Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1948)

mental,” “high hat” and “through” with great' heat. I can take a lot of heat, however, and I had something Mike did want. He wanted that script. He was terribly hooked by the general story. So, finally, he agreed he would do the picture if — and he yelled that “if” so that it must have been heard from California to Chicago — the star would firmly realize that he was boss. I wasn’t clear yet. I wanted Ernest Haller as my cameraman. Ernie gazed through his lens at Joan and reared back saying he couldn’t photograph her — in fact, that he wouldn’t photograph her. I finally got my cast, director and cameraman together. “Let’s stop this nonsense and 'start shooting,” I ordered. For the next week I kept on ordering. The days were rugged. Joan, facing the camera for the first time in two years, at a new studio, with a new crew, a new director, a new producer, a new bunch of players and a new cameraman, was tense and nervous. Curtiz, feeling his reputation was at stake, had his back up a mile. He nearly wrecked Crawford by insisting she eliminate her exaggerated mouth makeup, her elaborate hair-do and then killed her by insisting she drop her broad shoulder pads and her even broader “a” for accent. When she got her Mildred Pierce house dresses and discovered they were genuine Sears-Roebuck $3.97 specials and not Adrian creations, she was really beat. Ernie began lighting her the reverse of the way she had ever been lighted before. CONFIDENTIALLY, for the first few days 'J the rushes looked like hell from every angle. But the dawn came before the end of the week. Mike cut himself down to swearing only in Hungarian. Ernie began smiling. Crawford stopped trying to wrap those aprons around her and let them drag. I began sleeping nights. All that had happened was that we had all discovered we didn’t have a glamour girl or even a temperamental actress in our star spot. We had a 'hard-working technician, who was on time every morning, who never complained how late we worked at night, who knew her lines and who was not only willing but positively ’humble about doing what she was told. One result, as you very well know, was the Academy Award for Joan. But there were other by-products: A lasting friendship between Crawford and Curtiz, a practical hero-worship between Crawford and Haller, and yours truly suddenly being discovered as a woman’s producer! Incidentally, at a party celebrating the finish of “Mildred Pierce” Joan gave Mike a set of very wonderful shoulder pads. So I felt fine and confident as we headed toward “Humoresque” — and how wrong I was! For John Garfield didn’t care about working with Joan “because she was temperamental.” Jean Negulesco, as director, echoed these statements. By the time we got to “Possessed,” I was prepared for this reaction to Joan from people who don’t know her. They all start with mental reservations — and all end up Crawford converts — just as I have. Personally, I don’t believe anything can ever cool the enthusiasm I have steadily developed for Joan. From a producer’s angle she is a great asset to a picture, not alone for her box-office drawing power, but because her attitude toward her work is so businesslike that she makes the other actors fall into line. In ^Humoresque” she had great difficulty saying one line in the cafe scene where she tosses a cocktail in Garfield’s face. She was supposed to say, “What did you talk about — the life and times of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky?” She could remember the first and last name of the Russian So bewitch Woodbun angerous Here and now .▼. . new spark, new verve, new color! Your skin glows alive with Woodbury Fiesta Powder. High-spirited shade . . . reckless with beauty. Break your date with the humdrum — today, meet Fiesta ! Lasting cling! Color -freshness! Fiesta was born with ■B both. For your free “try-on" sample, mail coupon below today. That rosy-sparkle on her skin? It's yours . . . with Woodbury Fiesta WOODBURY MATCHED MAKE-UP. With Fiesta Film-F Powder, you also get Fiesta Lipstick and Rouge . all 3 in the dollar Powder box — only $1.00. fiesta powder... so beautify See Fiesta's sparkle on your skin! Send for free Wooc Powder Sampler (contains Fiesta, eight other flatt shades), plus Hollywood Make-up Chart. Print r address clearly. Mail* to Box 45, Cincinnati 14, 1 Powder NAME Fiesta and 8 other Star shades STREET come "Purse" size for 25c and 10c CITY STATE