A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN A YEAR!

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 201, 26 August 1939, Page 7

A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN A YEAR!

BySheilah Graham

Screen Page

MARY HF.ALY is playing a big part with Sonja Henie in "Second Fiddle." A year ago she waS working as a stenographer in # cinema exchange in New Orleans. The 2 I -year-old golden-brown-haired miss was in a good jpot to attract the attention of movie talent scouts. Eleven month- ago -he was offered a gcrcoti test nii<l taken to Hollywood for t course dramatic lessons. Irving Berlin heard herding, and sang her praise* to Hiirnl /anuek. That is how ft cfttui' to pa-s that Mary Hcaly was jfiven tin" second teminine lead in "Second Fiddle. Her Inline looks bright, with ft hig part in F.lsu Maxwell's "Hotel (or Women." To-day Sn-an TLivwanl is playing the leading ~ "ppu.ite Bob Burns in "Our Leading Citi/en." A year ago p)]o whs st nd \i ng ciimmercial art in Brooklyn. Sn-an went to Hollywood during tin 1 *eai l'll for Scarlett for "(Jone with the Wind." Centre t'likor tested her for the role, but she was turned down. Susan decided to stay on in Hollywood, anyway —and show them. Warners signed her to a brief contract— but did nothing else for her. George Cukor was worried. After all. he had brought her He telephoned Paramount, with the result she landed tin; only woman's role in "Beau Ceste," starring Gary Cooper, followed by "Our Loading Citizen." Now brunette Susan has a definite future in pictures.

Today 13-year-old Linda Ware m playinjr an important role in ' The Star Maker" with Binpr Crosby. A year ago, known 'as Beverly Stillw jijjnn, she whs working liartl at music lessons. When «h«* was four years 01.l Linda's mother died and alio was sent to an orphanage.

She was taken out a year later by her aunt, who discovered that her niece could sin;;. Eight months ago she induced producer Charles Rogers (star maker of Dcanna Durbin) to give the yirl an audition. Linda staggered ttie exeeu Ii \ e with a C above high <'. That's how she got into "Tin? Star Maker."

' " day Kansas-burn Brenda Joyce is playing Fern in "The Rains Came." A year ago -he was merely a cute blonde called Hetty Lea bo and studying at uni\cr-ity. When she left college Hetty took a modelling job. .Mr. Zantick saw her tace in an advertisement. decided she looked like his conception of Kern, tested her— lie had already tested ~>K girls for the part. Betty got it. Of course they had to change her name. She was named Brenda after the "glamour deb" Brenda I' ra/ier. I he Joyce was given her bv director Clarence Brown, who thinks • loyce is the prettiest name he ever heard. (He married Alice Joyce.) I o-dav Brenda Marshall (the town is full of Brendas) has the leading role opposite Joel McCrea in "Career Man." A year ago, in New York, they called her Ardis (iaines. She was eking out a small livelihood in the Federal Theatre project (where she was spotted by a talent scout) and spending a large percentage of her salary at Madame Otispenskaya's dramatic school. Brenda is black-haired, looks like Hedy La mart",

and they say she can act as well. After "Career Man" Brenda plays opposite Edward G. Robinson in "The Prince of Impostors."

To-day Linda Darnell is playing the leading role in F.lsa Maxwell's "Hotel for Women." (Linda, incidentally, is second only to Brenda in new feminine movie names.) A year ago they called her Monetta Darnell, she was 1"> or lti (the studio is not quite clear on this point—at any rate, they say she is 17 now), and dividing her time at school in Texas and playing small parts in little theatres. A talent scout had his eye on her (she had tried to storm the Hollywood gates two years ago. but was told she was too young), brought her back, and successfully tested her for the Maxwell opus. According to Gregory Ratotf Miss Darnell is "sensational."

J'o-dav Dennis Morgan has the in "I he Return of Dr. X." A year ago he was paid by M.G.M. to scare Nelson Eddy intrt submission, Kvery time Eddy balked at a role all his pictures were assigned to Morgan—until the star came to heel. Metro had Morgan under contract three years. He has an excellent, singing voice, but the nearest he got to the sound-track was doubling for tie voice of "A Pretty <iirl is Like a Melody." With his release Morgan moved to Warners, who are also considering him for the remake of "'J'he Desert Song."

To-day John Archer and Alice Eden are playing important roles in "Career." A year ago Archer \va9 called Ralph Bowman and was looking for work in Hollywood. Miss Eden was known as Rowena Cook and had been studying drama for three years in the Pasadena Community Playhouse. Archer, aged 24, with curly blonde hair and blue eves,

was born in Osceola, Nebraska. Alice saw the light of day 22 years ago in New York. They would both still be in the "unknown" category but for Jesse Lasky's "Gateway to Hollywood" talent search via a commercial radio programme, won by the attractive couple.

To-day "Sandy" is starring with Mischa Auer in two epics—the first called "Sandy." (The baby recently stole "East Side of Heaven" from Bing Crosby and Joan Blondell.) A year ago Sandy was a girl called Sandra Henville, the three-months-old daughter of a milkman. Her sole occupation at the time was kicking her legs, around in her cradle. It is practically certain there was positively no thought of a movie career in Sandra's mind. hi'cli all goes to prove that a lot can happen in a year!