The Match King (Warner Bros.) (1932)

Advance Feature No Privacy on a Movie Set When the Star Takes a Bath Filming Lili Damita For “The Match King”’ Bathtub Scene, Proved Ticklish Piece of Business HAT is probably the most trying and at the same time one W of the most embarrassing scenes for a movie star, is to be photographed taking a bath for the benefit of the cameras. After all, when one takes a bath, it calls for privacy. However, there can’t be any privacy on a motion picture set even though Milady star is taking a bath. There is the director, his assistants, cameramen, electricians and a host of other technicians—all are necessary on the set, when any scene is filmed. It?s “Camera!” Even When Milady Star Takes a Bath. Cut No. 84 Now baths have been taken on motion picture sets before, many of them, but nothing just like Lili Da mita’s bath in ‘‘The Match King,’’ wuteh--comes tothe, isc, seheatre, NeXt .-..c...0. as had ever been attempted on a movie set. The call sheet had read that morning Fab ei Damnit takes her bath.’’ sembled OF «Pinkie, the proper . ty man were as follows: One small zine tub painted yellow. Fifty gallons of warm water. _ Countless towels, including one very large one. Eleven copper and china pitchers. One very large maid. Both the maid and her size were matters of considerable importance, since she was to’ provide the screen ef modesty as the camera panned up from Damita’s feet to her bare shoulders. It wasn’t an ordinary bath that. Damita was taking, by any means. It was, instead, a very old fashioned bath, in a very old-fashioned European hotel, with Damita standing upright in the little zine tub while the maid Greta Meyer poured warm water over her from the eleven copper and china pitchers. It was an antiquated version of a shower bath and a very, very difficult scene to photograph, because too much of Lili Damita’s body must not be permitted to show. The camera was mounted on an electric hoist. The scene was to start with the camera focused on Miss Damita’s feet prancing around in the few inches of water in the bottom of the ridiculous tub. Then the camera was to zoom upward just as Miss Meyer’s considerable bulk got in the way. By the time Miss Meyer had moved on, the camera would have moved up to Damita’s head and shoulders. Miss Damita, in an abbreviated green smock, stepped into the tub and threw the smock to a waiting maid. ‘“Wait,’’ said Bob Kurrle, the cameraman, ‘‘put another spot on Miss Damita’s—ah—legs.’? What he meant was more light on the pleasing contours of the lady’s body. ‘“Pinkie’? put an experimental hand into one of the pitchers of rapidly cooling water, and looked de ‘The properete Cut 80c Mat 0c ~ askance at Director Bretherton. Bretherton tried the water with a finger too. “‘Let’s hurry,’’? he said. ‘*Going over,’’ sang the sound man. ** Action,’’ roared Bretherton. Miss Meyer started to poor the water over Damita. She squealed, ‘<Tt’s cold.’ a, This ig Brethertor’ “fwe’re not recording. You don’t have to squeal.’’ ‘*T do too have to squeal,’’ said Damita. ‘‘The water — she is too cold.’’ The camera zoomed upward; Miss Meyer’s obliterating bulk moved between Damita’s body and the camera. ‘*Too late,’’? said Kurrle, the cameraman. ‘‘It’s a mighty, mighty ticklish shot, I tell you.’’ ‘*Cut,’’ said Bretherton. ‘‘Try it again. Bring some warmer water.’’ Somebody wrapped Damita in a towel. In ten minutes everybody was set to try it again. Again the camera zoomed upwards from Damita’s prancing feet. Miss Meyers poured patiently and Damita squealed. The broad back of the maid moved out of the camera angle just too soon. Kurrle almost tore his hair. ‘*We?’ll try it again,’’ he grumbled. Once more Miss Meyer poured gallons of water over the squealing Damita. *€Ouch,’’? said Damita. ‘‘The washe is too hot.’’ The camera zoomed upward a third ter time. Miss Meyer was right there this time and stayed right there until the lens was pointed directly to ward Damita’s tossing head and shivering shoulders. Miss Meyer handed her a big towel, the pride of ‘‘ Pinkie’s’’ possessions, six feet wide and ten feet long. She wrapped it carefully about Damita’s body, while the camera trucked back to show the scene from a longer distance. **Fine’’ said Bretherton. ‘‘Now we’ll take the same thing with sound.’?? Then he whispered to ‘*Pinkie,’’? ‘*See if you can get the water a little too hot or a little too cool.’? But here’s a studio secret—a secret no one who sees Damita’s bath in ““The Match King,’’ with Warren William playing the title role, will ever be able to guess. She had her bathing suit on all the time! That was what Miss Meyer was there to hide! atid whut; comeonied” PLANT THEM NOW! Current Feature Volatile Lili Damita Temperamental French Star Resents Comparison With Greta Garbo or Any Other Great Actress Lili Damita’s temperament is fiery hot. It comes when you least expect it, like a flash of lightning. It passes just as quickly. But Lili’s temperament has to be watched at all times. Howard 3retherton, her director, watched it. So did all the others working with her on the Warner Bros. First National set during the making of ““THE MATCH KING,”’ a picture now showing at ..........0...0000.... Theatre, in which she plays opposite Warren William. When it was suggested that she resembled Greta Garbo there was a dangerous flash of the Damita eyes. ‘*But,’? she said, ‘‘I am no more like Garbo than a Deauville sandal is like a Swedish sandwich.’’ ““¢Garbo, she is a great actress. I lak her veree moch. I like Shearer, too, and Barbara Stanwyck and Ruth Chatterton and Katherine Cornell— Her Temparement Is Fiery Hot. Cut No. 36 Cut 20¢ ue 5e a Ls but that does not mean that I try to be lak them.’? **No. And I do not try to be lak Garbo, either. Wat if she ees a great actress. I am great actress, too. J, Damita.’? Everyone was quick to agree—The Damita mouth was drawn in a straight, hard, angry line. There was thunder cloud of anger in her eyes. But in a jiffy, the storm was over. ‘*Emmeline!’? she called. A maid came scurrying. ‘“My powder,’’ she said. A smile broke over the Damita face. & « c The lovely Damita head tossed; the spring came back to the Damita step as she rushed up the stairs. She paused as a soundman stepped forward to ask her if she hadn’t better stand in a different spot to facilitate the work of the ‘‘Mike.’’? He had of course addressed the director, but Damita overheard. She didn’t wait for the director to express an opinion. The Storm Passed Quickly ‘Of course—of course, I will stand there! A moment of stunned surprise on the part of everyone, who had all fully expected her to break out in abuse of the workman who wanted her to do differently than she had been doing. ‘“Aren’t you my ~paal?’’ she asks, smiling devastatingly. SCREEN WARREN WILLIAM — “Three On a Match,” “The Dark Horse,” “Beauty and the Boss,” “The Mouthpiece,” “Under Eighteen,” “The Woman from Monte Carlo,” “The Honor of the Family.” LILI DAMITA — “This Is_ the Night,” “Friends and Lovers,” “The Woman Between,” “Fighting Caravans,’’ ‘‘The Cock Eyed World.” GLENDA FARRELL—I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang,” “Three On a Match,” “Life Begins,” “Little Caesar.” HAROLD HUBER—‘Central Park.” On stage in “A Farewell to Arms,” “Two Seconds,’ “Merry GoRound.” On the stairs, Damita began to talk to herself in a decidedly British accent. ‘You are perfectly ravishing this morning, my deah,’’ said Damita. ‘¢ Ah—Lili,’’ the director replied. ““That’s not your line, you know. There must be some mistake. You’re supposed to say, ‘‘Ah, good morning, Frau Mortgen.’? And then _ she answers, ‘‘Good morning, Fraulein.’’ ‘‘T know, I know,’’ Miss Damita answered from her perch on the stairs of the Salzburg Inn. ‘“Roll ’em,’’? the cameraman called softly. There was a slight pause as the vitaphone and camera machines began to whirl. Then, ‘¢ You are perfectly ravishing this morning, my deah,’’? she said again. Even a director loses his patience. This one was very near the end of his. ‘“For heaven’s sake, Lili—what are you saying that for?’’ he asked. Practiced British Accent ‘Bor my British accent,’’ she answered, smiling sweetly down at him. ‘‘T do it pretty well, don’t you theenk??? ‘*Yes, yes—you do it fine, Lili,’’ he said, £ “Bus. 7ou: haven ’t t got a a Aapaiecd: to Be a Swedish nonee: : tm picture star in love with a mateh king. “‘T am quite well aware of that, Mr. Bretherton,’’ she said, measuring her words. (Only she said, ‘‘ Misser Brrretherton.’’) ‘‘But it is quite smart to be a British nowadays. And I am going to be smart, picture or no picture.’ She thrilled a little air and turned up the stairs. ‘¢ Emmeline! ’? Emmeline ran up the stairs with a mirror and a comb. Damita ran the comb through her curls, looked intently a moment into the mirror, and then handed it back, satisfied with the attraction which half the crowned heads of Europe have coveted. The director sank in his chair, the cameraman idling by his box, the set workers lollying about. It may ke the next minute or it may be the next hour before they get to work again. But, ‘« TIT am readee,’’ she called suddenly, sweetly. And the work went on smoothly the rest of the day. There is only one Damita, and she is in ‘*The Match King.’? ~ The current screen play in which Damita appears, was taken from the novel of Einar Thorvaldson entitled ‘<The Match King.’?? It was dramatized for the screen by Houston Branch and Sidney Sutherland. RECORDS SPENCER CHARTERS—‘I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang,’ “Central Park,” “The Jewel Robbery,” “The Tenderfoot,” “The Heart of New York.” JOHN WRAY—“Central Park,” “I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang,” “Doctor X,” “Two Seeonds,” “The Mouthpiece,” “High Pressure,” “Safe in Hell.” MURRAY KINNELL— “The Purchase Price,” “A Successful Calamity,” “The Man Who Played God,” “Beast of the City,” “Grand Hotel.” JULIETTE COMPTON—‘Husband’s Holiday,” “Ladies of Leisure,” “Compromised,” “Kick In,” “Rich Man’s Folly.” Page Fifteen