Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Hollywood — The ^Authors able. Luckily, Von Sternberg with his practised eye had seen in a subsidiary incident the promise of an original theme. This he pointed out to Ornitz, and urged him to rewrite it. And this second story, so fortunately developed from the first failure, was the play that Von Sternberg was going to shoot as soon as The Docks was finished. Normally Sam Ornitz was of an avuncular temperament. He looked at the world through big spectacles benignantly, while on his curious mouth the hint of a smile was always lurking, as though he had just thought of a new and amusing idea. Below this skin of good humour he was a serious and even a spiritually suffering man, seldom taking part in the loud-voiced duels of badinage, repartee, or pun that were as much substitutes for conversation as the alcoholic decoctions were substitutes for sound liquor. One day we met him on the lot ; his smile seemed twisted, the good humour was missing from his eyes. " They are fixing up my story," he said, in answer to our inquiries. " It is enough to make any man look sick. To begin with, I can't bear that continuity-man, and he likes me as little as I do him. And how, I would ask you, is any kind of collaboration going to be successful in such circumstances ? But, of course, the studio can't take any account of one's likes or dislikes. I am assigned to somebody, and I have to put up with him. That's all. It may be business, though it isn't art. Did I ever tell you how my story goes ? No. Well, I'll tell you, and then you'll understand. It's about an unmarried mother. She's been seduced and has a baby, which is the only thing she lives for. In fact, to provide for it she is at last driven to the streets. Then one of these interfering societies — America is lousy with them — steps in and has the baby taken from her. Says she isn't fit to bring it up. Why, they might as well tear the heart from her. The rest of the play shows the girl's attempts to drag herself [121]