ACTRESS PLAYS ACTRESS
It is one thing to be an actress, but quite another to play at being one, according to Alexis Smith. In “This Happy Feeling," Alexis Smith is not just an ordinary role was that of a stage ordinary role as that of a stager, but a big Broadway name. “I thought it was go-ing to be easy pretending to be what I am. but I’ve never been so wrong,’’ she said. “I found it impossible to give a ‘straight’ portrayal, which would be a true-to-life characterisation. “That’s not the way the public expects to see an actress presented, and I would never have been able to get away with it." To make the characterisation believable, Miss Smith had to caricature the subject, exaggerate far beyond normal, and carry on as no actual actress ordinarily would.
The danger was in exaggerating to a degree where caricature became outright parody, and this she avoided doing. However, since her role was that of a stage star rather than a movie queen, she felt ».that a bravado performance was acceptable.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19580820.2.67.4
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28669, 20 August 1958, Page 10
Word Count
179ACTRESS PLAYS ACTRESS Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28669, 20 August 1958, Page 10
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in