Hollywood’s Latest Cinderella

Northern Advocate, 24 February 1940, Page 10

Hollywood’s Latest Cinderella

Gloria Jean, 10-year-old Scranton, Pennsylvania, girl, is Hollywood’s latest Cinderella,

A protege of Deanna Durbin, famous 16-year-old singing star, Gloria has been signed to a long-term contract by Universal Pictures,

Brought to movieland several months ago, the girl has been coached and tested by studio experts, and wm make her film bow in the title role of

“The Under Pup,” an elaborate Joe Pasternak production which is oeing filmed on a pretentious scale. It is a story of modern youth by I. A. R Wylie, which ran in “Good Housekeeping” Magazine, one of the leading papers of America, for w'eeks.

Hailed by studio officials as a potential child star, Gloria has been taken under the wing of Miss Durbin, Universal’s No. 1 box office star, who gave her every encouragement as she began her first scene in the film, which climaxed nearly five months of preparation for a screen career, since she left her home town last December. Although she is still wondering at her good fortune in meeting Producer Joe Pasternak in New York last year; in the almost immediate signing of her contract; and her cross-country trip to Hollywood, she stepped beiore the cameras with all the naturalness that first attracted Pasternak.

Despite the new surroundings of filmdom and its picture-making, it is the studio’s intention that Gloria remain herself. Although not beautiful, with her light brown hair and blue eyes, she has a piquant little face which Universal executives feel sure will appeal to movie-goers. The little new starlet is surrounded with well-known and popular players in her first film. She will have with her Virginia Weidier, whose recent appearance in “The Women” climaxes a succession of hit parts, and Ann Gillis, who was introduced to picture audiences in “Tom Sawyer” and has just completed “Beau Geste,” C. Aubrey Smith, Nan Grey, Robert Cummings and Margaret Lindsay. In the film Gloria Jean plays the title role, with Virginia Wiecller cast as her best friend.