ACTING FOR THE FILMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19001, 25 October 1923, Page 8

ACTING FOR THE FILMS.

A visit to the Gaumont Studios to ■ see a film being produced disposed of many illusions I had previously entertained as to the way films were actually made, writes Edith M. Watson in the Daily News. I had heard the usual talk that the actors and actresses have to make up lavishly and hideously, with black lips and yellow faces, but Wanda Hawley and Nigel Barry presented quite an ordinary appearance, with only the usual stage make-up. A scene was taken from “The Light* ’o London,” whore the young husband comes homo after a fruitless search for work. I had heard that producers shouted at the actors and bullied them about, but Captain Calvert, who is producing this picture, behaved quite differently. He .conferred with the two principals, explained what he wanted in great detail, and then they practised it once or twice, with expression at Half-pressure, as it were. Then “Lights” was called, the big lamps flared (the camera was already in position), and the scene was taken. At the height of the emotional scene the producer called “finish,” and then, “Now a close-up.” The actors remained in their places, and a most interesting example was given of how emotion has to be worked up. A gramophone was started, playing a touching violin solo, and we could see the actors slowly gathering together their emotional forces. When the heroine's eyes were bright with tears (real tears) she nodded to the producer, the cameras began, and the close-up was taken through? The hero’s voice by now was hoarse with emotion ; the heroine clung to him and smiled through her tears as he clasped her despairingly to him, and then “Finish” again, and just as wo were holding our breath at this realistic bit of acting the lights were off and the camera had stopped. The stoppage was painful in its suddenness. To have shut off the full force of any emotion so sharply must make an enormous drain on the nervous forces. In this case the actress sat down on the sofa and actually wiped her tears away, and the man turned his back to us while he calmed down to normal. It was a revelation of the amount of sincerity some artists put into their work. No glycerine tears or onions—real emotion, that made the heroine cry and forced the hero to express it not only by eyes, face, and body, but even in the voice, which no one would hear.