January 11, 1936—WEEKLY ILLUSTRATED

BERGNER
in
ARDEN

### Director and Star

Directing "As You Like It" is Dr. Paul Czinner, husband of Elisabeth Bergner. He has had the production in mind for four years. Here he is rehearsing Bergner before shooting a scene.

### Below, the Melancholy Jaques

Leon Quatermaine, who plays Jaques, studies the part and tries to spread a fitting expression of gloom over his features. Leon Quatermaine has had a very extensive experience of Shakespearean parts.

A NEW film writer looks like making a big name for himself in the entertainment world. Oddly enough, he is an Englishman. Young W. Shakespeare, of Stratford-on-Avon, leaped to the fore with his quaint and original comedy farce with music, *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. His new play, *As You Like It*, looks like being a big success.

*As You Like It* cannot be said to have been written specially for Miss Elisabeth Bergner, with whose art Mr. Shakespeare was not acquainted at the time when he wrote the play, but its plot of a girl who disguises herself as a boy and runs away into the forest might easily have been designed for her particular talent and appearance.

Credit for belief in the work of playwright Shakespeare, which has in the main been neglected by the film companies, goes to Bergner and her husband, Dr. Czinner. Almost the chief part in the comedy is taken by the Forest of Arden, whose romantic beauty had made so deep an impression on Shakespeare in his youth—and no pains have

“Then There is No True
Lover in the Forest”

Celia overhears Rosalind talking to herself after she has found the scroll with writing about herself pinned to a tree. Left, preparing a resin board so that Rosalind will not slip.

### Directing "Shakespeare's Most Delightful Comedy"

Dr. Czinner regards "As You Like It" as Shakespeare's "most delightful comedy." Costumes are being designed by John Armstrong, whose work is well known to all who saw the Old Vic Shakespeare season in which Charles Laughton took part.

been spared to provide a forest worthy of the part.

Birch, beech, and wild cherry trees have been collected, planted, and equipped with leaves—not just ordinary leaves, but leaves in green, white, and silver specially painted to catch the light. Rich, lucious, best-quality moss has been provided for Rosalind to walk on. It is watered every three hours to keep it fresh. Through the trees and over the moss meanders a small brook specially summoned for the purpose.

Elisabeth Bergner, who plays the part of Rosalind, has played the role as many as 600 times already on the Berlin stage, and

has also toured in the part in Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and Holland. Sophie Stewart is Celia, and the part of Jaques is taken by Leon Quatermaine.

Dr. Czinner, director of the film, is Elisabeth Bergner's husband. He thinks *As You Like It* Shakespeare's most delightful comedy. "It is light, gay and happy," he says, "I have been thinking about the production for four years, so you can guess how pleased I am to be producing it at last."

Hal Rosson, who photographed *The Ghost Goes West*, is the cameraman. The Art Director is L. Merson, who worked in most of the Réne Clair pictures.

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