HOLLYWOOD’S METHODS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 11 May 1935, Page 14

HOLLYWOOD’S METHODS

Producing “David Copperfield’’

HUGH WALPOLE’S VISIT

Mr Hugh Walpole, the noted English author who was commissioned by Holly wood to see that the film version oi “David Copperfield” did not contain errors in speech and atmosphere, had some amusing things to say about filmmaking at a luncheon on his return to London.

Mr Walpole said ho went to Hollywood to advise on the. scrip*, bet was anxious to learn about prouue*?. •■>. By placating the right men, and smiling at the right men, he had been allowed to stay on and take part m the actual making of the film. “Never in rny life,” he contiaueu. “have I worked so hard. 1 was a kind of pupil. I say this because I have teen it stated that 1 wrote the scenario Actually I did as I was told—some times under rather brutal orders.’ (Laughter). “ ‘Let’s see what Dickens has to say about it,’ David Selrmcli (the producer) or George Cukor (the director) would always say, and invariably we found some bit of dialogue, some overlooked incident, that sliaightened things out.” Occassionaliy, Mr Walpole said, he was allowed to write in bits. Once he did a whole scene, and thought it superb. Next morning he found it on the producer’s desk with a very uncomplimentary and terse epithet scrawled across it in blue pencil. Mr Walpole paid a tribute to Mr Charles Laughton and Mr W. C. Fields. “Mr Laughton was invited to play Micawber largely at my suggestion,” ho explained. “Accepting with great misgivings, he shaved his whole head, and came along looking strangely, divinely perfect. “Then the acting began, and this weird figure was so wonderful that all the babies began to scream and shudder. Mr Laughton became more and more sinister, and at last, sacrificing much time, labour and money, told Mi Selznick that his interpretation wus all wrong and dropped out. Mr Fields stepped in, and apart from his hair, which he had to lAsep because of another role, is the perfect Micawber—the one player who contributes something of h’s own to the part.”