Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 March 1938 — Page 8

PAGE 8 __ Stars Once Tailed Like Rest of Us

‘Jane: Gaynor Was Movie ‘Us rer, and March a Bank Clerk.

B; WILLIAM BOEHNEL Times Special Writer . NEW YORK, March 21.—When you think of the Hepburns, the Ga: 20s, the Dietrichs, the Crawfords, te Coopers, the Astaires, the Marchs, the Gables and all the others, “ou inevitably think of them in term: of what they are today— reigning cinema stars sitting on top of the world. Seldor, if ever, do you think of them a: what they were before the fickle pudlic raised them to the lofty heights hey now occupy—as bank clerks, chorus girls, models or whatever else they started out as before they turned to acting. Look over the list of today’s stars and you will see that, in nine cases out of i-n, they started in humble activitie:. in - which they, never dreamec © of obtaining palatial homes + ith swimming pools, large staffs ¢~ servants, cars and the freedom and means to travel whereve: their whims lead them. Janet Gaynor, for instance, who has beer in the movies much longer than mc:t of her rivals and is now going st nger than ever, once was an usher in a San Francisco movie house. “0 this day she considers herself ne of the luckiest young ladies ir the world and once remarked hile indicating a salesgirl in a department store that “there but for ie grace of God, stand I.”

Pener Was Salesman

Kay Francis started as private secretary to Mrs. Dwight Morrow, Mrs. Mirsurn Pinchot and Mrs. W. E. Vanderbilt, before the stage bug bit her. Today she is the highest salaried nerformer on the Warner Brothers lot. Joe Penner worked in an au’omobile factory in Detroit, then turned salesman and later became a andy man for a traveling tent sho before burlesque, vaudeville anc finally the radio and movies cz ught up with him. John Tlarrymore was fired from a job in the art department of a newspape by the late Arthur Brisbane, wh~ then. advised him to follow in th2 footsteps of the rest of the Barr: mores and go on the stage. King Vidor became a director when he took victures of an oil well ex- . plosion ir Texas and-sold them to a i newsreel company. You'd never believe that Charles Laughton. British film star, was a hotel keerer when he married Elsa Lanchester, who at that time was running # night club. When Laughton lost his hotel job he stepped into his wife’s floor show and was on his wzy to a theatrical career. And can you imagine Fredric March serving as a junior clerk in the National City Bank of New York, or “lovely Madeleine Carroll teaching ‘n a girls’ seminary in Brighton, England? Well, that's exactly vhat they did before they decided on the theater as a career.

Beery In Roundhouse

Wallace Beery was a wiper in a railroad roundhouse when he first started to work. Being ambitious, he chucked his job, came to New York anc got a job in “the same musical comedy with his brother, Noah. This was “The Yankee Tourist,” featuring Raymond Hitchcock. When the play went on tour Wallace got the lead and eventually wound up in the movies with the old Essanay Co. in Chicago. Gary Cooper started out as a cartoonist 0 a Helena, Mont. newspaper anc later was a salesman for a Los Angeles advertising agency before he was cast by Goldwyn in “The Winaing of Barbara Worth,” and Charlie Chaplin started his career touring England with a troup of clog dzncers. Joan Crawford worked in 8 Kansas City department store before she became a New York chorus girl, which led to bit parts with Metro. Creta Garbo worked in the hat depariment of the Bergstrom department store in Stockholm and later got her first movie break when she appeared as a hat model in an advertisin: firm. And Marlene Dietrich seriously started out to be a violinist before an injury to her left wrist compelled her to give up -music anc turn to acting with the Reinhardt troupe. “T:me to Retire” Girl Norma Shearer was the original Firestone (Time to Retire) Tire Girl and her picture graced a huge Times Sguare signboard years before Hollywood offered her a chance. Alfred Hitchcock did practically everything around a «film studio be‘ore getting a chance to direct. His first job was as an artist, illustrating titles. Bette Davis started out as a nurse, then took up dancing and finally went to dramatic s€hool, and Katharine Hepburn stepped right out-of Bryn Mawr into a theatrical career. Joan Blondell was a circus hand anc once worked in a New York depzatment store for 15 minutes, before vaudeville, the legiti.mate stage and finally the movies got. her. . Jimmy Cagney was a hoofer in “he “Grand Street Follies” before becoming a serious actor.

