The Man with Two Faces (Warner Bros.) (1934)

Robinson Lives Roles for Weeks Before Work Begins In “The Man With Two Faces”? He Posed In Part To Get Wife’s Reactions KF GENIUS may still be correctly defined as ‘‘an infinite capacity for taking pains,’’ Edward G. Robinson qualifies as one of the modern geniuses in the art of characterization. The modern portrayal of a character may take the First National star fifteen to twenty days of actual performance in front of the camera. His preparations for that portrayal require weeks of preliminary work and study. There is no more painstaking or thoroughgoing artist in Hollywood. Once he knows the character he is going to play next, Robinson becomes as insatiably curious about every detail of that character’s. life, every point of view and attitude he may con-* ceivably have, every trait and peculiarity of his nature, as a detective on the trail of an elusive criminal. Take his now celebrated portrayal of Yates Martin in “Silver Dollar” as an example. For weeks before the production went before the cameras, Robinson read and pored every book he could lay his hands on that had to do with the history and background of the “Silver Dollar” period. David Karsner’s life of H. A. W. “Silver Dollar” Tabor upon which the screenplay was based was absorbed from cover to cover. A Student of Backgrounds Before he made “I Loved A Woman,” the chronicle of a Chicago meat-packer’s rise and fall, Robinson had made himself an authority on every phase of Chicago life in the 1890’s, every aspect of the packers’ struggle with the Federal government, culminating in the war by Theodore Roosevelt against the unbridled monoply. On a lesser scale—lesser only because the dramatic canvas was smaller—but in the same exhaustive spirit, was his attack upon “Dark Hazard,’ W. R. Burnett’s classic of the greyhound races, and “The Man With Two Faces,” his latest starring vehicle, which comes. -to0the an. Theatre Olen rte on enrrs In this picture Robinson plays a star of the legitimate stage and undertakes a dual role in the course of the drama. There is nothing accidental about Robinson’s attitude toward his art. He is thorough and methodical by nature. But his inborn attitude toward whatever he does is re-enforced and intensified by years of schooling in the most exacting fields of the drama. Back of his successful years on the screen are ten productions with the Theatre Guild in New York. Stock Company Advocate “There is no substitute for the education the young actor gets in a stock company,” said the star, in touching upon that subject. “Meeting the requirements of a stock company is as kaleidoscopic a process as life itself. Every week names a different part. Within a few months one has been called upon to play a surprisingly wide variety of roles. At the end of a couple of years, the actor has learned to portray almost every phase of human nature the theatre has to offer.” On his methods of visualizing and creating a new character, Robinson is equally specific and Hollywood's Seven Terrified Favorites But it’s all in the movie “The Man With Two Faces,” First National drama now at the Strand. Looking them over, starting at the left, we find Ricardo Cortez, Arthur Byron, Mae Clarke, Edward G. Robinson, John Eldredge, Mary Astor and Emily Fitzroy. And did you know that the film was adapted from the Broadway stage success by Alexander Woollcott and George S. Kaufman? Mat No, 8—30e — a ——————————————————————— illuminating. “The only way to realize a character that you are called upon to create is to live it,” he explained. “The character as the script of a picture portrays is, so to speak, the beginning and the end of your work. It is your starting point, and it represents a blue-print, as one might call it, of the finished flesh-and-blood result. “When I begin to study a character that I am going to play,” Robinson continued, “I find myself, in the course of a few days, behaving like him in every day Opportunity Knocks Many Times, Says E. G. Robinson Star Of *“‘The Man With Two Faces” Takes Exception To Age-Old Adage HE idea that opportunity knocks but once is just an other product of a high presssure generation. The in surance man, the book agent and the general merchant hurry us to action with it, according to Edward G. Robinson, and even our elders resort to it in order to ‘‘high pressure”’ us into effort. “If opportunity comes but once,” said Robinson, while working in the First National production of “The Man With Two Faces,” now showing at the beck oe Theatre, “we might as well jump in the river after letting a first opportunity get away. As a matter of fact, success does not come from accepting any single opportunity, but is the sum of many opportunities.” In his own career, Robinson cites ten definite turning points. He believes firmly that the smallest of these incidents could have diverted the whole trend of his life. In his youth, Robinsin was filled with ideals of