Modern Screen (Dec 1931 - Nov 1932 (assorted issues))

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OKAYING THE OKAY BOY (Right) Minna Combel, Sally Eilers and Jame Dunn in a scene from "Bad Girl," the talkie version of Vina Delmar's famous best-seller. Mrs. Delmar has some interesting things to say about this film. In very clever fashion, this sensationally famous writer tells what she thought of James Dunn's interpretation of her hero in "Bad Girl" By VINA DELMAR I NEVER even heard of James Dunn until somebody told me that he was going to play Eddie in "Bad Girl." I'd never seen a picture of him, never before heard his name mentioned, and to this day I haven't met him. If I ever do meet him I shall probably say, "Oh, Mr. Dunn, you were wonderful in 'Bad Girl'," and no doubt he will modestly reply, "It was a grand part," and then I'll say, "Don't you think it's warm for this time of the year?" You see, I'll have to change the subject because, if I went on telling James Dunn what I really thought of him in "Bad Girl," he'd go out and describe me to people as one of those gushing females who always speak in superlatives. That would be slander. I never speak in superlatives — except when I'm telling people about the fellow who played Eddie in "Bad Girl." It's curious and probably a little insane, the habit authors have of really loving their books. We can see their faults just as an intelligent parent sees the faults of his children but, like that parent, we love the book anyway, particularly if it's our very first book. And "Bad Girl" was my very first book. Until the talking pictures bought the right to film it I had been the captain of that story's soul, the mistress of its destiny. But it belonged Although you have probably seen "Bad Girl" by this time it is a delight to be able to get the author's (left) opinion of James Dunn, who played the leading male role in it. Mrs. Delmar recently returned from the shore where she spent the summer writing a new novel to someone else after I had accepted a certain check and signed a certain document. How would it look when I saw it again? Would its mother still love it? What were they doing to it? "Oh," somebody said casually, "they have a fellow named Dunn playing Eddie. That's all I know about it." I DROVE a hundred miles to see the preview of "Bad Girl." I would have driven a thousand miles to see it, but once I sat in the little private theatre at the film office, waiting for the picture to begin, I wondered if I should have come. Suppose the picture were dreadful? Wouldn't it have been far, far better to sit anonymously in a crowded public theatre and be able to sneak away with my shame and disappointment if the film proved too awful ? Here I was handicapped. When the lights went up people would look at me and ask me what I thought of it and probably what I thought of their latest discovery, Mr. Dunn. I wished I hadn't come, for I'm no good at pretending pleasure when I feel pain. I kept saying to myself, "No use getting sore if the picture's awful. They won't remake it for you. It's too late to make even the slightest change so don't be unpleasant about anything. It can't do any good. Even if the pic 49