War ‘ed to Be Governor

Basil Esthbone was a solicitor for a Lo don insurance company and later -erved in the World War before he decided on the stage as a career. Claudette Colbert de.cided she vanted to be a dress designer ard fashion artist before she was ir duced to go on the stage. Anna Nec:le, who scored in “VieTutla the Great,” began her career as a trap-ze performer, while Gail Patrick gc; a degree from Howard College ir Alabama. She wanted

‘to be a layer and eventually Gov- |

ernor of ‘labama before she went into the ovies. Ginger Rogers won a “Charleston” dancng contest, which was her passport to. the stage and movies. “Warner Baxter sold farm Ilemen 5, ran a-garage and then ince before takipg. up the stage as ¢ career. Some ¢ciresses, such as Carole Lombard, ‘vho was a Mack Sennett Bathing beauty, began their screen careers wi hout any other jobs first, but in most cases today’s

cinema pe rformer. have ave 21 had

Press Agents’

By PAUL HARRISON

HOLLYWOOD, ‘March 21.—Fans who read about Hollywood must find it increasingly difficult to decide whether this place is a stronghold of efficiency and high purpose, or whether it is just. a plush-lined booby-hatch. Some days ago, while housebound by floods, your correspondent got to thumbing through a bale of the press agent material which is hopefully sent out by studios not only to local writers, but all over the country. One of the first items I scanned was this statistical note from Metro: “Clark Gable affixed his 2,000,000th autograph for ‘Ducky’ Pond, coach of the Yale University football team. The star has kept accurate check on his signatures since asked for his first. autograph - six years ago as the result of his performance in ‘A Free Soul.”

down to about 913 a day, counting Sundays, and represent approximately two hours of work out of each 24. And as for keeping an accurate check, it is. clear that Mr. Gable could not have thought about much of anything else for six years than how many .times he had written his name. (The truth is, of course, that he probably doesn’t average 10 autographs a day, and never has tried to keep track of them.) Pretty Sticky

What would Dick Powell's fans think of him if they were to try to believe this item: “Dick Powell has used to date a total of 67,894 postage stamps retrieved from fan letters in papering a room at his home?” The false picture becomes unflatteringly clear: Mr. Powell claps his hands :and gibbers delightedly as the mailman pours another sack of fan mail on the front porch. The star then begins soaking the stamps

pot and stepladder sticks them one by one on the wall. « “Sixtyseven thousand, and ninety-two, 67,893, 67,8—Oh! Joan! Call the publicity department, will- you, and tell ’em that the score now is 67,824. You might call the production department, too, and say that I won't be able to make any more pictures for a few months This papering job is taking all my time.” I found a rather fascinating story about Anita Louise. It déclares, for one thing, that Miss Louise never

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE APOLEO Darts a bcs, nd 3 85. Seon a an 13. CIRCLE

Shep Fields and his Srehestia} on stage at 13:49, 3:43. 6:38 ® 9:39. ‘ 8!

e en at 11: 19, Yor

CIVIC - “The First Legion,” Ei Lavery. Curtain a B30 by, Emmet “Mad About Music,” with Deanna Durbin and Herbert arsha BS ESI th ve or a ra; and Donald W , at 36, 2:40, 5:44 and 8:48. 2 34 LOEW'S.

