Evening star., 1938-04-10
Mr.McCarthy
Talks Back
Serious John Stahl
Gets kidded for
First Time.
By Douglas ". Churchill

lot to impress. Charlie is talking back
to John Stahl, something no one has
ever dared do before. Charlie. aided
by Edgar Bergen, is making Letter
OF Introduction at Universal and
Stahl is directing. The side remarks
OF the little almost human dummy,
his lmpudence and his ability to con-
1use the director are delighting play
ers who have sWeated and suffered
under Stahls eXacting demands.
A knowledge of the Stahl person.
ality is essential to an appreciati ton
Of the Mccarthy Bergen wit. The
director has never been noted for his
humor. being inclined toward serious
thoughts and ponderous photoplays
such as Seed Back Street" "Imi-
tatlon of Life and. if it must be
mentioned. "Parnell" On the set
he brooks little levty and puts his
players through take after take
sometimes as many as 80 for single
scene-until he achieves the desired
result. Most of all. he has never
tolerated any back talk.
Stahl was completely off guard for
Bergen's first onslaught. The ven-
trlloquist missed line and the di-
rector asked him what the trouble
was. mccarthy gave me the wrong
cue,' replied Bergen Stahl is re-
ported to have accepted the reason as
genuine for over a minute and then
the fact that he was being spoofed
sunk in. Bergen blew up again later
and laughed and apologized until
Mccarthy said Shut up. Bergen. this
IS no laughing matter It's not funny"
bergen sobered and said. Sorry.
Charlie" Charlie turned to Stahl:
He'll get it right this time" When
tne picture had just started and the
players were aWed by Stahl, the di-
rector made eight takes of a scene
between Bergen and Mccarthy. after
which he told Bergen to do it his own
way. Charlie muttered why didn't
You tell US that in the first place"
and stahl whirled around to see who
was SO nsolent. Apparently Charlie
mas grown weary of making COM
ments, for now. because of the tedious
and lengthy waits entailed by the
Stahl system he has become prev to
nervousness and as he sits on Ber-
gems knee he emits little futtering
Whinnies.
FROM time to time there is evidence
that performers take their screen
roles seriously There is the case Of
Bette Davis, who has portrayed so
many rebellious women that she con-
tlnues her characterizations after she
leaves the set Her suspension bv the
warmers could have been avoided but
Miss Davis preferred to think of her.
self as Julie in "Jezebel" when talking
TO studio executives. On the other
mana, there is Kay Francis. whose
roles OF late have been marked by clov-
Ing nobility and suffering. Although
she feels just as aggrieved as Miss
DAVIS, she is bearing her cross ike
any hrst-rate martyr Relations be-
tween the actress and Warmers have
been strained for weeks, the friction
reaching high point when Miss
FRANCIS was assigned to what admit
tedly Is B picture. She offered no
protest and the sorrow in her eyes was
lntermingled with forgiveness. She
has told friends that she is resigned to
anything the Warmers do to her. even
to playing a 37-year-old mother in a
B epic. The spanking must be as
painful to the studio as it is to the star.
Tor 1t requires fortitude unusual IN
Hollywood to relegate a $500 a week
performer to minor budget picture.
HOLLYWOOD is awaiting with more
interest than concern for the re-
suit OF the utility workers attempt
to lnvelg.e the w. P. A. to extend its
Federal theater project to embrace
the manufacture and distribution of
motion pictures. They recently dis
patched j. T. Cannon to Washington
10 see what could be done about re-
heVing the critical unemployment
situation in the industry. More peo-
pie are out Of work than at anv time
in Hollywoods history, and while the
producers freely explain the matter. to
a Well-informed person their reason
ing appears fallacious. There seems
to be no valid reason for local con-
ditions.
Just how the W. P. A. will view the
making OF films is question. While
those OF liberal tendencies would well
come an opportunity to place stories
OF social Importance on the screen
ana While many of the WASHINGTON
boys would enjoy Hollywood assign
ment. the highly publicized production
costs may frighten the most con-
flrmed spender at the Capitol. The
most serious obstacle to the utility
workers plan is the problem of dis
trlbution. for there would be little
sense in making pictures if there was
no place to show them The few hum
dred project theaters would provide
no practical outlet, and it is doubtful
that Hollywood would permit the
commercial houses to show the films
regardless of their merit.
With front" being an essential asset
IN Hollywood it is matter of specu-
lation on how many would join the
movement. The utility workers do not
have to worry about their social stand
ing, but actors, writer's and directors
might regard enlisting in the project
as an admission of defeat. That they
would be eating would not temper
their humiliation. Besides, in Holly
wood every one hopes that things will
be better tomorrow. Thousands of the
most competent people in town are
unemployed, and if money could be
secured and these people would enter
the project with enthusiasm, films
could result that would make, sub
stantial share of the present offerings
appear piffling in comparison.
WHILE the propaganda value of
w films has long been appreciated,
in spite of charges to the contrary
pictures have been used very little
to advance PHILOSOPHERS or grind axes
That an active interest is being taken
in this phase of the cinema is indi-