HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 72, 26 March 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

GOSSIP OF THE STUDIOS.

(By MOLLIE MERRICK.)

HOLLYWOOD, February 24.

The rush to the beaches is on! Everyone is at Malibu or Santa Monica these week-ends, and the cinema beauties (discarding the smart afternoon costumes they have featured during the cold winter just past), begin to look their old selves again as they don the wellknown sports clothes and decide what particular brand of oil they will use this season in order to turn the right shade of brown. The annual sunburn has become a thing of tradition in Hollywood. This is the season, too, when guests are apt to arrive at your party in whatever clothes they have spent the day. Helen Twelvetrees, keeping open house at her new Brentwood home, had a weird variety of costumes among her guests, that included everything from bathing suits and riding clothes to chic dinner dresses worn by those who were going on to another party. But that's Hollywood, and the climate, plus the distances to be travelled here, make it quite the intelligent thing to do.

Joan Crawford, having completed her part in "Grand Hotel," has been given a brand new contract, which will guarantee her presence on the "lot" for some time to come. Naturally, everyone expected that she would be kept, and doubtless at an increase in salary, on the lot on which she made her screen debut. For whether you remember it or not, the first time you saw Joan it was in "Sally, Irene and Mary."

Her later successes, such as "Our Dancing Daughters," "Dream of Love" (in the silent days), and "Laughing Sinners," "This Modern Age," "Our Blushing Brides" and "Possessed" (which were her talking hits), have established Miss Crawford as one of the most popular actresses on the screen to-

day. And from the number of fans' letters I receive asking about her, it would seem that she is the special favourite of the boys and girls of college age.

Another favourite who has signed a new contract is George O'Brien, who was mighty pleased when they told him there was no chance of his trying his luck anywhere else.

In fact, George is now on his way to New York for a vacation that is really a celebration, because a renewed contract means a lot these dajss.

Erich von Stroheim is having a "comeback" on the screen. I mean as an actor, for here is one of the really fine directors who doesn't seem to be able to control himself when it comes to shooting a few thousand or so feet of extra film when making a picture. At any rate, he played a clever part in "Lost Squadron," one of Richard Dix's big pictures, and he also did some fine work in "Sky Devils," Spencer Tracey's new film.

Now comes word that he will have as his next assignment the role of a pro■fligate novelist in Greta Garbo's story, "As You Desire Me." At present Erich von Stroheim is in a Hollywood hospital recovering from an operation, but he will be well in time to take part in this picture.

Walter Huston tells the story of a firm of shipowners who wired one of their captains: "Move heaven and earth to get here on Friday." Just as they were becoming anxious they received the reply: "Raised hell and am arriving on Thursday."