HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 125, 28 May 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

GOSSIP OF THE STUDIOS.

(By MOLLIE MERRICK.)

HOLLYWOOD (Calif.), April 25.

Hollywood, which has written finis to so many happy unions, has another broken romance on its slate —Ann Harding and Harry Bannister are about to seek solution of their problems in the divorce courts. They are seeking divorce to keep their love, adoration and respect intact —something they cannot do under present conditions. Without the slightest ripple of gossip—without the usual rumourings and hints of trouble— the most beautiful blonde in the motion picture industry and the man who got the name of "the luckiest husband in the profession," decided suddenly that their position in life had become unendurable. Ann Harding is one of the wealthiest and most successful women in cinemaland. Her husband, Harry Bannister, has not been so successful before the cameras.

"We are getting a divorce," Ann Harding told me, "because during our three years in the motion picture industry, we have been placed in a position which is untenable. Due to Harry's constant and generous effort to forward my interests, often at the expense of his own, he is gradually losing hie identity, becoming a background for my activities, and looked upon as 'Ann Harding's husband. . We have decided that the only way for Harry to re-establish himself in his profession is to cut the

Gordian knot—to set forth on liia own — quite apart from me and. win his way back to the standing he enjoyed in the theatre before this unfortunate situation in pictures has a chance to reach us and destroy the love and respect we havo for each other. We have found the courage to preserve the thing wo havo in the way that seems best to us."

And Harry Bannister says: "During the five and a half years I have been married to Ann Harding I have had the love, and respect, and devotion of the very great and lovely person who is my wife. Therefore, in order to preserve this in its entirety we find the apparently drastic course of divorce, the quickest and best solution to our eventual complete happiness. I can add nothing to Mrs. Bannister's statement."

Being cast as Constance Bennett's lead is usually equivalent to getting a promotion so far as pictures are concerned, for Miss Bennett seems to be the one who brings personalities that have been good up to the place where they rank ae "great." For instance, Ben Lyons, who gave the best performance of' his career in "Lady With a Past," Connie's last picture. But now we have Phillip Holmes chosen to play opposite Miss Bennett in "TJnmated," the screen play that has been made from Cecil Strange's novel, "Free Lady." And all things being equal Miss Bennett will have to work hard and fast to hold her own in this talkie, as Phillip Holmes has a way of walking away with pictures if the other members of the cast aren't careful.

Joan Crawford gets the big opportunity of her career with the purchase of "Rain," as a starring vehicle for this promising young member of the cinema great. While every producer in. the business has been willing to admit that Joan Crawford is an actress of outstanding ability and supreme box office appeal, her assignments heretofore have followed largely along the same lines —the dancing daughter of modernity jazzing it through tears and difficulties to a saner understanding of life. As Sadie Thompson, Joan will have a chance to play a truly dramatic role with plenty of meat in it. A certain studio had been holding the rights to the play for Gloria Swanson's next talkie vehicle. Then Gloria Swanson had difficulties with Sam Goldwyn about stories, and met Michael Farmer. She preferred an interval given over to domesticity to playing Sadie in talking pictures.

Aim Harding's new pictue, "Westward Passage," gives every promise of being one of her best Besides having Laurence Olivier as leading man, Miss Harding's cast includes Florence Roberts, Nance O'Neill, Irene Purcell, Juliette Compton, Zasu Pitts and Irving Pichel. Someone must be trying to make up for the past as far as the lonely Ann is concerned, and doesn't she deserve it!

Reservations have been made ahead for weeks and weeks. Tallulah Bankhead, Miriam Hopkins, the four Marx brothers, Paul Lukas, Jimmy Durante, Charlie Farrell and Virginia Valli, Bill Powell and Carole Lombard have Lake Arrowhead all a-twitter over the sudden influx of fame. Even Pebble Beach and Del Monte, too far north for the average week-end holiday, will see Irene Dunne and Gene Markey and Joan Bennett as its guests.

Constance Bennett is staying at home and attending church services, not mentioning which church—there'd be a run on it, with traffic cops needed to keep the crowds back. Maurice Chevalier is less wary. He eays openly that the little church in Beverly Hills is his goal on that Sunday morning, and he doesn't care who knows it.

Santa Monica and Malibu have blossomed suddenly into gay chintzes and orange and green parasols. Summer is already hire eo far ae the thermometer is concerned, and there'll be the usual open house arrangements, with plenty of informal entertaining at these sea cottages.