merton of the movies-第57章

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tremendous　hit；　The　Blight　of　Broadway。　Instantly；　as　you　may　suppose；　I　was　struck　by　the　extraordinary　distinction　of　his　face　and　bearing。　In　that　crowd　composed　of　average　extra　people　he　stood　out　to　my　eye　as　one　made　for　big　things。　After　only　a　moment's　chat　with　him　I　gave　him　a　seat　at　the　edge　of　the　dancing　floor　and　used　him　most　effectively　in　portraying　the　basic　idea　of　this　profoundly　stirring　drama　in　which　Miss　Mercer　was　to　achieve　one　of　her　brightest　triumphs。

〃'Watch　that　play　to…day；　you　will　discover　young　Gill　in　many　of　the　close…ups　where；　under　my　direction；　he　brought　out　the　psychological；　the　symbolicif　I　may　use　the　termvalues　of　the　great　idea　underlying　our　story。　Even　in　these　bits　he　revealed　the　fine　artistry　which　he　has　since　demonstrated　more　broadly　under　another　director。

〃'To　my　lasting　regret　the　piece　was　then　too　far　along　to　give　him　a　more　important　part；　though　I　intended　to　offer　him　something　good　in　our　next　play　for　Muriel　Merceryou　may　recall　her　gorgeous　success　in　Her　Father's　Wifebut　I　was　never　able　to　find　the　chap　again。　I　made　inquiries；　of　course；　and　felt　a　really　personal　sense　of　loss　when　I　could　get　no　trace　of　him。　I　knew　then；　as　well　as　I　know　now；　that　he　was　destined　for　eminence　in　our　world　of　painted　shadows。　You　may　imagine　my　chagrin　later　when　I　learned　that　another　director　was　to　reap　the　rewards　of　a　discovery　all　my　own。'

〃And　so；〃　continued　Miss　Blivens；　〃it　was　with　the　Henshaw　words　still　in　my　ears　that　I　first　came　into　the　presence　of　Merton　Gill；　feeling　that　he　would…as　he　at　once　finely　didput　me　at　my　ease。　Simple；　unaffected；　modest；　he　is　one　whom　success　has　not　spoiled。　Both　on　the　set　where　I　presently　found　himplaying　the　part　of　a　titled　roue　in　the　new　Buckeye　comedyto　be　called；　one　hears；　'Nearly　Sweethearts　or　Something'…and　later　in　the　luxurious　but　homelike　nest　which　the　young　star　has　provided　for　his　bride　of　a　few　months…she　was　'Flips'　Montague；　one　recalls；　daughter　of　a　long　line　of　theatrical　folk　dating　back　to　days　of　the　merely　spoken　drama…he　proved　to　be　finely　unspoiled　and　surprisingly　unlike　the　killingly　droll　mime　of　the　Buckeye　constellation。　Indeed　one　cannot　but　be　struck　at　once　by　the　deep　vein　of　seriousness　underlying　the　comedian's　surface　drollery。　His　sense　of　humour　must　be　tremendous；　and　yet　only　in　the　briefest　flashes　of　his　whimsical　manner　can　one　divine　it。

〃'Let　us　talk　only　of　my　work；'　he　begged　me。　'Only　that　can　interest　my　public。'　And　so；　very　seriously；　we　talked　of　his　work。

〃'Have　you　ever　thought　of　playing　serious　parts？'　I　asked；　being　now　wholly　put　at　my　ease　by　his　friendly；　unaffected　ways。

〃He　debated　a　moment；　his　face　rigidly　set；　inscrutable　to　my　glance。　Then　he　relaxed　into　one　of　those　whimsically　appealing　smiles　that　somehow　are　acutely　eloquent　of　pathos。　'Serious　parts　with　this　low…comedy　face　of　mine！'　he　responded。　And　my　query　had　been　answered。　Yet　he　went　on；　'No；　I　shall　never　play　Hamlet。　I　can　give　a　good　imitation　of　a　bad　actor　but；　doubtless；　I　should　give　a　very　bad　imitation　of　a　good　one。

〃Et　vailet；　Messieurs。〃　I　remarked　to　myself。　The　man　with　a　few　simple　strokes　of　the　brush　had　limned　me　his　portrait。　And　I　was　struck　again　with　that　pathetic　appeal　in　face　and　voice　as　he　spoke　so　confidingly。　After　all；　is　not　pure　pathos　the　hall…mark　of　great　comedy？　We　laugh；　but　more　poignantly　because　our　hearts　are　tugged　at。　And　here　was　a　master　of　the　note　pathetic。