“LYRIO

Vaddeyllle, with Borrah Minevich’s stage at 1:05, 3:30, 6:45 ana nd o3 oa G7 iB ¥ with

alking Claire Trevor and Michael 3B J5oTeen at 11:41. 2:26, 5:21 on ‘OHIO “The Awful JXruth,” ” Carrillo. ALAMO ‘“Headin’ East,” with reen

Also “Murd Richard ardsr in a

scre 50° ‘and 10:34,

with Irene :

k Jones. * with

SSADOR Jet Fw with Ladys Bow.

Two million autographs figure

off the envelopes, and with paste.

eight "hundred |

|| Ruggles’

Ravings

Become Wilder Daily

has been on a street car in Ber life, which is surprising in. view of her Brooklyn girlhood. Also it is claimed that Miss Louise’s hobby is collecting street car transfers from all over the United States. That's right— street car transfers. Can’t you just imagine her flluttering prettily over some choice new item, such as a 10 a. m. northbound Troost Avenue-to-Prospect-line Kansas City transfer? Well, I can’t: either. Fortunately, neither can Miss Louise herself. = Now let us take our butterfly net and go after Jimmy Stewart. It is said that Stewart is compiling “the most original scrapbook in Hollywood,” a book containing “a caricature of every player with- whom he has worked,” together with “a short musical score- inspired: by their personalities.” .Stewart has worked with hundreds of players, most of whom he hasn't known well enough to say “Good morning.” He Ys neither a caricaturist' nor a composer.

And Still More

Here are some. other press-agent stories which can be reprinted without comment: “Barbara O'Neil treats her friends to. chow mein every Saturday night. The. secret is that: she receives a shipment of the food by plane from Minneapolis -in hermetically sealed containers because, she says, the Minnesota city serves the best Oriental dishes in existence.” “Pat O’Brien is completing arrangements to buy the stage door, iramework and all, of the Chicago theater where he and his wife Eloise first met. It will be-installed as a shrine in their home.” : “Anne Nagel may ride a:horse.at Santa Anita if she can: induce a certain owner to let her: substitute for one of the jockeys” | “Dick Foran has a pet parrot that Prings him ‘his pipe and slippers when he arrives home = from. . the studio at night.” “Hugh Herbert ‘is ‘displaying a lump on his head which he. received from a horseshoe which was dropped on him by a chicken hawk.”

CURIOSITY LANDS BOY MOVIE ROLE

HOLLYWOOD, March 31 (U. P). —A - 12-year-old boy who stopped to watch an assistant director clear away a lawn filled with flood debris was starting a movie career today. The boy was Donald’ O'Connor, who lives in nearby San Fernando Valley. Last week a film job was the last thing in his mind. He didn’t know that Director Wesley Ruggles had gone through a list of

| 350. youngsters. in search of a

bright-faced youth to play a role in the picture, “Sing, You Sinne 22 istant, Artie Jacobson, was ‘cleaning up after the flood at ‘his: -home,' when Donald -and ‘a group of youngsters gathered to watch him work. Jacobson saw in Donald the lad Ruggles was hunting. The boy was brought to the studio, given a film test and signed for the role.

GRANDMOTHER OF MISS - POWELL DIES

HOLEYWOOD, March 21 (U; P.).

—Mrs. Harold Torrey, 64, grand- | ‘mother of Eleanor - Powell, - ~motion |

‘picture dancer, died. of heart, -dis-| ease yesterday - at Miss . Powell's

Beverly Hills home. She had- lived |

with Miss Powell for many: years.

There's music aplenty to vary the movie-goers’ fare this week, ~ with both the Circle and Lyric offering music and vaudeville on their stages. At -the former theater: is Shep Fields, shown left ‘as: he coaxes:

“rippling rhythm” from his boys with smiles and a menacing clarinet. At the right are Borrah Minevich’s “Harmonica Rascals, who are doing quite all right without Mr. Minevich in their Lyric headline: appearance. >

IN NEW YORK —s GEORGE Rots

Carmens Nyorkais

“Pins and Needles"

Likely

To Go Into Congressional Record.

