Etiquette for Movie ‘Extras’

Dancing Don’ts and Other Don’ts for the Uninitiated on Movie Sets

Allen Holubar is thinking of writing a book on ball room etiquette and presenting a copy to each extra man. Holubar has been trying to get several hundred extras to act as though they had been on a varnished floor before in their lives, in a big scene for Dorothy Phillips’ feature, and the director and his assistant, Harry Bucquet, have outlined the following commandments:

• Do not lift your dancing partner by her ears. 
• Do not drag back the right leg in making a bow. 
• Do not nudge your hostess in the ribs to attract her attention. 
• Under no circumstance must men playing “diplomats” engage in fist fights while the camera is clicking. 
• Dowagers must not shoot crap with the property men. It interferes with their work. 
• Dinner guests must not eat all the food until it is certain that a retake will not be necessary. 
• While dining, the guests will keep the elbows close to the ribs and avoid bayoneting their neighbors with their funny bones. 
• In the scene where the music recital is depicted, the guests will neither stamp their feet, whistle or be seen accompanying the musicians with mouth organs, comb and tissue, or other instruments. — Los Angeles Herald, 1920

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia