'I Will Make You A Star'

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 99, 29 April 1939, Page 8 (Supplement)

'I Will Make You A Star'

MEETING a man in the lounge of a Blackpool hotel, where he was staying, Claude HenryHammond, alias John Shaw, 42- . year-old book-keeper, told him he was managing director of the ' Elstree Film Studios. He offered to find him a part in a ; film, and declared he had travelled to ' Blackpool specially to engage a Mies . Butterworth for an important part in i a new screen drama. Hammond's new acquaintance was uuimpressed. In fact, ' he *«ked Hammond whether he could | pay his hotel bill. [ The "film magnate" threatened to go > to a (solicitor, but later admitted that • ho had no money, und was not even ; connected with films. Unfortunately for him, the man he f had offered a part wa« Detective John t McKenna, of Blackpool C.T.D., and as a s result Hammond appeared at Preston r session accused of obtaining £2 3/ credit i from the Clifton Hotel, Blackpool, by false pretences. r It appeared that when he registered 5 at the hotel "J. Carter Hendon," he • told the night porter he was managing t director of the film studios. 5 Admitting the charge, Hammond asked 1 that 20 other false pretences cases • should be taken into account. It was f explained that these had been committed T within six weeks of his release on Sepi tember 28 as a convict on license. The amount involved was £120. Sentenced to 12 months' hard labour, he will have also to complete the unex-

pired part of his license —463 days. Hammond, a native of Rugby, stated from the dock that he had not a friend in the world. "I would prefer to go straight, but that is utterly impossible for a man on ticket-of-leave and without work," he declared. "The same thing will happen when I come out of prison again." Hammond's criminal career dates back to 1913, his sentences including three separate terms of penal nervtitude—two of five years each, and one of four years. Scraped Acquaintance With Two Women He deserted from the Army twice, and was finally discharged with a bad character. In addition, lie has been convicted twice for wearing a military uniform and decorations to which he was not entitled. After Hammond had been sentenced, a Blackpool mother and her two grownup daughters told a remarkable story of their chance meeting witih him in London and the sequel. For reasons that will be readily understood they desired that their names should not be disclosed. They were at Euston Station, London, preparing to return after a holiday, when Hammond entered the refreshment

[ room, where they were taking tea. Si i ting down at tihe next table, he openc [ the conversation by remarking to tl mother, "You look tired, mother." ! Seeing the younger daughter readir ■ a film magazine, Hammond broke. tl ! news that he was "managing director < the EMree film studios." t "His manner was so convincing thf > we could only regard him a« a genii' i man," the elder daughter said. "When he heard we were going 1 - Blackpool he said, 'What do you say 1 I go to Blackpool, too?' r "He took us to a restaurant outsit the station, and talked a lot about film - He »aid he intended to book Flanaga t and Allen for hi« next picture, and wi - going to bring Grade Fields to Blacl - pool thin summer. He also talked aboi hi* Cambridge days. "Before leaving Bust on he bought i pile of film books, and at Crewe he g< tea «ad slabs at chocolate for us,

"Film Magnate's" Promise To Girl "On the journey he recounted some thrilling experiences with men who had tried to hold him up in his car. When we reached Blackpool he took us home in a taxi and then went to the Clifton Hotel. That same evening he took us all —father included —to a music hall. "He told my sis«ter she was the ideal film type, and he would make her a star. He also hinted that his interest in her might go further, in the way of a romance. "Next day he called again and brought violets. He handed my mother two heavily-sealed envelopes —a long one

and an ordinary size one—explaining that he was afraid to leave them in an hotel safe and asking her to take great care of them. One was addressed to Elstree, the other to a person in Mayfair. "When Hammond did not come back again as promised (he had been arrested in the interval) I telephoned to Elstree. "They knew of no one of the name which appeared on the envelope, nor had they heard of 'Gerald Carter' —the name by which Hammond introduced himself to us. "Now he has been sentenced we have opened the envelopes. We found that the smaller one contained a few blank sheets of liotepaper from tl 2 Clifton Hotel. Tho longer and more imposing one contained 011 c thing—a copy of the '1/aw Journal'!" A.