EW YORK, March 21—“Pins and Needles,” pride of the International Ladies Garment Workers, continues its amazing career with a cast of amateurs drawing professional profits to the box office. At the moment, it looks as though this sprightly revue with its trenchant dissection of dictatorship, war, fascism—yes, and the radical

movement, too—will write - theatri-&

cal history, for it not only has given a command performance - in . the White House, but it: may be read “in extenso” into the Congressional Record. ‘As already related, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt came to see the show and was delighted with it, although a couple of persons; had : to be turned out of their seats to make

room for her party. And it devel-

oped they were Republicans who didn't want to give their seats to anyone. However, Rep. Maury Maverick, the Texas liberal, had no such difficulty getting good locations: and during the intermission, an: emissary of the union went down to ask him how he liked the show.

Wants It for Record “Well,” responded the biuff Texan, “I like it fine. Tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to read this show into the Congressional Record.

Can I have copies of two of the numbers?” “Sure,” said -the jubilant. emis~ sary and went to fetch them.

' “Wait,” Rep. Maverick continued.

“Maybe there’ll be a few. more numbers that - my colleagues in Congress will need. Get those, too, after the second act.” They. were delivered - to:-him forthwith

So, by the "time you' see this,

Congress. may. be regaled with lively excerpts from a Broadway leftwing fol-de-rol. Lyda Roberti’s sudden death reminded. Broadwayites the other

night of the - ironic -circumstances

prior to her passing away. : Some time. ago, Hal Roach was producing a series of short films €ostarring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly. But Miss Kelly was committed to other contracts and Lyda was called in.. Roach confided his ambitious plans for the feminine comedy team of Todd and Roberti to the press. These plans were dashed to the ground when Thelma Todd died so mysteriously. “And now the other has passed on.

Protege of Holtz

The blond, alluring Lyda was the protege of Lou: Holtz, the engaging comic with the malacca stick which he is fond of wielding at vulnerable places. He first in-

troduced her in the: Palace hey-.

days and employed her, frankly, as a “stooge.” She was the butt of the jokes and she took Holtz’s clownish chastisement with a ‘good deal of verve and humor. But she wanted to launch out on her own and Hollywood afforded her that opportunity. ' She was ‘a . promising screen comedienne before her demise. Speaking ‘of ‘Holtz, he still commands one of the most faithful followings among ° audiences. His

Fepertaire Sf 14BaY stories 1 nk ex:

74 willy

One. Night only

ant. veudoville bil"

tensive; not because he prefers it that way, but because his fans want to hear the same anecdotes an unlimited -number of times::- The hs time he played vaudeville here, his admirers called out from the front rows with requests for this story or ny about “Lapidus” or the “MahaA little woman kept bouncing up and down with a demand for the “New Rochelle” story. Finally, Holtz capitulated and told it. lady rose and started . to go. “Thanks,” she yelled. across to the comedian, “I’ve been sitting around all day waiting for that one.”

Magazine Racket Hits Film Stars

HOLLYWOOD, March 21 (U. P.). —The motion picture industry clamped down on autograph hunters. today after it was discovered

"that stars, in the rush of preview mobs, have been led inadvertently.

into singing applications for maga-: zine ' subscriptions, - thinking they merely. were giving their autor

grap. Louise Hovick, the former Gypsy Rose Lee of Broadway strip tease fame, .was one of. the. victims.

