The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-22
De1dEnd'
Dialogue

Nv HARRISON CARROLL

BY HARhISON NEAhNOAAH
HOLLYWOOD, May a.
LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
For the movies, the dialogue
in Dead End" was sent to the
laundry, but the trouble is now
to make the six kids from the
Broadway cast remember their
new lines.
We watch Director William
Wyler shoot a scene at the Gold
wyn studio this week.
AS in the play, all the action
takes place on one set-a New
York street by the East river
but the movie designers have
enlarge d the scene-showlng
more buildings-and the boys
dive into real water instead OF
a net in front of the stage.
Bobby Jordan, skinny youth
who plays the part Of Angel,
is supposed to climb up out OF
the river and yell an impreca-
ton at one of the other little
hoodlums.
The Hays office version Of the
line is: Hey, you dope!"
But Bobby said it differently
during too many weeks on the
stage. So, as he comes up out
of the water, with the sound
cameras grinding, he yells:
Hey, you B......"
The rest of the boys howl
In laughter, even Wyler grins,
but they have to shoot the scene
over.
We try to find out some Of the
other words and expressions sub
stituted in the movie script, but
everybody seems vague on the
subject. Bunk" and Bum"
are not being used, it is agreed,
because they are not acceptable
In England.
Lillian Hellman, author Of
"Children's Hour" has done the
script on Dead End" We ask
her how about the cleaning
Job.
"Oh, that was easy" she says,
"just used other words. The
really difficult thing about the
script was telling q screen story
on only one set. That and the
necessity Of putting more &C
ton In at the finish. The plot
In the stage version Of Dead
End finished with the second
oct. The rest was exposition"
Another interesting thing on
this set Is to see the six boys
who play the tough, illiterate
youngsters, finish q scene and
then go over to the sidelines to
do their school work. The Cali
fornia law is very firm about
the education Of child actors.
Fight Scene Is Filmed
For the time being, the
Goldwyn studio is the best lot
In town for the set visitor. Be-
side Dead End" both "Hur-
ricane'' and "Stella Dallas" are
In production there.
We watch Jon Hall, Gold.
wyn's new white hope, do o fight
scene for Hurricane"
The scene is q waterfront So
loon in the South Seas. It Is
where Hall, playing the native
hero, Terrangi, hits q white
man and gets thrown into Jail,
from where all his troubles start.
Hall, a husky young man,
who used to win medals for
swimming, has done a few other
parts in pictures, but hasn't
seen himself on the screen.
MAYBE, when I do, I'll wish
] hadn't" he tells me.
Right now he has to jump up
from a table and throw q punch
to the jaw of Character Actor
William Davidson.
Director John Ford, to whom
all this is an old story, care
fully explains to Hall how to
get the effect Of a hard sock and
yet to pull his blow so as not to
injured his opponent.
They rehearse the punch In
slow motion. It really lands on
the shoulder but Davidson
throws his head back and it
looks as If he has been knocked
silly.
"All right" says Ford. Lets
do it."
Hall jumps up. glares at d.
wilson and lets go.
At the sound of bone against
bone. everybody behind the
camera goes tense. They know
that Newcomer Hall has made
an error and nearly landed on
the button. g..
Davidson falls back into the
arms of men behind him. The
whites of his eyes show for q
second.
Nov I'm really out" he muir.
murs hazily.
The repentant Hall grabs him,
messages his head and twists it
back and forth.
Print that one" says Director
Ford.
When you see the picture,
though, the punch probably will
be another take. Real blows are
never as good on the screen as
faxed ones" Ford explains to us.
'"The victims head just shud-
ders. In a faxed scene it throws
back spectacularly."
RINJc S+0rU