uplifting the downtrodden. When little more than a baby, he had seen a pogrom in Roumania, and the memory of it left its mark on his soul. He was a member of the Young Students’ Political League and made rabid speeches during the Hearst campaign for Mayor. The soap boxes of Times Square knew him well. In the midst of the campaign, he was confronted with two opportunities, a soft political berth and easy money, and a part in a Page Siz show. He took the show. Tempted by Family His next several opportunities were all theatrical, but each involved the necessity of choosing between two or more courses. The Robinson family, always averse to Eddie’s stage career, continuously tempted him with offers to go into business. A cousin tried to interest him in the brokerage business; an uncle wanted to take Eddie into his law office and another uncle in the manufacturing trade made him a splendid offer. Two other relatives offered to finance post graduate courses in law. A family offer seemed always to come simultaneously with a chance for a new part-in a play. Each time, Eddie regarded the play as the real opportunity. His sixth big chance was sheer luck. He was given an opportunity to play a featured role in a new show that promised to be a big hit. At the same time, he was offered a smaller part in a show that a young friend was putting on. His friend had practically no money, but was ambitious and enthusiastic. He had confidence in his play and believed his little bank roll would be sufficient to put it over. He couldn’t guarantee Robinson a salary but offered a percentage in the play. Robinson turned down the big part and went with his friend. The big show closed in a week and Robinson made several thousand “The Man With Two Faces” situations, thinking like him, talking like him. More than once I have amused my wife by these impromptu rehearsals. “She’s used to my methods of study, though, and as she always goes over stories and scripts with me, and knows constantly what I am doing, she oftens helps me with suggestions and criticism. An experienced actress herself, I rely on Mrs. Robinson to give me an impartial, third-person reaction to my conceptions of a character, as well as to supply the woman’s point of view, which the best male actor in the world can dollars out of his friend’s play. This gave him the capital for his seventh opportunity. Vaudeville Episode He had always thought that vaudeville would be good experience for a young actor and wanted to try it. With his new In this First National picture, Edward G. Robinson plays two of the most difficult roles a Hollywood star was ever called upon to perBut dual characterizations are right up his alley—and he turns in the best performance of his career. form. Others in the cast are Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez, Louis Calhern and Mae Clarke. Mat No, 5-—-20c occasionally overlook.” In his latest production, “The Man With Two Faces,” Mr. Robinson plays the role of a most unusual character. The picture, based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Wooll' cott and produced by Sam H. Harris Theatrical Exterprises, Ine., is both subtle and thrilling murder mystery drama. In the cast with Robinson are Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez, Mae Clarke, Louis Calhern and others. Archie Mayo directed from the , sereen play by Tom Reed and Niven Busch. ly aequired capital, he could afford to take time out for a while. He could not find a suitable vehicle and finally settled down and wrote a sketch called “The Bells of Conscience.” His money was almost exhausted when he finally got a booking. This sketch was Edward G. Robinson’s first important suecess and brought him to the serious attention of the Theatre Guild. His eighth opportunity came from his decision to accept the Guild’s offer instead of continuing in his sure-fire vaudeville work. By the time he finished his long series of Guild engagements, he was recognized as one of our most important character actors. Of the ten plays under the Guild banner, there were at least five outstanding successes, “The Brothers Karamazov,” “Peer Gynt,’ “The Adding Machine,” “The Deluge” and “Night Lodging.” His ninth opportunity arrived with his choice of a Warner Brothers’ contract in preference to remaining on Broadway. His tenth opportunity resulted from his wise selection of “Little Caesar” from among the several scripts submitted to him. “What could be more _ hopeless,” Robinson asked, “than the philosophy that a man is a condemned failure, the moment he allows an opportunity to pass?” In “The Man With Two Faces,” Robinson has the role of a stage actor and director. The picture is an unusual type of murder mystery drama based on the play by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woolleott. In the supporting cast are Mary Astor, Ricardo Cortez, Mae Clarke, Louis Calhern and others. Archie Mayo directed from the screen play by Tom Reed and Niven Busch.