Words of wisdom and wit
23 February 2023
Summary
Pierre Blanchar entered, and came to sit at my table. Unfolding his napkin, he said:
“I have just come from London, where I saw something admirable and extraordinary: a talking picture…
– Have you seen an entire movie?
– Yes, an hour and a half film. The actors talk like you and me, the illusion is perfect, it’s mind-blowing. You have to see it. The title is Broadway Melody, and the movie is playing at the Palladium in London.”
The next day, at two o’clock, I was sitting in the front row of the balcony of a huge theater, listening to the image of Miss Bessie Love speak. Her recorded voice was not unpleasant; but when she sobbed, one thought of a little dog barking in a barrel.
However, this performance was a very important event for me. I went to see the film again that evening, then twice more the next day, and I returned home with my head full of theory and projects. After some technical improvements, talking pictures were going to be the new means of expression for the dramatic art.
Buy online