〃Who　that　has　roared　over　the　Gill　struggle　with　the　dreadful　spurs　was　not　even　at　the　climax　of　his　merriment　sympathetically　aware　of　his　earnest　persistence；　the　pained　sincerity　of　his　repeated　strivings；　the　genuine　anguish　distorting　his　face　as　he　senses　the　everlasting　futility　of　his　efforts？　Who　that　rocked　with　laughter　at　the　fox…trot　lesson　in　Object；　Alimony；　could　be　impervious　to　the　facial　agony　above　those　incompetent；　disobedient；　heedless　feet？

〃Here　was　honest　endeavour；　an　almost　prayerful　determination；　again　and　again　thwarted　by　feet　that　recked　not　of　rhythm　or　even　of　bare　mechanical　accuracy。　Those　feet；　so　apparently　aimless；　so　little　under　control；　were　perhaps　the　most　mirthful　feet　the　scored　failure　in　the　dance。　But　the　face；　conscious　of　their　clumsiness；　was　a　mask　of　fine　tragedy。

〃Such　is　the　combination；　it　seems　to　me；　that　has　produced　the　artistry　now　so　generally　applauded；　an　artistry　that　perhaps　achieved　its　full　flowering　in　that　powerful　bit　toward　the　close　of　Brewing　Troublethe　return　of　the　erring　son　with　his　agony　of　appeal　so　markedly　portrayed　that　for　the　moment　one　almost　forgot　the　wildly　absurd　burlesque　of　which　it　formed　the　joyous　yet　truly　emotional　apex。　I　spoke　of　this。

〃'True　burlesque　is；　after　all；　the　highest　criticism；　don't　you　think？'　he　asked　me。　'Doesn't　it　make　demands　which　only　a　sophisticated　audience　can　meet…isn't　it　rather　high…brow　criticism？'　And　I　saw　that　he　had　thought　deeply　about　his　art。

〃'It　is　because　of　this；'　he　went　on；　'that　we　must　resort　to　so　much　of　the　merely　slap…stick　stuff　in　our　comedies。　For　after　all；　our　picture　audience；　twenty　million　people　a　daysurely　one　can　make　no　great　demands　upon　their　intelligence。'　He　considered　a　moment；　seemingly　lost　in　memories　of　his　work。　'I　dare　say；'　he　concluded；　'there　are　not　twenty　million　people　of　taste　and　real　intelligence　in　the　whole　world。'

〃Yet　it　must　not　be　thought　that　this　young　man　would　play　the　cynic。　He　is　superbly　the　optimist；　though　now　again　he　struck　a　note　of　almost　cynic　whimsicality。　'Of　course　our　art　is　in　its　infancy'　He　waited　for　my　nod　of　agreement；　then　dryly　added；　'We　must；　I　think；　consider　it　the　Peter　Pan　of　the　arts。　And　I　dare　say　you　recall　the　outstanding　biological　freakishness　of　Peter。'　But　a　smilethat　slow；　almost　puzzled　smile　of　hisaccompanied　the　words。

〃'You　might；'　he　told　me　at　parting；　'call　me　the　tragic　comedian。'　And　again　I　saw　that　this　actor　is　set　apart　from　the　run　of　his　brethren　by　an　almost　uncanny　gift　for　introspection。　He　has　ruthlessly　analysed　himself。　He　knows；　as　he　put　it；　'what　God　meant　him　to　be。'　Was　here　a　hint　of　poor　Cyrano？

〃I　left　after　some　brief　reference　to　his　devoted　young　wife；　who；　in　studio　or　home；　is　never　far　from　his　side。　〃'It　is　true　that　I　have　struggled　and　sacrificed　to　give　the　public　something　better　and　finer；'　he　told　me　then；　'but　I　owe　my　real　success　all　to　her。'　He　took　the　young　wife's　hand　in　both　his　own；　and　very　simply；　unaffectedly；　raised　it　to　his　cheek　where　he　held　it　a　moment；　with　that　dreamy；　remembering　light　in　his　eyes；　as　of　one　striving　to　recall　bits　of　his　past。

〃'I　think　that's　all；'　he　said　at　last。　But　on　the　instant　of　my　going　he　checked　me　once　more。　'No；　it　isn't　either。'　He　brightened。　'I　want　you　to　tell　your　readers　that　this　little　woman　is　more　than　my　wifeshe　is　my　best　pal；　and；　I　may　also　add；　my　severest　critic。'〃







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