“Impersonation of Moods”

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 63, 16 March 1938, Page 11

“Impersonation of Moods”

ESSENTIAL PART OF DANCING FOR SCREEN. Hollywood is demanding more of screen dancers than it did even two years ago, according to Le Roy Prinz, Paramount’s dance director who is responsible for several novelty dance sequences in Bing Crosby’s new picture, ‘‘Double or Nothing.” ‘ ‘ Beauty remains an asset, but the audience requires the persuasion of personality rather than of mere prettiness,” said Prinz recently. He observed generally: “Two years ago, even one year ago, 21 beautiful, well matched girls, charmingly attired, tapping and tripping to smart music were a ‘hit.’ To-day four girls, each with beauty, personality and intelligence, entering intensely into a novelty interpretation of a dramatic and intimately appealing idea, will go much further to make a picture successful. “Sophistication alone will not be sufficient either. There must be a humanly appealing idea, humour, or genuinely emotional and every individual dancer must really feel arid impersonate whatever the mood—satire or sentiment, laughter or love. Naturally, I am speaking from the standpoint of the pageantrist for the screen. Various episodes just produced by me for “Double or Nothing” will particularly exemplify my interpretation of the new trend in screenVdance taste from the angle of the producer and the public. • • Mere mass display of beauty, crowds of girls and boys alone, are outmoded. Audiences are to-day musicminded. The progressive dance director realises the change this has made iu public reaction to the screen dance. I would say that the day of cut and dried routine, to which any bright rhythm aud catchy tune will give • punch,’ is past.”