Talking pictures : how they are made and how to appreciate them (1937)

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11 COSTUMING THE PICTURE Many students of the drama feel that the important place of costumes in dramatic presentations has been proven by the various attempts to present the plays of Shakespeare with actors dressed in modern clothes. The experiment undoubtedly has its value as laboratory study in actual college classes intent upon detailed study of Shakespeare. Students in such classes are endeavoring to trace the development of Shakespeare's literary style, and their concentration is of a scholarly nature. But before audiences who came to such performances for the major purpose of being entertained, Shakespeare in modern dress has not been successful. The greatest lines of dialogue ever written lose their effect if the setting before which they are said is not in keeping with the historical period or the specific incident concerned. And even if the setting be accurate, there is still a loss of dramatic force unless costumes are correct for period and incident. That is why the wardrobe department of a modern studio is almost the largest unit within any film plant. And that is also why inspired designers who can increase dramatic values with their costumes, have become among the most indispensable and highly paid technicians of the cinema. [112]