Evening star., 1932-08-31
BARRYMORES WORK.
HARD IN 'RASPUT|N'
Royal Family, Including Ethel,
Finds no Time or IncIi- 5
nation for Fuss.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
HOLLYWOOD August 31.-That
"royal family of Broadway" and more
recently of Hollywood knows its acting
business and is tending to it strictly
on the lot where three of the family are
now working together.
Hollywood chuckled in anticipation
Lionel and Ethel Barrymore were to
appear in a picture together. There
we're visions of storms of temperament
Even Lionel himself when he first
learned that Ethel had capitulated to
a talkie offer and would be co-starred
with himself and John. wanted to know
what poor, deluded director would be
so foolish as to undertake the job.
But the production of "Rasputin"
has been singularly free of any fuss.
Anecdotes, stories and amusing Incl
dents have grown out of the associa-
tion of the three Barrymores, but
trouble has been missing. They are
actors at work. and they really work.
The director of "Rasputin" is now
Richard Boleslavsky, since Charles
Brabin was transferred to another film.
The transfer was not occasioned by
Barrymorean cut-upS, but was simply
matter of studio convenience. Brabin
was needed on another picture; Boles-
lavsky carried on.
Ethel in Pupil Role.
Ethel, the stage veteran, has taken
the role of pupil in the talkies. She
goes through a scene regally, as BELTS
her role of Russian empress, then be-
comes the pupil again. Was it all
right?" is her first question, after the
directors "cut"
She has two able instructors in John
and Lionel. Watching them in a scene
together, one hears during the re-
hearSal Lionel'S whispered hints to one
not so camerawise as the average movie
actress, Look past me-" or Johns
equally helpful suggestions are heard,
too. This sister of the Barrymores is
under able wings in her talkie debut.
Discussions that sometimes ripen
into arguments develop on every movie
set. John, the set workers have noted,
has an infallible method of forestalling
such unpleasantness. When an argu-
ment threatens he turns slowly but
definitely and walks away. Recently
photographer was importuning Ethel to
d
still" Ethel was objecting. john
who had agreed with her she shouldn't
do it. said mo" and sauntered off. The
argument was over.
Ethel Most Serious.
Ethel has a reputation for being by
far the most serious and business-like
of the Barrymore trio in pictures. She
isn't up on camera angles like her
brothers, but she knows her lines per-
factly and has the theaters punctuality.
They say you can set your watch by
her arrival If you know what time she's
due on the set. John and Lionel,
Hollywood-wise, don't mind a couple
of minutes deviation from schedule
either way.
John and Lionel clown great deal
OF stage, with wisecrackS galore.
Lionel's fondness for assuming weird
expressions after scene is done and
the test shot" is being made frequently
convulseS the set. To John, Lionel is
Mike" nickname dating back to an
old Weber and Fields show: and to
Lionel, John is "Mr. Throckmorton."
name taken from some old melodrama.
They're fond of each other, these
B-rrymores. They gather around for
argument and chatting on the set, and
yet they aren't "inseparable."
Both the boys" think Ethel is
great
One Gay early in production Ethel
and John were posing for photographs
and the still-man suggested, You be
telling her something, John"
To which John replied: II tell her?
Man, Ill ask her something!"