Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 1938)
Friday, October 21, Behind The Scenes During the Making of the Best of Comedies Here's what the camera behind the cameras and microphones caught during the filming of "You Can't Take It With You," which should top the 'Best 10' and which comes to the Grand screen Friday. Director Frank Capra Tells How He Picks Perfect Casts Principals In Prank Capra'a "You Can't Take It With You," which opens today at the Grand Theatre, ire Jean Ar thur, Lionel Barrymore, Jamea Stewart and Edward Arnold. George 8. Kaufman and Moss Hart wrote the original Pulitzer Prize play, which Robert Rla kin adapted to the screen for Columbia. 1938 l" viHik Vi - ' V f 1 ill ' By Frank (Academy Award Winner, President of Art and Sciences and Director of "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," "Lost Horl; ion" and "You Can't Tave It With You.'! I've been asked, what makes the big stars who have come under my direction convince me that the greatest asset an aspiring screen actor can have is the ability to express natural characteristics of sincerity. The best person to play a Chinaman is to play a grouchy old man is a grouchy old man. The less a man or woman has to make over his own personality to por tray a character on the screen, an outstanding performance. In the final analysis, I believe that good casting makes stars. A good example of a star who scored success by living the part is that of Gary Cooper in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town." Gary Cooper was Mr. Deeds. Without his complete un derstanding of the inner psychology of the character Gary could never have conveyed the splendid convic tion to his audiences that he did. i Can't Fool Camera You cannot fool a motion picture comera. Natural behavior shows through labored histrionics like gold through dross. Let's take a look at the case of Clark Gable. I had never met Gable before he walked into the studio to make "It Happened One Night." The Gable I saw was not the Gable of the screen. It was apparent that the real Clark had not been photograph ed. Perhaps he had been so Keenly aware of his screen reputation that he had tightened up before the-camera. His flair for light comedy and his great personal charm had been missed. The Gable I saw was a more likeable fellow. He was una i foe ted easy and humble. It was a person quite different from the aggressive physical specimen we had seen up to that time. His performance In It Happened One Night" won him the award of the Motion Picture Academy for the A A7 W IB 1 iA CI OA - WSiTg Loretta Jane ,Vi.iL ?-$ ,VZ' -ml" Brtsi 1 "Five i TTnLE;)"K- vsa? i of a ' 1 just tu'ky miw W "SUEZ" j ? Kind" JjjB J Loretta tuplets J jjNT ,j VI naMla 9 m 1 1 - l V are your best ' Caprm the Academy of Motion Picture a star? My observations of a Chinaman. The best actor the better are the chances of best acting performance of the year. The truth of the matter is that he wasn't acting at all. I attribute no small measure of whatever success my pictures have had to perfect casting. The cases of Cooper and Gable are examples of my argument. Every actor is best when he is expressing himself In the type to which he is born That Is why, after long de liber a tion and tests of every actor who was suggested as a possibility for the part, I selected Lionel Barry- more to play Grandpa Vanderhof in "Yo uCan't Take It With You." Mr. Deeds' Grandfather For "You Can't Take It With You" I had to find a man who was really Grandpa inside. After read lng Robert Rlskin's screenplay suddenly realized just whom we should look for the grandfather ot Mr. Deeds. We persuaded M r Bar ry more to be tested for the part, and as soon as he stepped before the camera I knew that Grandpa had been found. Prank Capra's production of "You Can't Take It With You" Is showing locally at ti e Grand theatre. Sup porting Arthur, Barry more, Stew art and Arnold Is a strong cast of favorites Including Mlscha Auer, Ann Miller, Spring By lng ton. Mary Forbes, H. B. Warner. Halllwell Hobbes and Donald Meek. NEYV $1 itSdHawmoit The Capital Journal, Salem, LIONEL BARRYMORE in his most lovable role as Grandpa Vanderhof, who quit, work for fun ! MISCHAAUER W W Affi M ANN MILLER K07n'fehov"Rus0sian M4i (ffljM 3i&lWi3 'iWAi " wftl toCacha1. dancing teacher.. I KlAi (-" f tvW who dances for joy I j jpmm f: SPRING BYINGTON k LL J I ' I LL J I I V M i 1 I I Nl toALDMMK delicious as Penny Kr Iflll III- ill excruciating as Mr. Sycamore ... who'd K lilt I I I I 1 A I Poppini, inventor o love to be a writer I UU Villi 1 I II j ly very 4ay 4adets, H. B. WARNER J HALLIWELL HOBBES powerful as Ramsey, SSt VyV "slyL? inimitable as that ice paying the price of fv5Si. I mtn, Mr. DePlnna, 6ghting Wealth 1 p Vy j who just stayed onl W)( 6 iJTZlIl) I iX)I7 Oregon JAMES STEWART as Tony Kirby, the rich man's son who'd rather be a poor girl's husband! JEAN ARTHUR more adorable than ever as Alice Sycamore, who's crazy about the boss' son I 5even EDWARD ARNOLD as Wall St. Tycoon Kirby. . . ' who learns the best things in life are free!
