Screenland (Nov 1935-Apr 1936)

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for February 19 3 6 15 An Open Letter to Norma Shearer D EAR NORMA: Hurry up and finish that picture! What's been the matter, anyway? You have the script; you have the hair-do; you have the director. Was it the little matter of a Romeo that held you up? If so, why didn't you ask us to help hunt? Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, etc. Everybody seemed to want Brian Aherne to play the part except those chiefly concerned with the casting; but Mr. Aherne, of all people, absolutely will NOT play Romeo. Now Leslie Howard is positively appearing as Romeo — if he doesn't get mixed and play Hamlet. The point is, it's taking you longer to make a movie of uRomeo and Juliet" than it took Mr. Shakespeare to write it — with "Midsummer Night's Dream" thrown in. Of course, I know you've been rehearsing,, and studying, too, all this time. But meanwhile, do you know what else has been going on? Why, Shirley Temple is growing up; and Freddie Bartholomew is graduating into long 'uns; and Cora Sue Collins is looking more like Garbo every day. Not only that : Claudette Colbert and Carole Lombard are casually making box-office comedies — silly pictures, but ive like 'em; and Hepburn cuts her hair. And what have you been doing? Sending for more professors to ponder over "treatments"; testing for Romeos; signing Frank Lawton to play Paris and Edna Mae Oliver to act The Nurse — in fact, daily bulletins assure us that Juliet is doing as well as can be expected and may, eventually, pull through. And time goes on, slowly but inexorably, like a Von Sternberg picture. Now don't you shake your Juliet curls at me, Norma. It's just because we've missed you from the screen that I'm writing you this letter. It's because I hate to see you turn into a "First Lady of the Cinema" before my very eyes — you, whom I prefer to think of as that very vital, highly competitive person who can't tolerate stale tradition. Don't you remember how you flamed and flared up 'way back there in silent days when someone called Garbo your rival? And how you showed 'em that Shearer Wide World The 14th Century coiffure to be worn by Norma Shearer in "Romeo and Juliet." If you crave to copy it, here's how: part hair in center, with small, sculptured side curls. The rest of the hair is straight, with slightly curled ends. Norma let her hair grow for the role. could set her own style in sirens, make her own rules and break 'em, too — by playing in "A Free Soul" and other record-smashing successes? You kept us waiting for "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" — just long enough; a smart showman's wait. But, so far, all we've seen of Juliet is a curly close-up — nice as a tip to hairdressers; hardly an evening's entertainment. Meanwhile, can't you dash off a little number for the fun of it — you know, one of those gay, daring "little" pictures; just good, old-fashioned, low-down amusement? Shakespeare's swell, but we — want — Shearer!