A Letter from Hollywood

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 21

A Letter from Hollywood

(Specially written for "The Post".)

devised by Jack Dawn, the M.G.M. expert mi Hollywood, skilfully creates the illusicin.of age, and the facial makeup is helped by Donat's presentation of the character. -: ' Screen Newcomer. A riewicomei- to the screen, Greer Garson, jnade such a good impression that- shej has already been put • into "Susan afad God," the play in which Gertrude' Lawrence made such a success. Miss Garson- was for a year in Hollywood, where illness prevented her doing any work until she went to England' to play opposite Donat. Her all-too-sfaort sequences in "Goodbye. Mr. Chips'' are among the best in the film. ' Off-sejfeen Miss Garson is a much

THE HARDYS RENOVATE.

In the manner of average Mr. and Mrs. Aimerica, the Judge Hardy Family takes pride in its home which has been ueconditioned for "Out West With the Hardys." Their modest Carvel home ion the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot remained untouched during the first four Hardy pictures, but since has received a new coat of paint, a new roof, and minor repairs. Judge Hardy (Lewis Stone) tripped over a loose front porch step in "Love Finds Andy Hardy." This has been repaired. So have the doors and windows which jammed annoyingly after me rains. Mrs. Hardy (Fay Holden) has been after the Judge to have them repaired for months. An addition has been built on the garage to accommodate Andy Hardy's (Mickey Rooney) £5 automobile. A broken hinge on the front gate also has been repaired and new batteries provided for the front doorbell. : Marian Hardy (Cecilia Parker) wanted to modernise the front room after j taking a course in interior decoration, but the Judge refused to have,his favourite chair re-covered in chintz with a flowered design. Aunt Milly (Sara Haden) is satisfied now that the leaky kitchen faucet has been tightened. Mrs. Hardy has been hinting for a new dining-room set, but the Judge refused to buy any new furniture; until the mortgage is paid oft. It has two years to run.

Hoiiywood*

, more exotic-looking creature than , her portrayal of Mrs. Chips would suggest.; In the film she wears frocks i and hats which belong to the last decades of the. nineteenth century; she attended the premiere with her mother and wore an unusual frock of terracotta fiat crepe made in a flowing style which resembled an old-fashioned | wrapper. . ■ ' . Variety in Dressing. The dressing was almost as varied as that seen on Hollywood Boulevard, and street frocks and sports clothes • were seen almost as frequently as full- , length wraps of ermine? and mink, and i short jackets of red fox and silver fox furs., Joan Crawford pinned outsize cat-

CAPRA ' SETS THE MOOD.

The simple word "preparation" has a thousand meanings when Frank Capra plans a new Columbia picture. It may also explain the director's acknowledged genius. One careful preliminary move of the director was observed on the morning of the1 filming of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." a romantic comedy that reunites Jean Arthur, James Stewart, and Edward Arnold, the stars of "You Can't Take It With You." Capra led his entire cast into a studio projection room. There the players witnessed 5000 feet of film the director recently shot in Washington. The film—itself one preparatory act for a particular purpose—ran to explanatory remarks by an authority on life in the American capital and technical adviser for the picture. The director's reason for the showing was simple, and most logical; he wanted his players to see and "feel" Washington, the capitol, its streets, buildings, and other outstanding points of interest, in close relation to their parts, that they might thoroughly understand the characters they portray—in short, get .'•in the mood." Supporting players in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washing ton" include! Claude Rains, Guy Kibbee, Eugene. Pallette, Ruth Donnelly, Larry ("Baby Dumpling") Simms, and Beulah Bondi

tleya orchids to her muff of white ermine which matched her full-length ermine cloak. Miss Crawford has a new style of hair-dressing, tight curls clustering round her head and rising slightly higher in front.

Marlene Dietrich, who arrived with Erich Maria Remarque, author of "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Road Back," and "The Three Comrades," and Josef yon Sternberg, was greeted with a chorus of "Oh's" from the occupants of the grandstands on the pavements. She paused in her entry to give her autograph to Groucho Marx, and she used his back as a table while she signed.

"Spring Fever."

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Montgomery and Mr. and Mrs. James Cagney arrived together. Betty Jaynes, who is making "Babes in Arms" with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, arrived with Douglas McPhail, and wore a red fox fur cape with a frock of white chiffon. Mickey Rooney himself escorted Miss Lillian Long, a blonde high school "girl taller than himself; their arrival together prompted many people to quote the name of his new .film, "Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever."

Sam Wood, who directed the film, and Victor Saville, the producer, received many congratulations on their work,. Terry Kilburn, who in the film plays four generations of schoolboys in one family, was also present. Young Terry, who has appeared in "Sweethearts" and "A Christmas Carol," is also appearing in "Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever."

Recently married Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilcox arrived early; she was formerly Florence Rice, and was wearing a white fox cape with a black velvet gown. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Muni arrived with Ben Goetz, managing director of M.G.M. British Studios, and Freddie Bartholomew accompanied his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Bartholomew, sen., and his aunt, Miss Myllicent Bartholomew.

CONSTANCE ROBERTSON.

SHIRLEY IN TECHNICOLOR,

Apparently there is only one star in Hollywood of such beauty that she can face the merciless Technicolor cameras without make-up. Her name is Shirley Temple. When 20th Cen-tury-Fox were preparing to screen "The Little Princess," Shirley's first Technicolor production, Technicolor experts argued that she would have to use make-up as every other Hollywood beauty had done. Production chief Darryl Zanuck and Director Walter Lang were against the idea. So three tests of the child star were made; one with special Technicolor maKe-up, one with a powder make-up, and one with no make-up at all. The last proved perfect, with the result that Shirley had no make-up for the production.