birell A brilliant all-star cast of fun-makers and heart-breakers laugh-bound on one of the gayest ships that ever rolled in a hurricane of hilarity. A mad, merry comedy that will rock you from stem to stern. ■-^1ij3i!JIS2t~> LADYfyCHOICE '*4 CAROLE H LOMBARD ROBSON ROGER PRYOR and WALTER CONNOLLY Story by Dwight Taylor Screen play by Jo Swerling Directed by David Burton A great picture, says Screen Play magazine. Better see this film soon, adds Photoplay magazine. And Screenland magazine tells its readers, ' You d better not miss this. One Night of Js>vc TULLIO CARMINATI • LYLE TALBOT • MONABARRIE Slory by DOROTHy SPEARE and _ CHARLES BEAHAN Directed by JSr£S**£}£g^ " VICTOR SCHERTZINGER Thousands are seeing this reigning musical romantic sensation time and again. You, too, will want to see it more than once and experience each time new joy and greater entertainment. Ask for these COLUMBIA pictures at your favorite theatre! The Netv Movie Magazine, January, 1935 59