FAME A HANDICAP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1937, Page 5 (Supplement)

FAME A HANDICAP.

For "Second Generation!' FIGHT TO ESTABLISH OWN REPUTATION.

(By SHEILAH GRAHAM.)

HOLLYWOOD i» ft,n of "second generation" youngsters trying to overcome the handicap of being born to parent* famous on the stage and screen. Only a minority has siicceeded to date. Mary Rogers, daughter of the late philosopher-humorist, Will Rogers, was so scared of using her father's" fame as the ladder to success that she took her first job in the "movies" as an "extra" and worked under an assumed name. With discovery, she was offered several tempting contracts, but the attractive brunette decided that she would do better if she learned how to act first. For the last three summer* she has played score* of roles with the Skowfcegan, Maine, Stock Company, and has made a couple of appearances on the New York stage. Miss Rogers waa recently offered a long-term contract by Darryl Zanuck, and, if she succeeds in making good in the movie firmament, she will be among the first to break the jinx attached to the "second generation." Will Rogers, jun., wisely decided to give up acting and sidestepped odious comparisons by turning newspaper pub-

lisher. He owns the Beverly Hills "Citizen," alio several shopping advertisers. A prominent contributer to the Beverly Hills "Citizen" is 21-year-old Patricia Ziegfeld, daughter of the famous theatrical impresario. Fat also works in the research department at Universal studio under John Harkrider, art director. Her ambition is to emulate her father and produce films and plays. Wallace Reid, jun.'s, Fame. Ida Lupino is one of the few members of present generation acting families to make good on the screen. Miss Lupino was brought to America to play the title role in "Alice in Wonderland," but acted instead in "Search for Beauty." Her most recent picture is "The Gay Desperado." Both of Tyrone Power's parents were well known on the stage. His mother is a veteran Shakespearean actress, and, like his father, who died in 1031 while screen making "The Miracle Man," was under contract to Famous Players when Tyrone was aged three. Before breaking stage ground Power experienced the unpleasantness of a finance-less condition and was given a home by Michael Strange (one of the ex-Mrs..-John Barrymores) until he landed a job in "Flowers of the Forest" with Katharine Cornel!. He is a newcomer to "movies," in which he made his debut in "Ladies in Love." His "bit" proved outstanding and you will shortly see him as the romantic lead in "Lloyds of London." Lenore Bushman, daughter of the silent favourite, Francis X. Bushman, was the first girl to kiss Clark Gable— in a screen test. Which was pretty mufch all she did for four or five years before deciding on matrimony. She is now back in M.G.M.'s stock company and shopping for a new name with which to break her screen bad luck. Her brother, Francis X. Bushman, jun., has been in pictures for several years, playing small roles in "Four Sons," "Viva Villa" and" "Captain Courageous/' Father Bushman now runs a hamburger stand on Pico Boulevard. Those Who Did Succeed. The sole claim to notice of Wallace Rcid, jun., was when the 19-year-old son of the late screen idol was sentenced to 30 days in a Califorhian county gaol for reckless driving. W. De Wolf Hopper, son of the late De Wolf Hopper and Hedda Hopper, has recently been placed under filmic contract. Other "second generation" youngsters beginning "movie" careers include 18-year-old Patricia Walthall, daughter of the late Henry B. Walthall; Alma Lloyd, daughter of Director Frank Lloyd; Noah Beery, jun., who began his acting career in the Los Angeles stage presentation »f "Kindling"—he is now playing an

important spot in "Treve," Universale dog story; Lon Chaney, jun., also under contract to the same studio and currently working in "Secret Agent X-9"; Erich von Stroheim, jun., son of the elder Stroheim, who directed "The Merry Widow, "Foolish Wives," and "Merry-£o-Round"; Julie Cabanne. whose father, Christy Cabanne, directed the first Douglas Fairbanks picture. Incidentally, young Doug is a secondgeneration lad who has done quite well for himself despite the fame of his father. Also, Dolores Costello Barrymore, whose father, Maurice Costello, was the screen matinee idol of his day. Joan and Constance Bennett are another pair who made good in the movies in spite of possessing a father with an established acting reputation. Ditto Joan Blondell, whose male parent now works in Warners' Stock Company. Owen Davis, Jun., son of the noted playwright, is doing quite nicely in the movies, although his chief claim to attention has been as beau to Anne Shirley. He appeared first on the acting horizon in 1927 in "The Barker," with Walter Huston. His newest screen assignment is top hole in R.K.0.-Radio's "Satisfaction Guaranteed."

CAMERA FLASHES. NEWS ,IN VARAGRAPH. Several Hollywood stars are considering founding a society for combating the autograph nuisance. Hollywood is betting that Gloria Swanson will be Mrs. Herbert Marshall before the end of 1937. A rule on the Twentieth Century-Fox lot—every director must make one Shirley Temple picture. M.-G.-M. has informed Norma Shearer she can name her own figure for any picture she cares to make. Edward G. Robinson, according to the cables, purchased the most expensive Christmas gift bought in America for his wife. It comprised four paintings by famous Old Masters. Carole Lombard will earn more than 500,000 dollars annually, according to the terms of her new contract with Paramount, for which she will make three pictures a year at 150,000 dollars a film, plus any outside commitments she cares to undertake. Irene Dunne has lately joined the exclusive few who ask and get 150,000 dollars per picture. Mary Maguire called at Tom Brown's house recently to take him to the beach. "He can't go," Tom's mother told the 17-year-old Australian actress. "Oh, please, Mrs. . Brown," insisted Mary. But Mrs. Brown remained adamant. "Perhaps you object to me?" queried the actress. That wasn't the reason. "Tom can't go out until he has answered his 'fan' mail," stated Mrs. Brown. Merle Oberon has signed a new fiveyear contract with Samuel Goldwyn and Alexander Korda, who will share her services. She will make all her pictures in London for Korda, and the other half at the Goldwyn studios in Hollywood. She sailed for London aboard the Queen Mary on November 14 to start work on "I, Claudius." Her last film for Goldwyn was "Love Under Fire," now to be known as "Beloved Enemy," a tale of the Irish rebellion, in which her romantic interest, David Niven, has principal lover role. The 1936 gold medal for the best animated cartoons was awarded to Walt Disney at the International. Film Exhibit in Venice. The Disney cartoons this year included: "Mickey On Ice," "Three Orphan Kittens" and "Who Killed Cock Robin?" This is the third consecutive year that the creator of the Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony films has captured this award. In 1934 he won with "Funny Little Bunnies," and in 1935 with "The Band Concert."