MR. SHAW EN A FILM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19298, 10 April 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

MR. SHAW EN A FILM.

POSES BEFORE CAMERA. I REFUSAL OF £1,000,000. "FILMS SPOIL PLAYS." Mr. Bernard Shaw visited a Covent Garden film studio recently to be filmed in Mr. Widgey R. Nowman's series of short scroen-studies of prominent people. He was in one of his most expansive moods. His gaze fell on Mis<i Dickie Scarth, and he asked: "Who is this young lady ? Is she to play Joan to my Darby? If so, we shall need a fireside and a twilight! " Mr. Newman, during the preliminaries, asked Mr. Shaw why he had never allowed his dramatic works to be filmed. " I had a million offered for them once," replied Mr. Shaw reminiscently, " but what would bo the use ? The films would only kill the market for my stageplays." This explains the remark of Mr. Samuel Goldwyn, reputed to have made the " million " offer, that he once spent a whole day with the dramatist, but that Mr.. Shaw "obtained more out of him than he did out of Mr. Shaw. Mr. Newman then asked Mr. Shaw to proceed to his duties, which were to " register " various expressions, such as " intelligence," " interest," " concentration," " puzzlement," and finally " inspiration," as of an author who triumphantly catches an elusive word or epigram and finally to speak. " Why should I speak ? " exclaimed Mr. Shaw. " Why admit that there is a camera in the offing ? Why break the illusion that 1 am alone." He was undoubtedly right, and he had his way, but when he reached the point at which he is supposed to have a moment of epigrammatic inspiration, he refused to say what the inspiration was. He agreed to appear in the present series only on condition that he was not " featured," but as his colleagues in the first items to be released are the Hon. Mrs. Richard Norton, Miss Binnie Hale, and Mr. G. K. Chesterton, Mr. Shaw has no reason to complain of his company. Mr. Shaw, after expressing an optimistic opinion on the future of British films, turned into the Gate House Theatre salon next door, where " Hedda Gabler " is being presented nightly. " How much money does your theatre hold," he asked, " and what do you pay to the dramatist?" No wonder Mr. Goldwyn found Mr. Shaw too much for him!