Imperial Valley press., 1936-08-23
BY Linda Lane

/ILLIAM SHAKESPEARE is success as
Wv scenario writer! This was definitely
proven in Hollywood when 900 newspapermen
and women attended the first screening of the
bard's Romeo and Juliet" which proved tri-
umph for both Norma Shearer and Irving G.
Thalberg.
Reviews coming from the critics witnessing
the unfolding of the spectacle on the screen in
dcate that the picture is down-to-earth enter
tainment A moving spectacle of that ageless
love story truly fine version if not, perhaps,
the greatest presentation the immortal Shakes
peare's work ever could be given none the
less left the theater more impressed by it's pic
torial perfection, its detailed mounting, than by
an histrionic Interpretation. To be not to be
a critic-we leave it with you, to the picture
and judge for yourself
classic widely known and often
eruditely analyzed is not the easiest assignment
to cast and perfect as screen play. The most
learned of students of the Bard Of Avon may
debate the subject, they might go on indefinitely
comparing this motion picture version with the
book as play, but their conclusions would ar
rive at the point of commencing the producers
for beautiful and sincere accomplishment.
Leslie Howard is restrained Romeo, not as
aggressive and youthful as we usually think
Shakespeare's Romeo to be. Norma Shearer is
a touching Juliet, complete mistress of her role
more in the dramatic renditions than as the
maiden Juliet pning for love. However, our per-
sonal award for the top acting honors goes to
John Barrymore. Yes, the escapading edition of
1.-The Royal Family" Hollywoods headline
monopolizing "Caliban"-John Barrymore. His
Mercutio is living, real thing, as he shaded
each opportunity of comedy and drama making
the blank verse of Shakespeare ring true and
unstilted You would believe that Mercutio were
Barrymore, not Barrymore Mercutio.
THE adherence of the film to Hollywood
formula was Andy Devine as the stooge of
r,1nxyA Ttr1ta ate
But possibly this is the prime problem of giving
Shakespeare to the screen with a cast of known
Hollywood players, we are too conscious of their
past performances in modern everyday film
tertainment. The demand, for perfect character
izations, is for un-typed, un-Hollywood thes-
plans.
The balance of the cast, all lending sincere
and able performances, Basil Rathbone,
convincing as Tybalt; c. Aubrey Smith and
Robert Warwick as the Lords Capulet and Mon
tague, respectively; Violet Kemble Cooper and
Virginia Hammond as the Ladies Capulet and
Montague; Ralph Forbes as Paris and Reginald
Denny as Benvolio In lesser roles are Conway
Teare as the Prince Of Verona Henry Kolker
the Friar Laurence and Maurice Murphy as Bal
thasar.
The screen adaptation of Romeo and Juliet"
vas taken from the Cambridge edition of the
classic, which is all Shakespeare. Twenty-Five
of the twenty-four scenes and all the favorite
a word in the motion picture script that is not
Shakespeare.
There is brief prologue to the film in which
the actor Guy Bates Post establishes the set
ting. So fine an illustration of a Shakespearean
character was he that we wondered why MGM
had not considered him for a role in the pic
ture. He would have done WELL
Romeo and Juliet" conjures Immediately
mental picture of the balcony scene. 1t Is i'm
possible to think of the one without the other.
So it was with feeling Of pleasurable antici-
patton that during recent trip to Hollywood,
this writer stepped through the door of Sound
Stage Is at MGM to watch Miss Shearer and
Leslie Howard play that famous scene
I JOINED group which included Miss Shearer,
Howard, Edna May Oliver, Director George
Cukor, and Prof. William Strunk Jr., Of Cornell
University, literary adviser the production
"The balcony scene, more than any other, IL
lustrates the advantages Of the screen over the
stage" Cukor was saying.
noted director of the New York stage be-
fore he turned to motion pictures in 1929, Cukor
speaks with authority.