Garbo Laughs

2008 Hurricane Watch

This week’s storm watch around the Atlantic Basin and Caribbean is typical for this time of year. In a word it’s QUIET.
I have a few things to say about this past hurricane season as well as fleshing out some of the onerous predictions made by the global warming crowd since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. But that can wait until we pass November 30th the official end of the 2008 hurricane season.

Let’s go the Movies

During the 1920’s and 30’s Greta Garbo’s name was movie magic. She had a string of hits during those years and beginning in 1930 she was nominated for best actress in pictures Anna Christie, Romance and Camille.

Paramount Pictures producer/director Ernst Lubitsch wanted to sign Garbo for a film he was preparing titled Ninotchka, but since Garbo shunned publicity and lived an almost secret life Lubitsch knew very little about the star with the exception of her stunning performances that he’d seen on the screen. Her last picture Camille was heavy drama and Ninotchka a comedy. Lubitsch had Paramount arrange for Miss Garbo to come in for a sit down interview at his office and talk about the film.

Ernst Lubitsch had an outgoing personality and the interview went well, but Lubitsch had something in mind that went directly to his concept of the film, and it had to do with the female star.

Lubitsch got up from his desk and paced the room, when suddenly he turned to Garbo and said, “Can you laugh?”

A wry grin broke over Garbo’s placid face and she said, “Yes. I think I can laugh.”

Lubitsch continued to pace a bit more and said, “I’m not talking about just a little laugh. I mean a big laugh. You see the star of Ninotchka must be a character with a wide-open and completely spontaneous laugh. Can you do that?”

Garbo smiled and said, “Let me give it some thought. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
As Lubitsch escorted the star out of the office he was thinking well, it wasn’t a yes and it wasn’t a no.

True to her word Garbo was back the next day. And following the normal amenities including coffee the two of them manufactured small talk as they sparred around avoiding the subject of laughter.

Eventually though Greta Garbo’s grin changed to a wide smile and she said, “Your question and the idea – can you laugh is silly.”

Lubitsch chortled. “I think you’re right.”

“And I love it, “ she whispered. “The more I think about that silly notion the more I want to laugh.” And she began to laugh the most joyous outgoing kind of laughter Lubitsch had ever heard. In fact it was so infectious that he joined her in the celebration of the laugh. And of course she signed a contract and they made the film.

The Paramount publicity people picked on the story and used the two-word phrase to spearhead their publicity campaign – Garbo Laughs.

Garbo was nominated for best actress category in 1939 for her performance in Ninotchka. Of course everyone knows what happened at the Oscars that year – Gone With the Wind.

Tombstone, Arizona Territory 1881
Excerpt from Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone.
Continued from last week.

"My name is H. M. Matthews, I am a practicing physician, and Coroner of Cochise County.”

Price then asked, "Where were you on the 26th of October, 1881?”

"I was in the town of Tombstone on that day.”

"Did you see or were you made aware of a difficulty that occurred between the Earps and Holliday and the Clantons and McLowry’s on that day?"

"I was notified of the affray. I did not see it."

"At any time during that day, did you have occasion to observe William Clanton, Thomas McLowry, and Frank McLowry?"

Dr. Matthews nodded and said, "Yes. It was in the middle of the afternoon. And when I saw those men, Frank and Thomas McLowry were dead and William Clanton was in a dying condition."

"Did you know them by sight?" Price asked.

"I did not. I knew them only as they were identified to me by witnesses."

"What, if you know, caused their deaths?”

"Billy Clanton and Frank McLowry died from pistol bullets and Tom McLowry's death was caused by buckshot wounds."

Doc watched the proceedings with interest and as he observed the exchange between the district attorney and Dr. Matthews he began to calm down and he found himself listening and becoming fully engaged in the process, listening and taking notes. Doc noted Matthews's testimony and agreed with the coroner's description of Tom McLowry wounds. They were consistent with the facts.

When Judge Spicer adjourned court for the day the defense team gathered their papers and hustled down Fremont Street to meet at Col. Herring's office. The colonel and Hill Howard, of Howard and Street joined them there.

Colonel Herring greeted everyone and then abruptly asked, "Are any of you gentlemen acquainted with William Allen?"

Doc was in the process of making a cigarette. He furrowed his brow and nodded. "Yeah. I know him. I first saw him up north in mining camps around Cheyenne and Deadwood.”

Colonel Herring stared at Doc and said, "Anything else?"

"Yes there is," Doc said as he struck a match and lit his cigarette. "He was there the other day. I saw him in the construction site on Fremont, just prior to the fight."

Wyatt added, "He's a ring hanger-on. I'm sure of that."

Colonel Herring polished his monocle on the sleeve of his coat. "We have it from a pretty good source, they're making Allen their key witness."

Tom Fitch scratched his chin. "Then we need to pay close attention to his testimony. Because if I don't miss my guess he'll be setting the tone and possibly the big lie for the other prosecution witnesses to follow."

Writers Notebook:

Dorothy Eden, speaking of historical novels says, ‘I can never see the final shape of this kind of book until it is nearly finished. And I go through phases of elation and despair as my characters tug me this way and that – frequently into avenues I’ve never imagined, but it is all constantly absorbing and I would never contemplate any other way of life.

If you look back at the tips in this column you’ll find that many good writers have had that same experience. William Faulkner accepted his characters as the real storytellers when he said as soon as he gets them on their feet he simply follows along and writes down what they say and what they do.
I believe like Hemingway, that most good storytelling comes from the subconscious.

Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter.

Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday’s Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

www.tombarnes39.com
www.RocktheTower.com