Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Hollywood — The Qamera-man mimicry borrowed from the part, and expressed her disdain of such * lowness ' by grimaces, twitches of the nose, and movements of her magnificent shoulders such as only a Frenchwoman can make. A year before she would have walked off the lot, but the Black List had disciplined her. Another scandal on the sets and her ostracism might become permanent. In return the Mexican girl, full of the pride that inspires the meanest of Spanish peoples, exaggerated her naughtiness whenever she was near the Frenchwoman. Yet when the director yelled " Cameras ! " they were bound to take the stage together and simulate sweetness and smiles while hate was stewing in their hearts. " By the way," said the young publicity man, " there's one chap you should get to know on this set, and that's Harry Hitzler. See, he's up there." He pointed to an elevated platform a little above our heads. From this angle Mr Hitzler, with his back toward us and bending over his camera, was little more than a pair of trouser-leg pipes supporting a voluminous hemisphere of behind and a canopy of coat-tail. " I'll make you known to him," said my publicity man. " Get him to talk to you. He's seen more of this game than most of us put together. He was right in it practically from the first." " Say, Harry ! " he shouted up, seeing that the cameraman had completed his adjustments. " I want you to meet my friend Mr Gordon. I've been telling him you are one of the oldest hands in the game. He's an artist, making sketches round the studios, see ! " " Pleased to meet you," said Mr Hitzler, reaching down an enormous hand. " So you're drawing, eh? Doing it for publicity? " " No," I answered. " I'm going to make a set of etchings. Art work, you know." p [225]