The Washington times., 1934-10-27

other imaginable kind situation that might arise during
his life
The actor must live that characters life with him, brood
upon every aspect of it, get inside the character that he
the thoughts the emotions the reactions the base
the points of view that influence and condition such man
behavior under any circumstances.
Then and only then it to will the actor under
stand we'll enough to play with intelligence with SYM
pahy and with cumulative conviction, either behind the
footlghts or in front of the
In my own case that kind of preparation usually takes
several weeks before production actually starts On the
stage much of that preliminary knowledge of the character
you are playing be acquired during rehearsas In the
motion picture world such opportunities offered and
the must do that necessary work for himself in ad
of production.
Perhaps the example give of the method
is the case Slver Dollar which based upon and
written around the life of H. A. W. Tabor, the Colorado
''Slver King
In that instance it became question: only of getting
to know the I to portray thoroughly but of be-
coming intimately with the historical background
of the which he lived with the and customs
of the PERIOD and with every other person who figured
prominently in Tabor's life.
1t involved in other words the application of the
method much wider scale than would be the with
ordinary work of fiction contemporary drama.
To the yman such extensive research for the sake of
arriving satisfactory creation of character might
like tedious and largely unnecessary process. Re
gardess of the weeks of study and reading involved,
found could not be satisfied with any less complete know
edge of the subject.
During the weeks before the making of Silver Dolar
probably read Is 20 books dealing with every pertinent
phase of American life of that PERIOD with the history of
the silver discoveries in Colorado and the entire silver
of the United States, which to such disastrous end
during the Cleveland administration and eliminated
in the collapse of Tabor fortune.
devoted great deal of time to studying the costumes
Of the period. became enthusiastic about having the
smallest detail Of Tabors mode of DRESS manneriSms, habits
correct to nicey The better part of two weeks during the
preliminary period devoted to experiments in
makeup for the periods Of TabOrs life they
touched upon by the picture. These followed by
tests until felt that every aspect of the char
realistic as it could possibly be made
The procedure followed in the preparations for
the picture 81 Loved Woman, which dealt with the life
of important Chicago packing-house king
When I begin to study character that going to
play, find myself in the of few days. behaving
like him. 1t is sort of mpromptu rehearsal in which
test out to myself my progressive analysis of the char
acter.
More than I have amused my wife by these i'm
promptu rehearsas She is used to my method Of study
however, and nasmuch she always stories and
scripts with me, and knows constantly what | am doing
planning to do her suggestions and criticisms nvau
able.
An experienced herself Mrs. Robinson is best
for impartial thrdperson reaction to the char
acter am building She supplies the woman's point of
vew too which the best male actor in the world OCCASION
ally ovcrlooks.
Two or three weeks of that kind of "ving wh' a
character and the learning of the dialogue and bust
that is required by the script itself becomes almost
automatic You know your we'll by that time, that,
given the situation he finds himself n the lines almost speak
Themselves
hope YOU will pardon the length of this letter. and
trust that it will supply you with the information you de-
sire The subject that could of be expanded
indefinitely but many other phases of it would become too
technical to interest the general public
With kndcSt personal regards,