Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Jun 1929)

What Lover Should K now Dr. William Marston, Ph.D., And Psychoanalyst ForThe Movies, Tells On Both Blondes And Brunettes MARQUIS BUSBY Freulich IT may choke them, but those mean, jealous souls who have accused movie people of being as dumb as a flapper oh Einstein's new theory will just have to eat their words. One of the first signs of a renaissance of culture in Hollywood was Florence Vidor's version of an English accent. Then Madge Bellamy began to discuss books, and Mary and Doug started a swell rooming-house for traveling nobility. Never having been present at one of the royal soirees at Pickfair, I can't vouch for the conversational trend, but it must be of a weighty nature. But the great dawn has come, the piece de resistance of intellectual superiority has arrived in our up and coming town. The movies have finally attracted a Ph.D. in the person of Dr. William M. Marston of Columbia and New York Universities; a Phi Beta Kappa, and a psychologist listed in American Men of Science. Dr. Marston's present business is to psychoanalyze the movies which emanate from "Uncle Carl" Laemmle's studios at Universal City. He will keep in close touch with all production activity of the Universal studios and will apply the principles of public psychology not only to the stories before purchase, 28 Some Psychological Hot-Shots Blondes are dominant, independent, good cave-women, but bad exhibitionists. Brunettes usually experience love-emotions the most keenly. Red-haired women are born to burn men up. Solomon couldn't resist 'em; neither could Mark Antony. A man is not capable of continued captivation of a woman. When a woman seems to be most completely mastered, really she is the most completely victorious. The greatest stimulus in films, to man and woman alike, is the body of a beautiful woman. but during casting and throughout productions. When the picture is completed, he will also follow through in applying psychology to the distribution of the picture. Women Are Child's Play WHAT the doctor knows about the emotions of people is something about which to send Scotchograms to mother, Agnes. And women — well, those compound and confounding creatures, to him, are as simple as the alphabet. If John Gilbert ever had a heart-to-heart talk with Dr. Marston, he would never be taken in by the blandishments of the exotic Garbo. Greta, poor dear, wouldn't have a secret wile to her name. Dr. Marston is also the inventor of the lie-detector, which got more publicity than Lupe Velez a short time ago during interesting tests in New York. However, Dr. Marston, being-a sensible man with a cool, sane look in his eyes, to the unutterable relief of every assistant director and technician at Universal City, has no intention of using this diabolical contraption in Hollywood. He is a tall, rugged, blond chap of early middle age, cheerful of mien, and not one to put on fuss and feathers on account of his Ph.D. No, siree. He found out all about women from experiments. Why, Agnes, I wouldn't have your mind — . It was all decently psychological and correct, taking place in laboratories and other such hygienic and moral places. The four chief emotions of normal people, accordmg to Dr. Marston, are dominance, compliance, submission and inducement. He will keep a keen eye on these premises in reading story material. One of his criticisms of the screen today is that pictures {Continued on page g6)