PEEPING AT FILMDOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

PEEPING AT FILMDOM.

HOW STARS KEEP SLIM. VARYING RECIPES FOR HEALTH. (By SHEILAH GRAHAM.) HOLLYWOOD, June 6. To the strong in Hollywood go the spoils. The strenuous movie factory grind—rising at six in the morning, working sometimes as late as nine and ten in the evening in an airless studio with hot lights sapping the vitality, emotional histrionics beating a tattoo on the temper—has boosted the commodity of health to important asset number one for stars and would-be stars. Weaklings have no place at all in this fighting, pushing, jostling city, where each actor is for himself alone and each woman will trample ruthlessly over every obstacle in tlie path that leads to stardom. How to keep fit, how to accumulate a reserve of strength sufficient to cope with the severe demands of the studio nnd, for women particularly, how to retain a slim, youthful figure without losing the vigour that is vital for screen

success are questions for which each individual movie actor and actress must find a satisfactory answer, or abandon the screen for a less severe health taskmaster.

Norma Shearer, of tlie fragile looks, but iron constitution, solves the problem with a daily dozen on her bedroom floor every morning, even when the call is for a nine o'clock studio appearance. A cold shower and a brisk rub down with a hard towel follow. On non-working days, the actress swims in the pool of her Santa Monica home, and sprints leisurely along the beach with her dogs. Dieting occupies no place in licr health programme.

Husky Victor McLaglen keeps fit by horseback riding and road work. He rides two hours every day, getting up at the first peep of dawn if lie has an

early working call. Between pictures he makes the roads a better place to walk on in hilly La Crescenta —and at the same time develops disease resistance. The health skeletons in the closet of busy Dick Powell include a rowing machine, a sun-bath tent, and a swimming pool. He is now installing a bowling alley. In addition, the songster of tlio°radio and screen mows the grass 011 bis lawn, digs in his gardens, and plavs badminton. "It keeps this down," says Dick, feeling his stomach, "and scares the double chin away. And, incidentally, now that my voice is back to normal" I never felt better in my life. Just singing is good exercise, too, you know."

The Open-Air Believers. Joan Crawford regards sun and air as a screen actress' best friend—next to her cheque-book. When not working she is usually to be found in her own backyard improving her mind with a book and her body with a sun-tan. Joan is one of the lucky ones who does not have to diet to keep slender, but she feels better when she eats light food for luncheon. Warner Baxter keeps health}', wealthy and wise with frequent sets of tennis, at which he and his usual partner, lionald Colnian, are considered very adept. Both boys arc not particularly careful of what they oat, believing that exercise alone solves man's problem of keeping lit. Greta Carbo is another Hollywoodite who finds the bluebird of health via the tennis court.' The large-footed Swede hits a hard ball across the net. Her next favourite health conditioner is walking.

Jcanette Mac Donald prefers her health training out of doors and in the dining l'oom. Tennis, riding, golf and swimming are part of the reason for her non-stop youthful vitality. She also believes in

the magical results of a four-day diet in which orange juice taken after the scanty meal is an unusual item. Pat O'Brien recently took a physical examination because of a large insurance policy for the benefit of his wife and baby daughter, and was accepted without question. He is the colony's best handball expert, and watches his weight and condition with great care. Ruby Kecler—Mrs. A 1 Jolson—follows her husband's out of door lead. She is an expert golfer, enjoys horseback riding, and is now taking an active hand in the planting of the gardens at the new Jolson home in Encino, near Hollywood. Joan Blondoll scarcely knows what it is to be sick. Her exuberant spirits match her continually excellent health. What does she do for it ? Nothing. The lady is in love —and is loved (Dick Powell), and they tell me love is the greatest health "builder-upper" of all time. Semi-recluse Paul Muni swims regularly in his own pool and can be heard

thumping the outdoor punching bag almost any early morning. George Brent is another bag puncher. Leslie Howard plays polo, and in spite of his lean, hungry look, is as hard as nails, and his rarely delayed a production because of illness. Warren William plays tennis and works out of doors with his hands—gardening and carpentering during hi 3 spare hours. He perforins all the physical toil on his small schooner, The Pegasus, leaving the cooking to the hired help.