The seven deadly sins of Hollywood (1957)

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THE FLAMBOYANT SET Lillian Gish thought that a love story in which there was no actual contact between the lovers would be highly effective. She wanted to be kissed by John Gilbert, then the screen's Great Lover, only through a windowpane. The story was shot without any physical embraces between the lovers. Then the MGM executives saw it — and the window-panes were removed. The love scenes were reshot the conventional way. In order to be convincing in a death scene (says Mr. Vidor) Miss Gish did not drink any liquids for three days and kept cotton pads in her mouth even in her sleep. She grew paler and thinner. Vidor describes the death scene: " She neither exhaled nor inhaled. I began to fear she had played her part too well." The explanation was that she had trained herself to get along without visible breathing. Whatever role John Gilbert played on the screen he continued to live off the screen, we are told. "If his new assignment were a dashing Cossack officer," says Vidor, "John would hire Russian servants in his household, and guests would be entertained with a balalaika orchestra while they were served vodka and caviare. At one time, due no doubt to a new film role, John began to picture himself as the owner and master of a fine sailing schooner." The schooner was christened The Temptress, in honour of Greta Garbo, with whom, says Vidor, Gilbert's friendship endured for a long time. But often Garbo would be eccentric. Gilbert invited friends to dinner on his ship on one occasion. At five o'clock, when the guests were due to arrive, the boat sailed away without them. Vidor comments, "We could only conclude that Greta had been displeased and had given her famous pronouncement: 'I want to be alone — I think I go home.'" Gilbert, who used to earn £180,000 a year, would sleep 39