Disillusioning as it may be to thousands of rabid devotees of the movie kiss-and-clinch, love-making on the screen is very much a mechanical job. Like building a house from the architect's plans—with the script as the blue prints. For the most part those lingering kisses that continue hour after hour on the set are a pain in the neck to the yielding he-rome who receives them and an awkward laborious chore for the hero.
This disappointing fact was further disclosed by the simple expedient of asking a representative number of screen kissers and kisses how they reacted to those flaming moments you see out front. Bette Davis, having a reputation for frankness, was the first one approached. She had just returned for a retake on "All This and Heaven, Too."
"My, gosh, no," said Bette, "There's nothing thrilling or even mildly enjoyable about a screen kiss, Too many things to worry about. Both heads have to be held rigidly in a certain position to keep from bobbing in and out of focus or slipping off the screen. Noses are a problem. Really awkward things, noses, Then your lip rouge smears, your cheek make-up rubs off, you get powder all over the man's coat and he hates it and generally your hair gets mussed up if the director wants the leading man to grab you around the neck,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.