FATHER LISTENS TO SINGER, DIES

- HOLLYWOOD, March 21 (U. P.). —Susan Hayward, young movie actress, telegraphed her father in New York to she She participated in a radio broad-

br A left the radio studio, and

learned: that ‘he father had died during the broadcast. He was Rudolph Marriner, 52. ei :

DEANNA ‘SCORES AGAIN

“Mr Fields stopped info bi ‘one ‘of the ot i a . . of ‘the year. "Bob 1 Tucker, STAR. :

“My. Fields has a compact: and brile_ / re ti

The little

n last night while |

{ics

SANDERS | GROVE:

= |AVALON ™ : A

By JAMES THRASHER Music hath charms—at least when purveyed by Marie Zorn—to entice us indoors from the warmth of the first spring Sunday. Consequently when Miss Zorn appeared on the Indiana World War Memorial stage yesterday for her first recital in two years, she found a capacity audience awaiting her. This local pianist’s appearances are all too rare, and her playing deserves the listeners and the enthusiastic applause which it received yesterday. Her program contained

‘music by the three B's, Mozart and

Scarlatti, with Bach . and Brahms coming ir for the major share of attention. And as interpreter of these last two Miss Zorn is particularly in her element. Beethoven's . “Andante Favori” opened the recital, and was followed

‘by a Mozart Sonata in D and a

Toccata by Scarlatti. The Beethoven work is assumed to have been written as the “Waldstein” Sonata’s second movement and then removed because of the sonata’s consequent Icngth. ' It is serene, melodious and well-loved music, and received : an excellent : projection yesterday.

At Best In Bach Pieces

Disdaining traditional canons. of program building, Miss: Zorn placed Bach in her second group. And when she reached this music she came undeniably into her own. She chose ' two relatively - unfamiliar items: “Thee Have I Ever Loved,” from an unidentified cantata in Rummel’s arrangement, and ‘Harold Bauer's transcription of the Toccata in D for harpsichord. : Anyone familiar with Miss Zorn’s playing knows she is blessed with a special insight where Bach is concerned. She plays his music with manifest devotion and deep understanding of style and content. Until this pianist grants. us. a long hoped-for recital of Bach and nathing else, we must be satisfied with her occasional and wholly - admirable, interpretations.

Capriceii Nos. 1 and 2, from Opus

THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL— - A HEAPING PLATE OF

FRIED CHICKEN

French Frio Satatoes 7 5¢

Cosmin Hol Biseuits, Salad "Road 29—South IR. 2182-3

sculls, holes of Home-Made

Marie Zorn Shows Her Best Piano Work in Bach Pieces

76. Then came that ne plus ultra of virtuosity, the Variations on a Theme of Pa . Miss Zorn played some 22 of these 28 variations, which was quite enough to cali forth all the ample skill. at her command. : Not only was there an arresting account of the wild leaps, the stormings up and down the piano, but there was a ‘poised and understanding account of the more songful variations. Enough so that we ‘were left free to marvel again at Brahms’ consummate skill in the variation form, and to enjoy the music as well as the fireworks,

Distractions Interfere

There was a closer approach to technical perfection in the Paganini Variations (though almost no one achieves complete accuracy there) than there was in some of the less difficult music. “Neither ' the Mo-. zart nor Scarlatti music had all the desired clarity, and more than a few notes fell by the wayside in Brahms’ B Minor Capriccio. However, there are many things to disquiet’ a performer who appears infrequently before the public. There was one distraction yesterday

| which can not be passed unnoticed,

since it must have had considerable effect upon artist as well as listener. That was an epidemic of the “concert cough.” As usual, there was complete quiet between numbers. . But when the music began again, so did the laryngeal exercises. ' This, however, is a concert phenomenon that needs a whole essay to itself, as well as some attention when the smoke abatement has been taken care of. At the recital’s close Miss: Zorn was given a deserved ovation, and a handsome : bouquet. In response to the insistant applause, she sent her audience on its way with the benediction of another Bach ghorale.

The Brahms group began with the!

Goldwyn's Star Escapes Clutches of Law on Way to England.

