The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-10
In Hollywood

NEA Service Staff Correspondent
HOLLYWOOD, May 9. - The
more I see of this Knute Rockne
picture and its people, the easier it
is to understand the studios en-
thusiasm for it and the atmosphere
of reverence that hovers around
the set.
For one thing, this isn't a foot
ball picture. Rockne may be first
remembered as a great coach OF
Notre Dame, but he was mostly a
teacher-not only of chemistry but
Of character. And the story has
much of the mood of Mr.. Chips"
For another thing, this probably
is the first accurate biography ever
filmed. Not only are there none of
the outrageous distortions of essen
tial fact and characterization
which you have found in previous
Life-of-So-and-So fickers; there is
according to Mrs. Rockne, Notre
Dame officials, Rockne friends, re-
searchers and writers-not a single
incident in it that didn't actually
happen.
Only thing that worries the
Brothers Warner a little is that
about 80 per cent of the treasured
anecdotes about Rockne have
been omitted. Otherwise the fea-
ture would have become a series.
Hundreds of people have offered
material and dozens have rendered
their personal services to help in
preparing the story.
O'BRIEN TAKES
PART OF ROCKNE
The appearance of Pat O'Brien
as Rockne will be downright start
ling to everyone who remembers
the often : photographed, broken
nosed pan of old Knute. AS one
who has the highest regard for
C'Brien's ability, I still have been
a little too aware that in recent
pictures he Vas playing himself,
just as Spencer Tracy does. But
in this one, O'Brien is Rockne.
He took off Is pounds to fit the
role. The makeup people have
filled up the chin cleft, built out
his forehead along the eyebrow
line, and broadened and apparent.
~ broken his nose.
These effects are attained by
plastic rubber inlays so perfectly
joined that they're undetectable
even by an interviewer. Watching
their removal is a shuddery ex-
perience lika a major but blood
less operation. When Pats small
son witnessed it, he kicked Perc
Westmore's shins and yelled, stop
tearing my daddy's facet"
Thoughtful precautions were
taken to prepare Mrs. Rockne for
her first glimpse of O'Brien in
makeup. The actor (wearing his
own face) "a introduced at a din
ner party. Later, when they were
acquainted, he took her aside and
showed her a lot of photos of the
step-by-step makeup process and a
set of comparison stills of himself
and Rockne.
Even then she had quite a shock /
next day when she visited the set
and saw O'Brien making love to
Gale Page, who plays the wife in
the picture. Miss Page, incidental
ly, lost plenty of pounds to become
as slim as the girl who married
the young chemistry teacher.
O'BRIEN FEELS
DEEPLY ABOUT ROLE
O'Brien is full of Rockne lore
and likes to tell it. The depth of
his feeling about the role gives an
impression Of a sort of mystic kim
ship; certainly it is a stronger
thing than l have ever encountered
in Hollywood.
Also he's the first star I've seen
who SO intellectually welcomed
suggestions on how to do his act
ing. After a classroom scene he
told and showed me some of the
ways in which Mrs. Rockne has
corrected his original interpreted
tlons-tricks of speaking, wise
cracks, little mannerisms and at
titudes which should mean a lot
to all the people who knew or
studied under her husband. Equal |
ly important is the confidence the
onfor r,;~c fro~, lr-.,-