As long as I live I will never forget the little boy in All This and Heaven Too. Little Richard was a beautiful child. Pale and sad with great dark eyes bordered in shadows, he was exquisite. That piqued little face topped by curly black hair was the embodiment of pathetic nonage. A face out of Le Maternel, it was designed to break your heart. He played neurotic, sickly types. He was about six or seven at the time.

Richard was supposed to cry in a particular scene and the poor child was having a hard time. Tola marched up to him and growled, “If you do not cry I am going to leave you here on the stage — all alone — all night.” It was the cruelest bit of expediency I ever heard. He cried — but then was so terrified he couldn’t stop. Long after the scene was finished, little Richard was still crying his eyes out. But I could not really hold Tola responsible. The child had been sacrificed and thrown into the lion’s den by others, nearer and dearer. His family were the culprits. He made more money with his pale neurotic appearance.

Since we had many children in the picture, I gave a large party on the last day of shooting. The restaurant was a fairyland of ice cream, cake and soda pop. The world of children captivates me and we were all having a wild time until I tried to find my little Richard. He was nowhere in sight. Getting his address, I drove to his house where, on a sunny day, I found him indoors in order to preserve his commercial pallor. I was furious and he was soon in the car and at the party. He had a ball!

(via taniadoeslittle)

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