: HOLLYWOOD, March 21 (U. P), —The movie actress Sigrid Gurie sped eastward on a train today, the winner of a game of hide-and-seek with two deputy marshals who

{jacked ‘the temerity to search the

ladies’ room on the Santa Fe Chief. They held a subpena for Miss Gurie in connection with her divorce suit, but didn't serve it, though they searched the speeding train as it moved all the way from Los Angeles to the Mojave Desert. Miss Gurie is the pretty actress presented by Samuel Goldwyn last year as his Norwegian star and a competitor for Greta Garbo, who would perform as soon as she learned English. A fortnight ago it developed . she came not from

.| Norway, but the Bronx of New

York, pausing three years ago in Cucamonga, Cal, to marry Thomas Stewart, a young American business man. She is suing him for divorce, and he is opposing the case.

HOLLYWOOD, Cal, March 21 (U. P.).~Sam Goldwyn Neaded East today in the hope of putting all three of Albania’s princesses on his movie payroll. He sent a telegram to Faik Ko-

run down to Washington for a discussion about the possibility of turning King Zog’s sisters into movie stars. The Goldwyn wire to Envoy Konita said:

“We should like to discuss with

advice on court procedure for the production of ‘Graustark,’ with locale small but important mythical kingdom in middle Europe.

of princesses appearing in picture as themselves, Jariraying royalty. In case of agreement, naturally would like assurance of King Zog.”

Yesterday Producer Goldwyn started for London with Miss Gurie to star his discovery in English pictures. Mr. Stewart's lawyers learned of it and sent the marshals with a summons for her to appear for a deposition in connection with the divorce. Deputy Marshall Frank Gravatte and his aid met the train in Pasadena and Mr. Goldwyn solemnly assured them Miss Gurie was back in Hollywood. Just then they saw newspaper photographers taking her picture, and made a run for her, At that second, they said, Mr. Goldywn happened to step into their path, and Miss Gurie slipped away. The deputies threatened to hold up the train, but the conductor insisted Miss Gurie had cancelled her ticket. The deputies got aboard anyway. As the train crossed the Los Angeles-San Bernardino county line, they said Mr. Goldwyn triumphantly pulled Miss Gurie’s ticket out of his pocket and Shuskled, | “Go back to your own county, bo, At San Bernardino the hi | deputies called out the city police and had the train searched. Every Pullman was searched; every place except the ladies’ room, the deputies said. “We decided we might as well wait until she gets back,” Mr. Gravatte said. The deputies took a train back to Los Angeles and Miss Gurie pr sumably came out of - conceal: as the Chief puffed over Caj

CLAIRE TREVOR PHYLLIS BROOKS MICHAEL WHALEN

‘LEAH RAY TOM BECK DIXIE DUNBAR DOUGLAS FOWLEY LYNN BARI Ware WooirKING

JAY 5 REGAN JED B Sagury

SOUTH SIDE

“FOUNTAIN SQUARE

Double tu dot ivoon ft"! “SHE'S GOT Aoii¥hoon roti”

SNe At Fountain Square Lionel, Barrymore . “NAVY BLUE AND GOLD; _ “BORROWING TROUBLE”

Beech Gro uble Feature “KING SOLOMON'S Fie ;

S Shurchman Feature

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ORIENTAL

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REX . + Claudette Solent RTT GARRICK Susie AGAIN—OFF “Al Walter Haston ~DODSWORTH" MECC; Cc A : Noble & Mas.

sosaisee Lo -|REVO LI

S TRA 'N D > BEET “SWING YOUR LAD ar “I'LL TAKE ROMANCE”

P i hE, aramoun Carole Lombard “TRUE CONFESSION” “TRAPPED BY G-MEN”

114 E. Washington B1JOU . desbie reature . “HERE'S CASEY” - “THINK FAS

, MR. M PARKER Pearls Feature’ 2 “TRUE CONFE “DAUGHTER OF SHANGHAI” St

Dick Powell “HOLLYWOOD ” . Hum ugh

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TACOMA "Bi forte

“LOVE AND, SES” | “THOROU S DON'T. CRY”

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Sighid Gurie. Gives Deputy

Bronx Cheer

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