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July 30, 2008
The Madge Bellamy Acting Workshop
Madge Bellamy postcard
A few years ago, I was up in Toronto, on location for Within These Walls, a film the Academy Award winning actress Ellen Burstyn, acting as producer and star, asked me to write. Ellen, one of the great actresses in Hollywood, past and present, discovered the true story and immediately realized its potential as a powerful and entertaining film. The challenge of playing a hardened murderess who is redeemed by learning to train and love dogs, greatly appealed to Ms. Burstyn.
During the first week of production, one of the featured actresses—not Ellen—knocked on my hotel door and asked if she could discuss her role with me.
Of course I sat down with the actress—a recognized and respected talent—and we discussed her role, the character's history, motivation, and dramatic arc. The actress relentlessly probed every single line of dialog. She challenged me to defend all the hard decisions I'd made in writing the character.
I kept saying:
“I think you do this because...”
“I think you feel this because...”
“I think the big turning point is when...”
The Actress kept saying:
“I feel that I do this because...”
“I feel that my character experiences this because...”
”I feel that my character...
I short: I was thinking and she was feeling.
The great liberal, conservative divide as applied to a film.
It was a long night, but because film is a collaborative craft, and because I respected the actress and she—I think—respected me, we each made concessions, and ultimately the character that emerges in this fine and touching film is richer, more complex than I originally imagined. The actress turned in a stupendous performance. After a few days of watching rushes, I took the actress aside and said:
“You're making me look good.”
“Honey, I'm just doing my job,” she purred.
Which brings me to Madge Bellamy.
Madge Bellamy, studio publicity photo
A huge Hollywood star in the early 20's, most of Bellamy's early, silent work has been lost. But you can still see her in starring roles in John Ford's Iron Horse (1924) and Maurice Tourneur's Lorna Doon (1922). In the sound era, Madge's most famous role is as Madeleine Parker, in White Zombie, with Bela Lugosi (1932), a cult classic.
Tragically, Madge was one of the most self-destructive Hollywood stars of all time. In a town where players excel at self-annihilating behavior, that's quite an accomplishment. In 1943 Madge shot her lover, Stanwood Murphy. The massive publicity and resulting scandal destroyed her already sputtering career. Regarding the shooting Madge said: “I only winged him, which is what I meant to do. Believe me, I'm a crack shot.”
Madge Bellamy, cover of Photoplay Magazine,
January, 1929
But for now, let's leave scandal behind and focus on how Madge learned to act in motion pictures as revealed in a fascinating interview from Photoplay Magazine, Oct. 1927.
Madge had the unfortunate reputation of being a dumb actress—probably because she made a series of disastrous career choices and insulted so many powerful Hollywood moguls. She walked out of L.B. Mayer's office as he announced that he wanted to cast her in the starring role of his next film. Madge explained that Mayer didn't stand up to greet her like a proper gentleman.
Big mistake.
However, as you can see from this excerpt, Madge Bellamy was unusually bright and articulate. Unfortunately, then and now, beautiful women are often ruthlessly stripped of their brains by bright people who should know better.
“Acting,” for instance. “I always thought that acting was a question of emotions—that you felt a scene and played it as you felt it.”
“Well, I was wrong about that. Acting is a matter of intelligence and observation. You don't have to feel an emotion to portray it. You must observe how other people express their emotions.”
“Mr. Dwan [Alan Dwan, the great, pioneering director] and I had an interesting conversation on the set this morning. I had been playing a sad scene and when I finished, Mr. Dwan asked me what I had been thinking about. And I told him I had been thinking about something sad. 'Well,' said Mr. Dwan, 'you should have been thinking of the muscles of your face.'”
“Now I see what has been wrong with me. I have been trying to feel emotions and express them. I have never thought much about the technique; I simply wanted to be sincere. That was a mistake.”
“So I have been sitting here practicing with the muscles of my face. Look!” And Miss Bellamy drew here eyebrows. Instantly, the tears slowly rose to her eyes.
“See, I am crying and yet, I am not thinking of anything sad. It's just a muscular reaction.”
Adoring crowds line up to see Madge Bellamy in Ankles Preferred (1927)
Madge Bellamy authored a fascinating autobiography, A Darling of the Twenties, published in 1989, a few months after her death. Silent film scholar Kevin Brownlow's introduction is free of star-worship and highly informative. Unfortunately, new copies of the book are impossible to find, but used copies, usually cast-a-ways from public libraries, are readily available on the internet. Madge's autobiography is filled with fascinating details of her years in early Hollywood, and illustrated with dozens of rare photos from Madge's personal collection.
The Madge Bellamy Acting Workshop
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Posted by Robert J. Avrech at July 30, 2008 09:05 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
The cover illustrator, Modest Stein-- strange guy. Apparently he was an anarchist, a close friend of Emma Goldman, and named in the same manner as "Little John."
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/Guide/chronology6900.html
Posted by: Barzilai at July 30, 2008 12:12 PM
Robert, thank you for this excellent depiction of an actress I new nothing about, but now wish I knew more.
I came here to see if you have written anything about the news today in Israel, but I see from your rules:
1. No profanity.
2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism.
that would be tricky to discuss Mr O***t without running the risk of breaking both. He did, after all, win more than two votes in the last election.
Posted by: Antoine Clarke at July 30, 2008 01:19 PM
Robert has taken the vow of olmerta.
Posted by: kishke at July 30, 2008 01:26 PM
Barzilai:
Modest Stein was one of the greatest cover illustrators in the business. His sensitivity to line, texture and color in his portraits are just breath taking.
I admit, I had no idea that he was a political idiot. But then I'm not surprised. Most artists are dreadfully immature and gullible when it comes to political thought.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 30, 2008 07:13 PM
Antoine:
I'm relieved that Olmert is on his way out. Unfortunately, Israel will probably end up being led, for a while, by Tzipi Livni.
She was the architect of the placement of the UNIFIL troops on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Thus she is complicit in rearaming Hizbullah with their replenished arsenal of over 30,000 missles, some fitted with unconventional weapons.
Livni assured the Israel people that the UNIFIL troops would assure Israel's security as never before.
Quite right, Tzipi, Israel's security has been shredded beyond recognition.
As far as I'm concerned Livni is a war criminal responsible for crimes against the Jewish people.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 30, 2008 07:20 PM
Kishke:
LOL! B'lee Neder.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 30, 2008 07:23 PM
Robert -
Thank you for this lovely article. I thought I knew a lot about silent Hollywood, but I'm always refreshed and intrigued by your writing.
And, though I'm not Jewish, I thought of you this morning when I heard about Olmert. I'm sending a prayer up that G-d will protect Israel, as He has before.
Posted by: Christopher at July 31, 2008 06:36 AM
I love this line:
I only winged him, which is what I meant to do. Believe me, I'm a crack shot.”
Posted by: Robert L at July 31, 2008 06:48 AM
Christopher:
Glad you enjoy our articles about old Hollywood. Your prayers for Israel are deeply appreciated.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 31, 2008 01:01 PM
Robert L.
Me too.
Madge was not too stable, boyfriend-wise, but hey, what's one lousy bullet between lovers.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at July 31, 2008 01:04 PM