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for May 19 30
25
These Girls Who Have Carved Their Own Careers in the World behind the Cameras Wouldn't Trade Jobs with the Stars
By
Ralph Wheeler
The research department of the M etro-G oldwynMayer studios. In this pleasant, book-filled room Mrs. Bucknall and her assistants determine the suave niceties of plumes, curtsies and costumes.
The public reads much about the actresses. It knows what they do, what they wear, where they go and whom they love. It reads, too, about the women who write the stories for the actresses. But the hordes of other girls, who play so important a part in the furnishing of amusement for the millions, go unpraised and unsung, except in their own circles.
Did you ever wonder,' while you were watching the intricacies of some elaborate costume picture, the suave niceties of some story of foreign drawing rooms or the military paraphernalia of some war epic, who supervised the correctness of the million and one details? An amazing amount of research and study lies behind each plume, each curtsy, each uniform.
At the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, a young woman is responsible for this very necessary phase of the making of the pictures. Her name is Nathalie Bucknall and her own history is as colorful as any story for whose details she delves into her research library. In a big, book-filled room, Mrs. Bucknall, with the aid of two young women assistants, determines what sort of boots were worn by seventeenth century soldiers and what kind of silver was used on Victorian dinner tables.
The brown-haired, brown-eyed young woman was born in Petrograd, then St. Petersburg, the daughter of a Russian father and an English mother. She served in Russia's
Below: Vivian Newcom, who is secretary to Irving Thalberg, the boy executive, 'Mr. Norma Shearer.'
Battalion of Death during the World War and was decorated three times by both the Russian and British governments. After the armistice she directed a hospital in Russia and later was affiliated with the English war department.
Three years ago she came to America to travel and to study. The movies fascinated her. She found a studio foothold as a reader. Then her knowledge of foreign modes and manners, of languages and history opened a place for her in the research department. As the director of technical research, she has carved her own little niche in the world behind the cameras.
After the technical details of the picture are arranged, after the sets are built on the stages, the picture rooms must be furnished, draped .and (Continued on page 120)
Above: Margaret Booth, film cutter, puts together some of the biggest films.
Above: Blanche Sewell, another cutter, to whom belongs a share of credit.
Upper left: Lillian Rosini, make-up artist, authority on photographic values.
Left: Margery Prevost, sister of Marie — and studio specialist in interior decoration. Clever!