Movie Classic (Sep 1936-Feb 1937)

From the outset Forest was conscious of a certain feeling of trepidation. He was not without personal confidence in his ability, but he felt that the opera itself would not be as popular as many others he would have preferred for a La Scala debut. 'My fears proved justified," he recalls. "The established tenor, one of great ability and high reputation, was to sing the first two presentations, I was to sing in the third and fourth. The opera was not re-undertaken after the first performance." This did not disturb Forest as much as it might. In fact he, from a purely selfish standpoint, was glad that it had happened to another rather than himself, for audiences everywhere are inclined to blame the individuals on the stage rather than the author when a play is mediocre. His next experience, however, was a real blow. He was handed the score of a new opera, one never before produced at La Scala, and was told that if the tenor role in it pleased him, it, instead of the Humperdink opus, was to be the vehicle for his debut. "You can imagine.how carefully I studied it," he said. "I pored over it for days, every word, every note. The more time I gave to this microscopic scrutiny, the stranger became the impression I had gained from a first quick reading. I had a premonition that this work, also, would be indifferently received. In fact I felt it would be a flop. And if it should happen to be my misfortune to make my LaScala bow in something that would not be well received, that would be the end of my career. For in Italy, where everyone in every walk of life knows opera and good musicianship and loves it, such things can happen all too easily to young singers. "I told the managing director of La Scala how I felt. He readily and graciously saw my viewpoint, disagreed with me, of course, and permitted me to withdraw with assurances of a future chance. t<A y|Y hunch, if you wish to call it such, 1V1 was borne out. The opera, Favorite of the King, was presented with another young and untried tenor in the part I was to have sung. It was received with worse than apathy by the audience; the critics ripped it wide open. That poor fellow has not stepped on La Scala stage since that time. It will take him five more years _ to re-establish himself there, for the Italian public and critics are unforgiving of a bad performance, which in this case surely was not all the fault of the singer." It is this fear that has Forest worried in Hollywood. The opera-goers of _ America are far more generous than their Italian brothers or sisters. A young singer can give an uninspired performance at the Metropolitan, the Cincinnati, or the Chicago Opera, and he or she quickly will be forgiven and offered another chance. But the American motion picture public is something else. "Two or three thousand persons at the most see you give a bad performance in a theater. Maybe you have a headache that night, or some trouble at the bank. The next night you feel yourself, and win flattering applause. But you are permitted but one chance on the screen. There you are, good or bad, on permanent celluloid, and you have no chance to correct mistakes. When I think what I'm up against it's far worse than stage fright. It's absolute terror." But as he says this you never lose the feeling that this virile, handsome chap, has other than absolute confidence in himself. Not a cocky, arrogant confidence. Just assurance in his own ability and a consciousness of his natural limitations. And Paramount shares his confidence. WLN Miss Theda Boyd, Per manent Wave by Edmond (55th St.)one of New York's fashionable hairdressers. 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