LEARNING LINES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1939, Page 5

LEARNING LINES

THREE PRIME ESSENTIALS. RULES GF SCREEN PLAYERS. Lines are most important to screen players. Walter Pidgepn is the authority for the statement. A veteran of both stage and screen, his training has taught him the necessity of learning every line in a play before opening night. He still does it, even with film scripts, where a picture may be in production for a period of six months. “It’s purely habit now,” states Pidgeon. “Most former stage players in pictures do the same thing. With lengthy productions, it is sometimes necessary to go over the lines again, but memory training has made this a simple matter. “When given a new part, I immediately learn npt only my own lines, but the'lines of every important char' acter in the film. Hpwever, I do not take chances. It is a long time between ‘takes.’ Every night I read the lines which will be ysed "the following day." The tall, young actor added that he employed three methods qf meiporising lines. One of these is memory training, another association with action and the third synchronisation with characterisation. By associating the dialogue with the action, the two become synonymous. One recalls the other. Asfted if he wajkefl through his lines in front of a mirror while learning them, he said, “Well, I don’t use a mirror. I do walk around my hpuse speaking the lines, opening a door when I am supposed to go through a door, kissing the cat in tfle clpsp-ups and generally acting like a misguided idiot.” He added that different players had various ways of learning lines. Many former stage stars learn their own lines only. Some of them learn the lines oi everyone in the cast. In this way they cannot go wrong. They do not need cues. The cues are etched on their memories. Tlipy usually refresh their memories with' infrequent reading of the script, Spencgr Tracy learns his lines day by day. He is one of the few screen actors who absolutely sinks himself into h>s charaptprisatio'ns. His lings are a natural counterpart of his acting. Myrna Loy learns her lines scene by scene. In this way she is able to segregate the lines into groups, associating them with definite action. She never misses, always coming through with flying colours. The Marx Brothers represent an individual problem. They learn lines pasjly, but they cannot forget their musipal comedy training. Thpy “ad Jib” whenever the occasion allows. Somptimes they’ start according to script. Before it ends, however,'it is ah "entirely different scene. Fortunately,' their “ad-libbing” is usually funnier than the original. The practice is npt epcppraggd. jt takes lightning minds and constant association to make “ad-libbing” plausible. Some ?cyeen players Jearn their lines just* before going on for a scene. The difficulty in this case Is a tendency to bpcqme cpiifused. ' A pibtipn picture spund stage 'is not the quietest place in the world. Qlark Gable has no difficulty with his lings. He associates them with action, learning an entire day’s “shooting” tlje previous night. In the morning he refreshes his memory by reading them again., “Of course, there are all manner of difficulties,” said Pidgeon. “Sometimes a spript will be changed after a picture goes ifitp ’prpducfi.bn.' Thep the actor must npt only learn the new lines, but must also eradicate! the former dialogue from his memory. Another player may muff his lines. If he repeats, it has a tendency to throw the entire company off balance. The weirdest results are

often attained through a general ‘blowup’ of players.” Screen players as Wen as stage players must learn to identify their lines with the character they’ portray on the screen. A “tough guy” must speak in character. Thus, according to Pidgeon, there are three prime essentials in learning lines; good memory, synchronisation of dialogue with action, and identification of lines with character. PEASOUP FOG HAS PEPPERMINT TASTE. Peppermint-flavoured fog is the latest contribution to the apt of screen make-believe. A technician working on' “Suez,” developed a thick peasoup variety for an exciting scene in the film by suspending tiny oil particles in the air. It was as a concession to sensitive npstrils that he included essence of peppermint in the secret mixture.