Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

The ^Movietone t7t France Lunch over, I discovered Miss S in a small office. There I was introduced to the English translator of the dialogue. Miss S scribbled four and a half lines on half a sheet of paper. Certainly they were simple enough : a call, a few plain statements of fact, and an annoyed question. But in their very simplicity I suspected a trap. On the stage it is easier to commit a murder than to say : "How do you do ? " As I carried the lines on to the set the author followed, and as I was struggling to memorize my words he began a furious diatribe against the star. They had differed on the question how the English conversations should be delivered. The author insisted on correct English. Menjou, with his American training, wanted them colloquial and snappy. He had frequently altered the written script to his own vernacular. The author had protested ; but it is one thing to protest to £1000 a day and another thing to get your protest noticed. A thousand a day is a little like royalty — at least, in its own opinion. I should have delighted in the author's denunciation : he even used a much more snappy vernacular than that which the star wished to superimpose on his text. But at the moment I wished him away. His really exciting monologue distracted me from my study, for even four and a half lines must be learned with some thoroughness if they are to be repeated instinctively while one is occupied with composing appropriate gestures and facial expressions. At last the set was prepared, the big, vertical basting-tins of reflectors were concentrated on me seated at the table with my telephone at hand. The small box of the microphone yawned at me from beneath a pile of account-books and papers. " Now," said the director, " we'll try a little rehearsal." With an effort I tried to shoot the four lines into my subconscious memory, so that I could concentrate on action and [297]