Screenland (May-Oct 1936)

68 SCREIiNLAND The World's Greatest Love Story Continued from page 25 The star-crossed lover, Romeo, is brought to life on the screen by the brilliant talents of Leslie Howard. mouth drank full of the haunting sweetness of her lips. It was when her old nurse came to lead her away that Romeo first learned who she was. "Is she a Capulet?" He demanded of Benvolio and as the shadow in his cousin's eyes affirmed his doubt he turned away. "O dear account! My life is my foe's debt !" Juliet too was to hear the fatal words stab through her brief ecstasy. "His name is Romeo and a Montague." The nurse who had watched over her from the hour of her birth sighed as pain closed out the light in the girl's eyes. "The only son of your great enemy." "My only love sprung from my only hate." Juliet's words came slowly as if she had reached into her frightened heart and torn them forth. "Too early seen unknown, and known too late!" It did not make him seem less fair, that he was a Montague, nor lessen that quick love of him that had come to her. But now mixed with all the tenderness and all the joy was the fear of what change it might bring to him. For she had lived long enough to know that men were fashioned of sterner stuff and that such things as family name and honor and hate went deeper with them than they did with women. If he never sought her again, if all his love for her should go in the hate he held for all Capulets ! The thought was intolerable as she lay on her bed. And at last finding sleep impossible in this new terror that had come to her, she rose and slipped on a gossamer dressing robe of lace and silk and crept out on her balcony seeking solace from the night and the moon and the stars. It was then she heard Romeo's voice from the garden below her. "But soft," the words came whispered in a soliloquy whose tenderness brought the solace neither stars nor moon nor night had been able to give. "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun." A straying moonbeam touched his face and she saw the sadness graven there that trembled into a smile as he looked up and saw her. "It is my lady, O it is my love ! O that she knew she were ! See how she leans her cheek upon her hand ! O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" "Ay me!" Juliet sighed and then she flung her arms along the balustrade and all her love was there in her eyes as she looked down upon him, as his words came to her again. "O speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night as is a winged messenger of Heaven I" "O Romeo, Romeo ! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" She could no more deny to him the longing in her heart than she could deny the words rushing to her lips. " 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself!" "I take thee at thy word." His voice was so close now that it seemed a part of her very being. "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee." "O gentle Romeo, if thou dost love pronounce it faithfully." Her voice was caught up with the tears that came from happiness now. "Or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo. In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond and therefore thou may'st think my 'haviour light. But trust me gentleman, I'll prove more true than those that have more cunning to be strange." And she trembled as the jasmine vine trembled at his touch when his voice came to her again. "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I swear, that tips with silver all these fruit tree tops ..." "O swear not by the moon," she begged. "Th' inconstant moon that monthly changes Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Presents "ROMEO AND JULIET" With a cast including the following: Juliet Norma Shearer Romeo Leslie Howard Mercutio John Barrymore Nurse Edna May Oliver Tybalt Basil Rathbone Benvolio Reginald Denny Lord Capulet C. Aubrey Smith Lady Capulet Violet Kemble-Cooper Friar Laurence Henry Kolker Paris Ralph Forbes Produced by Irving Thalberg. Directed by George Cukor. From the play by William Shakespeare. Arranged for the screen by Talbot Jennings. Norma Shearer as Juliet, heroine of the world's greatest love story, and the star's most ambitious film role. in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable. Do not swear at all, or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self which is the god of my idolatry and I'll believe thee." "O blessed, blessed night." His words came in whispered rhapsody. "I am afeard being in night all this is but a dream, too flattering sweet to be substantial." She sighed, for the night was becoming pale and soon the household would be awakening. If only she could stay like this, listening to his voice for ever. "Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed. If that thy bent of love be honorable, thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow where and what time thou wilt perform the rite and all my fortunes at thy foot I'll lay and follow thee my lord throughout the world. Good-night, good-night ! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I will say good-night, till it be morrow." Before, it had been fear that had kept sleep from her. Now it was this new happiness, this replenishing of all her being. But with morning came the old doubting, the old fear that would not be appeased until his word came to her. Then all doubting over, all fear gone. For his message bade her come to him in the good Friar Laurence's cell. There they were married, the Montague and the Capulet, with none of the glory that befitted their state. Simply as any lad or any lass would marry, their hands close held and bird song for their marriage bells. And all too soon they parted with only his kiss upon her mouth to bring meaning to the solemn words the friar had spoken over them. But Romeo's heart was singing within him when he joined Benvolio and his good friend Mercutio afterwards. And his love for Juliet embraced even her kin when her cousin Tybalt swaggered up to them. Before he would have fought his insolence. Now there was only that peace for all Capulets and so he thrust the mockery of the man away and would not draw his sword. It was Mercutio, resenting his friend's submission to the other's insults,