merton of the movies- 第70部分

〃'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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