Evening star., 1940-05-19


of the theater with them. Put all the
emotion you know into it.
Lights went up, the two perform
ers were in their places. The her
oine, supposedly bounced around a
bit In an auto accident, was propped
up on divan. Standing a few feet
away was the hero, his face reflect
ing gratitude-and something that
might be described as love.
At the cue of "action!" he hur-
ried across the room to his girl
friends side, slipped down on one
knee and took the lady gently in
his arms. Darling" he breathed,
How was I to know"
The heroine opened her gorgeous
eyes and gave him that limpid
look that has stamped her one of
Hollywood's outstanding male fan
favorites. A couple of tears where
trickling down her cheeks.
Don't" she wispered, don't ever
leave me again"
The hero lifted her head ten
derly. He kissed her hair, her
forehead His eyes we're now also
damp. Then with a manly sweep
he caught her in his arms and
their lips met crushingly.
Ten seconds later (four longer
than Hays Office regulations) the
director broke the clinch. That's
the baby!" he beloved gleefully.
'Never have I witnessed more
effective love scene on any sound
stage! 1t will knock them out of
their seats!"
Definitely Not Real
Meanwhile, hero and heroine
each 5-year veteran of this sort
of celluloid pap-extricated them
selves from the tangle. They stared
coldly at one another.
you big lug" muttered the lady,
"you might have the common de-
cency to cut onions of your lunch
on this one day at least. You pull
that one Just once more and see
what happens!'
Listen, wash-out," returned the
chivalrous heart breaker of Is
supers. when you get these dag
gers cut off the ends Of your fin
gers Ill cut off the onions. MY
neck and ears are a bloody mess
right now
In the projection room that night.
the head of the studio. looking over
the daily rushes, congratulated the
director on the earnest and fervid
nature of that love fade-out. Il
think we should team those two
stars more often" he declared.
But the stars who displayed such
realistic passion for each other in
the fllm, aren't on speaking terms
and have passed the word along
they'll make no more pictures to-
gether.
Disillusioning as 1t may be to
thousands of the movie kiss-and-
clinch, love-making on the screen Is
very much q mechanical job. Like
building a house from the architects
plans-with the script as the blue
prints. For the most part those
lingering kisses that continue hour
after hour on the set are pain In
the neck to the yielding heroine who
receives them and an awkward,
laborious chore for the hero.
Not Even Enjoyable.
This disappointing fact was fur
ther disclosed by the simple expedi-
ent of asking a representative num-
ber of screen kissers and kissees how
they reacted to those flaming mo-
ments you see out front.
Bette Davis, having a reputation
for frankness, was the first one
approached. She had just returned
for retake on "All This and Heav-
en-, Too"
MY gosh, no." said Bette. There's
nothing thrilling or even mildly en-
joyable about a screen kiss. Too
many things to worry about. Both
heads have to be held rigidly in a
certain position to keep from bob
bing In and out Of focus or Slip
ping of the screen. Noses are a
problem. Really awkward things,
noses. Then your lip rouge smears,
your cheek makeup rubs of, you