Rival To Garbo

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 35, 11 February 1939, Page 7 (Supplement)

Rival To Garbo

GARBO has not yet seen the most dangerous rival who ever threatened to mount her throne as queen of exotic glamour. It was while Garbo was in Sweden tliat 23-year-old Viennese-born Hedy Laniarr first blew into Hollywood with a contract given to her by Louis B. Mayer. Then somehow thing? went wrong. M.G.M. kept Hedy Laniarr around the. studio while producers beat about in vain for a picture in which they could launch her on the public. They had on the shelves the script of a film called "Algiers," a good sound melodrama about a hunted thief, but, curiously enough, it did not occur to any of them that the role ; of the ; thief's' girl friend might be played by Hedy Lamarr. Then up spake Walter Wanger, a rival producer down the street. He

bought the script of "Algiers." and negotiated the loan of Hedy Laniarr at a low figure. Such has been the tremendous sue cess of "Algiers" 011 its release in America that Walter Wanger's courage and foresight look like reaping a £750.000 reward from the box offices. The curious slant on this story is that for years M.G.M. feared that some other studio might find a rival to Garbo. They even searched themselves to 'je in before the opposition. You will remember when every studio was grooming girls to be Garbos. Paramount had Marlene Dietrich. Gwili Andrei was the candidate at Radio. Warner's boasted of the talents and beauty of Lil Dagover. Sum Goldwyn screamed the praises of Anna Sten. Fox imported Lilian Harvey and Universal put their faith in Tala Birrell. Except fur ?t;>rlcne Dietrich. no great iiN: m s as made by these wuuidbe Garbos.