HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 5 (Supplement)

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

GOSSIP OF THE STUDIOS.

(By MOLLIS MERRICK.)

HOLLYWOOD (Calif.), May 9.

That Hollywood menace, the nervous breakdown, striking Frances Marion, cuts into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer circles for tho second time in a year. This scenarist, frankly the victim of overambition and overwork, turns out more screen material possibly than any other author in the colony.

The late Joe Farnhani, writer and humorist, succumbed to the Hollywood breakdown some months back, following ii four-month period of inactivity spent ■it desert sunshine. Farnbam told me when first stricken, that he overworked, overplayed, and over-exercised. The exercise mania runs high in Hollywood. Every man of forty wants a waistline of twenty. They swim, golf, go in for tho Hying rings and other extreme athletics to maintain this silhouette, and, at the studio, they drive harder than in any other form of work. One of the singular angles of colony life here is tbe daily visit of the specialist to the big studio, with his check-up of the pulse, general rating and what-have-.yon of executives employed. Most executives pay their physician a retaining fee and he drops in on them at least three times a week.

When "Piggy" Merrick, a Scottie of tremendous personality, encountered "Peter" Holmes, a Scalyham with both personality and a famous owner, the studio ollices became a shambles in less time than it takes to tell. When "Pete" and "Piggy" went into a huddle which was anything but friendly. Phillips Holmes, owner of Peter, appeared with much concern registered on his handsome countenance, to separate the two warriors. My own brave self took to a desk-top with a weak scream for help. When we got it straightened out I told Phillips Holmes that there were all sorts of ways of breaking into a column, and [ thought "Peter" had chosen the most original one.

Jcanetto Mac Donald seems to be on tlio crest of the wave right now, with three .studios all bidding for her services some time during the coining year. M'.C.M. says they want her for a fortyweek contract, Fox has at least two pictures in mind, and Paramount would like to plan on at least one film in which she Avill be directed by Lubitscli. For this combination is box-oflicc proof. In the meantime Miss MacDonuld has signed contracts for European appearances that will take several weeks' besides giving her consent to some 20 broadcasts on the radio.

Jim Tully's unpublished novel, "Laughter In Hell," has been bought for production. This story deals with the chain gangs of tlio Southern States, and Carl Lncnimlc, jun., hopes to get Victor McLaglen to play the leading part. In 1 lie meantime McLaglen has planned a vaudeville tour that will take his time for several weeks to conic, so he may not be able to take the part offered him. But here's hoping he will, as it will answer the questions a lot of McLaglen fans have been writing me, asking where Vie. has been and when they'll see him on the screen again.

Around the studios these days the smart thing to do is to appear for work clad in sweater, flannel trousers and beret. I'm talking about the girls, of course, who seem to be trying their best to bo more informal in their daytime working attire. Dolores Del Kio. Arline Judge, Anita Louise and Jill Esmond lunched together the other day, all wearing this new popular costume, which Anita Louise somehow or other made look very feminine, by the addition of a double-breasted jacket and a gay red scarf. Tallulali Bankhead is another Hollywood girl who often comes to the studio in a flannel ensemble of this sort. as she thinks it is the most practical thing to do, and, she adds, just perfect if you plan to go to the beach, at the end oi ; the day,

And they're calling those turtle-neck sweater boys "Gablcrs" around Hollywood these days. Clark Gable started tho turtle-neck fad, and it has spread quicker than the "flu." These nippy evenings they're quite comfortable when the Santyana is blowing—that's what wo call our local spring wind.

A new blonde arriving in the Hollywood ranks will cause a sensation without doubt. She is Diana Wynyard, the lovely English actress who made a conquest of New York when she appeared with Basil Rathbonc in "Tho Devil Passes." Diana Wynyard has great freshness and charm as well as true beauty, and her stage training has been of the best. She joins a studio where she will find plenty of competition— Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Marion Davies, Garbo, and so on. One can name them indefinitely.

On the local lots we have Itoubcn Mamoulian going "jittery" if lie can't locate that little gold whistle that usually (tangles from his wrist, and to which he attaches all his good luck. We have directors—viz., Von Strohehn — who always keeps a hunchback in the extra players, for luck. We have the lads who nail a horseshoe over the sound stage door when they begin a picture, and sometimes we get ho tangled up in rabbit's feet that we don't know what we're doing.

Donald Cook called his white Eskimo dog "Jean" after ilarlow, La Platinum Blonde —there's a humour in that. And I have named my six-months-old car "Total Loss" —and there's humour in

that. Clark Cable calls his 'bus tlio "Getaway," because it serves that purpose so many timee.

And tlicn there's a joke about the Hollywood landlord. His tenant, about to vacate, telephoned an animal shop which provided studios with anything and everything.

"Send me over 10,000 insects of all varieties and about 400 mice," said the tenant.

"Certainly sir, wliat studio sir?" "Studio nothin. , ," came tlio reply, "I'm moving out and my landlord insists I leave tliis house exactly as I found it."