Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Star-dust in Hollywood " Enchante" said Monsieur Paul, bowing. He had mistaken C *s explanations for the customary compliments. The workmen's parliament was still vociferous on the set, properties were not ready, and the men had talked themselves into almost a Chambre des Deputes state of abuse. Children were being drilled, the other actors were being instructed in their parts, side business was being now evolved. Everybody was offering advice, including an electrician seated aloft to control the top lights. " Mon Dieu ! " ejaculated Menjou. " What a riot ! And even the juicers must put a word in ! " At last the rehearsal was considered organized enough. The small, square box containing the microphone was slung out from its gallows* arm over the heads of the two stars. The mixer and the assistant director climbed into their cardboard caravan, the camera-men crowded into their bandboxes. Red lights flickered for a moment above the dark little windows behind which the cameras were alert. A youth stood forward between the camera-boxes and the actors with a pair of clappers in his hand. This was the synchronizing apparatus. The camera recorded the exact moment that the jaws clapped, and simultaneously the mark appeared on the sound-record. " Silence, silence ! " yelled the director. Slowly the conversation died down. But, as ever, one intrepid talker murmured on under his breath. " Silence, s'il vous plait ! " cried the director. At last a dead stillness fell. Every one was tense, waiting. The clappers yawned with open lips. But the assistant director interrupted from the caravan : " There's a lamp hissing." A hasty examination of the lamps was undertaken, broken by the director's cries of " Silence, s'il vous plait, messieurs et dames ! " as the irrepressible conversationalist began to murmur again indefatigably. [288]