Another filming anecdote that missed the final cut in the book.
_A Very Bad Vamp
_I did not often play the villainess pictures. I had no difficulties playing a tragic role, yet, for some reason, I couldn’t keep a straight face playing a temptress or vamp. Dolores on the other hand sparkled in those roles. She had this wonderfully smoldering look she would give to the camera, her eyes bright, her face determined. She played a vamp like nobody’s business. She was a far more talented actress than I was, as she could do comedy with as much grace as she did drama. I loved to watch her shoot pictures and to watch her in the theater.
As much as I think I was miscast, I did play the villainess on a few occasions. The first time was shortly after we signed our contracts with Chronicle. I had completed two shorts with Kingston Sam and his crew, as well as a morality play. I had also been an extra in a half dozen other shoots. They kept us very busy on those studio lots.
In my first attempt at a villainess, I was to play the girlfriend of a gangster who tries to seduce the hero into the criminal life. I can’t remember the details exactly, but I think the hero was some sort of financier and the gangster wanted to get information from him. (I find it funny that after all these years some scenarios come back to me whole while others I can only remember bits and pieces. I still kept my diary during the heady early months of acting, I was not disposed to write in it as religiously as I have been known to do.)
The filming of the picture went quite well for the first part, but when we got to the part where I was to tempt the financier, things got a little, well, unprofessional.
It was quite usual for other people on the studio lot to come and watch the filming of other pictures they weren’t working on. There was often lots of waiting time as sets were refined or actors were rehearsing. Film was expensive in those days and most scenes were shot in one or two takes. Only the pictures by big directors, like Monroe, got to use all the film they wanted. It was rare for a film to go to even four takes, so rehearsing was very important to getting things right on the first time.
Unfortunately, when we were working on the temptation scene, Kingston Sam showed up to watch us rehearse. His ability to make me laugh felt uncanny and it wasn’t long after he appeared that things got out of hand. We had got the scene just about right the first two times. Well, mostly right. I had trouble making the right kind of “come-hither” look and the director took me aside to practice it a number of times.
We were just about finished, rehearsing the scene once more, when Kingston Sam took up a position on the other side of the hero, just outside the set. At first he had this look of mock seriousness, but as I vamped up the scene he started to act as if he were falling for me too.
It was just too much. I laughed and flubbed the next two directions. Everyone got a good laugh out of my mistakes and was good humored about it. As things had gone so well the first two times, the director thought we’d go ahead and start filming.
Again, it started well, but Kingston Sam–always a ham for even an audience of one–couldn’t let me do my job. Certainly he couldn’t knowing how easy it was to make me giggle. He stood outside of my view for the first take and I did fairly well, but the director wasn’t happy with my “come-hither” look again. I was having a hard time trying to look sweet and charming while not bursting into giggles.
The second take did not go well. Kingston again mirrored the hero’s falling in love with me. I held it together fairly well, but it was Harry, or was it Henry, the actor who played the hero, who broke down laughing. Harry couldn’t see Kingston Sam, but he sure could hear him.
The third take was ridiculous, nothing came out right. After that, the director ordered Kingston Sam off the set. He pretended to be hurt and slunked off the stage, until the director’s back was turned and then he stood behind him and imitated him. Nobody could resist, we all laughed uncontrollably. Finally, after threats to get Mr. Griply, Kingston Sam exited as only he could, with dancing and handsprings.
Even after a half hour to quiet down, the scene took three more takes before the director was satisfied and it was tough keeping a straight face and while pretending to be a vamp.
I don’t recall seeing the finished picture for that shoot and I don’t remember coming across that director any time after that. Fortunately, I was rarely cast as that type of character. I always felt so silly playing that role anyway. Maybe it was that director’s insistence on me practicing my “come-hither” look or maybe it was the memory of Kingston Sam hamming it up, but I just couldn’t do it properly.
As much as I think I was miscast, I did play the villainess on a few occasions. The first time was shortly after we signed our contracts with Chronicle. I had completed two shorts with Kingston Sam and his crew, as well as a morality play. I had also been an extra in a half dozen other shoots. They kept us very busy on those studio lots.
In my first attempt at a villainess, I was to play the girlfriend of a gangster who tries to seduce the hero into the criminal life. I can’t remember the details exactly, but I think the hero was some sort of financier and the gangster wanted to get information from him. (I find it funny that after all these years some scenarios come back to me whole while others I can only remember bits and pieces. I still kept my diary during the heady early months of acting, I was not disposed to write in it as religiously as I have been known to do.)
The filming of the picture went quite well for the first part, but when we got to the part where I was to tempt the financier, things got a little, well, unprofessional.
It was quite usual for other people on the studio lot to come and watch the filming of other pictures they weren’t working on. There was often lots of waiting time as sets were refined or actors were rehearsing. Film was expensive in those days and most scenes were shot in one or two takes. Only the pictures by big directors, like Monroe, got to use all the film they wanted. It was rare for a film to go to even four takes, so rehearsing was very important to getting things right on the first time.
Unfortunately, when we were working on the temptation scene, Kingston Sam showed up to watch us rehearse. His ability to make me laugh felt uncanny and it wasn’t long after he appeared that things got out of hand. We had got the scene just about right the first two times. Well, mostly right. I had trouble making the right kind of “come-hither” look and the director took me aside to practice it a number of times.
We were just about finished, rehearsing the scene once more, when Kingston Sam took up a position on the other side of the hero, just outside the set. At first he had this look of mock seriousness, but as I vamped up the scene he started to act as if he were falling for me too.
It was just too much. I laughed and flubbed the next two directions. Everyone got a good laugh out of my mistakes and was good humored about it. As things had gone so well the first two times, the director thought we’d go ahead and start filming.
Again, it started well, but Kingston Sam–always a ham for even an audience of one–couldn’t let me do my job. Certainly he couldn’t knowing how easy it was to make me giggle. He stood outside of my view for the first take and I did fairly well, but the director wasn’t happy with my “come-hither” look again. I was having a hard time trying to look sweet and charming while not bursting into giggles.
The second take did not go well. Kingston again mirrored the hero’s falling in love with me. I held it together fairly well, but it was Harry, or was it Henry, the actor who played the hero, who broke down laughing. Harry couldn’t see Kingston Sam, but he sure could hear him.
The third take was ridiculous, nothing came out right. After that, the director ordered Kingston Sam off the set. He pretended to be hurt and slunked off the stage, until the director’s back was turned and then he stood behind him and imitated him. Nobody could resist, we all laughed uncontrollably. Finally, after threats to get Mr. Griply, Kingston Sam exited as only he could, with dancing and handsprings.
Even after a half hour to quiet down, the scene took three more takes before the director was satisfied and it was tough keeping a straight face and while pretending to be a vamp.
I don’t recall seeing the finished picture for that shoot and I don’t remember coming across that director any time after that. Fortunately, I was rarely cast as that type of character. I always felt so silly playing that role anyway. Maybe it was that director’s insistence on me practicing my “come-hither” look or maybe it was the memory of Kingston Sam hamming it up, but I just couldn’t do it properly.