AMONG THE STARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 8

AMONG THE STARS.

HOLLYWOOD CONDITIONS. NEW ZEALAND VISITOR. Hollywood star# know all about New Zealand's big fishing' grounds, according to Mr. J. If. Moodabe, Who returned by the Monterey to-day after a short visit to the film capital, Mr. Meodabe said that Warner Baxter, who has his own palatial fishing launch, hoped to visit the Dominion in the near future.

"I spoke with Tyrono Power, Arthur Treacher, Barbara Stanwyck and Lorctta Young," all of whom seemed to have a good knowledge of New Zealand and to be interested in the fishing," he said. While in Lx>* Angeles he visited tho famous Coconut Grove, and although there were 3000 people present they were the most orderly crowd lie hod ever <-een. Although it was a gala night he did not see six people drunk. In fact he lad been very impressed with the sobriety of tho film capital.

A trip was made to Bing Crosby's private race track, Del Mar, where Mr. Moodabe saw Sea Biscuit, stated to be the beet galloper in the United States, beat Ligariti in a special match race for £.■SOOO. Sea Biscuit's time for a mile and an eighth was 1.49. Sotpe of the tracks i:t California were owned by private c 'iif.i, and, unlike New Zealand, they used all the racing days allotted to them together, so that one meeting might extend continuously over 25 days.

Describing a visit to the Walt Disney studios, Mr. Moodabe eaid there were' 4000 on the staff, including 800 artists. Walt Disney was making two full-length cartoons, each of which took three years. One was called "Pinochio" and the other "Bambi." The 20th Century studio had just released "Alexanders Ragtime Band," which, he stated, was breaking every known record in the States. In the first four days 184,000 people saw it. This studio wm now making "Suez" and "Jesse James," the latter in colour. He added that the death of Warner OJand recently had resulted in a reduced revenue to 20th Century of 1,600,000 dollars annually.