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

Talking Pictures Among other things, the human background must accurately reflect time, place, and customs, and it must merge quietly into the whole general scheme of the mosaic. There have been many comments in the press, praising the realism of the "human atmosphere" in various pictures. Among the most outstanding of these were the comments upon the northern natives in Eskimo; the surgeon in Men in White; the Russian peasants of Anna Karenina; the newspaper reporters of Five Star Filial; the Indian-fighting army men of The Plainsman. But with the bouquets come brickbats. Letters are received which say, "Where did you ever get the idea that a big bum like So-and-So looks like a banker?" or "You cast Miss Such-and-Such as a society girl when she looks more like a fat laundress." An expert studio casting director, because his art is not an exact science, relies upon an intuitive judgment, a trained memory, and years of association with plays and players. Every casting department has cross-indexed files to which the casting director may refer. These carry the names and abilities of hundreds of actors and actresses of all ages. The Central Casting Corporation, with larger files containing more names, is kept with equal exactness. A casting director will sometimes use his indexed files for routine casting of small roles. But generally touches of special charm arise from the large gallery of portraits hung in the halls of the casting director's mind. A gruff ticket agent whose few lines bring a laugh, or a pathetic mother whose child is killed by a truck — roles adding great emotional value to a picture — demand inspired [128]