OFF DUTY

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 303, 18 September 1936, Page 14

OFF DUTY

TVHAT do the stars do for diversion? ’’ The old stories about the Hollywood “wild parties” have long since been exploded. In fact, while a player is actually making a picture, there is little time for even a quiet movie. Leaving the studio at seven o’clock in the evening and arriving back in the morning at nine for make-up and hairdressing in order to be on the set at ten, doesn’t leave much time for anything but eating and sleeping. Yet there are occasional Saturday nights when stars can amuse themselves in their own way. There are many movie “fans” among the actors —Marlene Dietrich and Gary Cooper being two of the most frequent visitors to the cinemas. Gary has no favourite actor or actress, but enjoys a good performance no matter who gives it, and he likes variety. Marlene is more interested in the technical end of pictures, being an avid student of photography, lighting, direction, or i anything that goes on behind or within the cameras.

Then there are the fight “fans,” among whom Mae West, George Raft, Lupe Velez and Johnny Weissmuller can be counted on to hold ringside seats.

Parlour-game devotees, such as Sylvia Sidney, Alison Skipworth, Harold Lloyd, Miriam Hopkins, enjoy everything from “monopoly,” a real estate game played with dice and chips, to “murder,” which requires detective reasoning.