ROMANCE ON ROCKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 5 (Supplement)

ROMANCE ON ROCKS.

iOSEAL MARRIAGE" TO END. JOAN BENNETT SEEKS DIVORCE. Joan Bennett, according to a cabled report of April 29, will sue Gene Markey for divorce on the ground of incompatibility, as soon as she has finished her present film. Since their brilliant wedding in 1932 the two have been known as the "ideal married couple" of Hollywood. The contrast between the happily married life of Joan Bennett and the stormy career of her sister, Constance —four times married—has long been Hollywood gossip. Married and divorced before she was 20, Joan met Gene Markey, playwright, novelist and screen writer, while he was writing the script of the Greta Garbo film "As You Desire Me." They have one smull daughter. An elder girl, Joan's child by her former marriage, completes a most domestic household. Outstanding success came to husband and wife last year. Joan won a special star contract with Walter Wanger, and Markey became an associate producer with 20th Century-Fox. Their Strange Courtship. A good story is told of the wooing of Joan by Gene. He "marked" her from afar to be his spouse when he saw her on the set of "Jarnegan." She was in love with somebody else, as everyone well knew, but Gene did not let a little thing like that worry him. When Joan conveniently broke her hip in a fall from a horse he sent her flowers and friendly little notes. Eventually he had permission to call and was soon in her good graces as a kind and very generous friend. He was such a nice

haven of refuge, so good with advice to her about her pictures. A famous playwright, he could tell her what was what. "Lucky girl," said Hollywood, "having a big brother like Gene." Only Gene had no intention of acquiring a sister. He was taking her to see one of her pictures, a crucial one in her career — "Doctors' Wives" —which was being previewed. He would tell her what he thought of it, perhaps make suggestions on how to improve her acting methods. "Joan, will you marry me?" "But—but —don't you want to see my picture?" stuttered the bewildered Joan. Only, as she said afterwards, in strictest confidence, she wasn't bewildered at all. but had known all alonjr that Gene was building up for something like that and she could never let him down by failing to live up to it! So Gene married Joan, the girl who thought a man would rather see a picture than get married—and yet their union has failed. What is it in Hollywood that relentlessly smashes marital bliss?