Evening star., 1933-08-06

per cent shorter on the screen than on the
stage or in the old silent pictures In Silent
films kisses could be miles long and audiences
loved them.
"A case in point is Flesh and the Devil
the picture which brought Greta Garbo anu
John Gilbert together. However, hit though
it was. that film would not go across today
with conversation added to picture, there
is an added distracting element. Since we
have given them talk, they are waiting for
more. The concentration of silent pictures mas
been lost In its place has risen a new type
of love scene.
"On the legitimate stage love scene can
run longer because real flesh and blood persons
are going through the action.
"On the screen these scenes must always De
shortened because our characters are, in the
fine analysis only shadows. Because OF this,
and because a picture ordinarily is nearly an
hour shorter than the average stage play, the
technique used in writing and playing love
scene must be extremely deft and clever
TWO major points must be remembered In the
filming of love scenes.
One of them is the dialogue between the two
characters. 1t can't consist of the usual WORDS
uttered by persons in real life, as they would
make the entire scene appear ridiculous rather
than sincere. Every word of the dialogue must
be written very carefully so that it will exactly
suit the situation and be convincing rather
than maudlin.
Also, the love scene must be of exactly the
right length-neither too long nor too short.
If it is too short it doesn't drive home its full
significance. If it's too long, it becomes funny.
Any number of otherwise perfect love scenes
have drawn gales of laughter from an audience
simply because they ran trif1e too long.
1t is not unusual for director to spend an
entire day in trying to get just right love
scene which runs only a few seconds on the
screen. There may be dozen different treat
ments of this scene but only one version actu-
ally will ring the bell" 1t is this version
which must be discovered and recorded.
Jean Harlow. who has figured in practically
every type of love scene, has few remarks to
make regarding the triangle type OF love story.
Triangle love stories must be treated deity
declares the platinum blond. otherwise your
audience will be jump ahead Of you all the
time through knowing of many similar cases
which have happened in real life.
Furthermore, triangle love stories arouse the
protective instinct in married women and men,
They criticize such situations with extreme
severity. There can be no false notes The
story must ring true.
And there must be some justifable reason
why the sympathy should go to the wife and
her lover or to the husband and his sweetheart.
If this isn't planted, if the girl doesn't convince
the audience that her lover means more to her
than anything else in the world, the whole
picture Is ruined"
THESE are some Of the reasons why screen
players are more than ready to call it
day after spending eight hours and sometimes
more in making love before the cameras
Those hours are far more strenuous than
hours spent in tiring physical effort because
they call for a display of emotion which very
often doesn't exist. Furthermore, closeup
shots are made of nearly all love scenes. This
means that the players must work right under
battery of powerful and hot lights.
And if you think it would be any fun to
spend all day under hot lights while director
criticized you for your method Of making love
to Miriam Hopkins, Loretta Young, Frances
Dee or any of the other screen beauties, just
try it some time