The art of sound pictures (1930)

190 THE ART OF SOUND PICTURES truly normal condition of the love emotions is shown in stories in which a woman’s love remains free from desire and jealousy, expressing itself in life-long loyalty and in self -surrender to the loved person, even though he prove unfaithful, undependable, and generally worthless. This deep, powerful, true love is always more appealing to motion picture audiences than a love which contaminates itself with selfish desire and jealousy. Jealousy may be used effectively in comedy situations, as a symptom of love, or to produce a threat of compromising situations. But a comedy of this sort depends for its effect upon a slight burlesque or dominant twist of the emotions portrayed. It is a safe rule to regard jealousy as an unqualifiedly abnormal emotion, to be reserved, in writing for the screen, for unsympathetic characters and comedy situations. Hatred, like jealousy, arises from a situation in which dominance controls the love emotion toward other people. We may recall the literary axiom that “hatred is akin to love.” Many writers have correctly described the turning of love to hate when the loved person has proved treacherous or unworthy of affection. In a situation of this sort, the once-loved person arouses two separate states of emotion in the mind of the injured individual. Here is an actual case. Helen and Alice "were intimate friends. They confided in each other, and each believed the other was submitting to her with the utmost loyalty and friendship. Enter Gladys. She first showered her attentions and affections upon Alice. Alice adored Gladys and confided all her feelings to her friend Helen. Soon, however, Helen began to win the attention of Gladys. This went on for some time, until, at last, Alice began to