The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-12
Director Wishes All Film Players Were
AS Smart And Obliging AS The Quintuplets
BY PAUL HARRISON
NEA Service Staff Correspondent


HOLLYWOOD, Oct. I'm
their third motion picture, Five
of a Kind the Dionne quintup-
lets will make their first bows as
real actresses.
It's not quite the sort of acting
other child stars consciously do,
explained Director Leeds, because
the 9uints portray themselves
and thus behave naturally.
"But they behaved according to
orders" he said, land handled
their roles exactly as we hoped
they could.
Never having seen a movie,
except some animated cartoons,
they didn't understand the real
reason they were acting. 1t work
out little pieces Of business and
tell them what | wanted done and
sometimes rchearSe them in ac-
ton. They took direction for two
reasons because they're such OBJ
liging kids. without a bit of con-
trarineSs in them, and because
they thought it was game"
Jean HerShOlt and other Seter-
ans of 20th-Fox's two previous cx-
petitions to Callander, Ont, give
credit TO the 2S-year-Old director
for the fact that about four times
as much disable film was obtained
for this picture. and in record
time despite bad weather.
SING IN ENGI lSH,
THINK IN FRENCH .-....
Leeds speaks French said
Hersholt, who is Doctor Luke,
"and he found the little girls had
a French vocabulary of about 300 !
words. They know some English, |
and they even sing song in Eng |
hsh in Five of Kind but they
think in French.
Leeds made everything a game |
for the quints. When they baked
at something he would say, If
you don't play the game with US,
we will have to go home And
then they'd do whatever he asked
them.
!; Leeds would not do anything
TO hurt their confidence in Us. I
remember what a time there was
about the puppies. Five little
cocker spaniels were sent up from
Toronto for the babies to play !
with in the picture, and the nurses
had told the babies about them. |
But the dogs could be photograph |
ed only outdoors, and day after
day it was cloudy and we had to |
work inside" -,
Eve we're making the sequence
where the quintuplets undress !
their dolls and put them to bed.
An of sudden they. went on /
sttike and, just wouldn't play with |
their dolls. Yvonne said, Mile. !
Corriyeau promised the puppies!
We want the puppiese
r Leeds pleaded with them, and |
Marie, asked if they. could play |
with the puppies the next day. But
Leeds. wouldn't promise because |
he. knew the next day might be |
cloudy too. and he wouldn't risk |
having TO double-cross them.
$50 Yyonne still refused to kiss !
Der doh and put it to bed, and We |
didn't do any more work that |
day" -. 49,. r.
fNSTALLMENT -.
COFFEE .- |
& When the pups finally were
brought to the play yard, and !
carried in by Hersholt, the CAM
era vas turning to record the
CUNTS first reactions to pets they
previously had seen only in pic
ture-books. However, most of the
sequences for "Five of a Kind
were rehearsed in advance; or at |
least there was some discussion |
about them. ~, $50
Leeds told about the time the |
four-yesr-old stars were supposed |
to bring Doctor Luke" his break
fast, mostly coffee. One would
race in with cup, another with
a spoon, a third with the cream,
and so on. .' -. q.
"They did it four times" the
director recalled, "and when was
hoping we'd get it right, the kids
stopped and went into huddle. |
Whenever. they were puzzled
about something they'd settle it in
huddle. and funny thing was
that they seemed to be almost
telepathic in the way they'd drop
everything at the same time, and
get together. and start whispering. /
"Well, / found out they were
worrying about why we were
playing that game FIVE times.