Veteran at 14

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23127, 27 August 1938, Page 16 (Supplement)

Veteran at 14

Judy Garland's Promise Into Outstanding FROM VAUDEVILLE STAGE TO THE SCREEN

By W. JOHN ELTON

Check over the names of the babies and bright children in the movie firmament. Is there one that will survive adolescence? Is ther&one that will graduate into an adult star of real value? In my opinion one young actress with as much promise as that of any other child player with the one powerful exception of Mickey Rooney, is Judy Garland.

JUDY has more than a capacity for remarkably impressive singing. She is only 14 (she was only 12 when signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) but I can think of no other child actress so little in need of the publicised marvel of her youth. We remember her because of her cpinpellingly expressive eyes; we take heed of her because of her dynamic methods of seizing her audience, and her unashamed emphasis of the little mannerisms that so cleverly strengthen her personality. She has never had reason to shelter behind the babyish tricks and prettily arranged curls of her junior colleagues. In "Everybody Sing" she made no protest when Billie Burke referred to her as a "poor little ugly duckling," and she welcomed the opportunity of blacking her face, making a shapeless effigy of her figure, and then providing us with one of the finest emotional scenes ever, interpreted by a girl of her age. Very little has been written about her, but her story shows that there is every reason for her efficiency. Judy's passport into the Hollywood studios was not a chocolate-box childhood, but a solid stage training of which even an adult star could be envious. Judy, in fact, is a veteran. Bom to the Stage She first, showed her discrimination by being the daughter of vaudeville folk. She was born in the Tennessee city of Murfreesboro, but she was still in the cradle-stage when her father, Mr. Erank A. Guntnt, moved to Grand

of their engagements from the houses of tile Bert Levy Circuit. Girls, however, grow tip. Suzanne grcv up. Suzanne, in fact, was sufficiently inconsiderate to get married. Entry into Films The act was disbanded, and Judy, disgusted with the lack of engagements, joined Lawler's Professional [School and became a classmate of Jane Withers. How she eventually came to be signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is shrouded in a veil of conflicting stories. Some say that a talent scout discovered her at the World's Fair in Chicago. Others insist that she was first noticed by the studio at the San Diego Exposition. A third theory is that George Jessel wrote to Hollywood in praise of her talents. Still another story blandly asks us to believe that she "wandered" into the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer offices and was immediately honoured with an audition. The true story, I think, is the simplest. The family agreed that the best way to push Judy into the movies was to cngago an agent. Clark Gable's Gift The agent secured an audition with Jack Bobbins, of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and her praises were then rapidly bandied from Bobbins to Ida Jioverman, from Mrs. Koverman to Louis B. Mayer, and from Louis B. Mayer to a contract. She played with Deanna Durbin in a short film called "Every Sunday," made a brief appearance in "Pigskin Parade," and then came forth with her surprising burst of competence in "Broadway Melody of 1938."

llapids in Minnesota, and exchanged his wanderings for a theatre. The theatre was called the New Grand, and it was here that Judy, at itlie age of two and a-half, smuggled herself.into one of her father's amateur contests,* and startled the audience .with her rendering of "Jingle BelJs." From that day the stage was her playground. At the age of three she iormed a trio with her two sisters, [Virginia and Suzanne, who were then blessed with the designing innocence of eight and ten years, and the brazen little act began its career as the Gumm Sisters. Even before the days of the crazy film, however, American humorists were exuberantly in vogue. The girls were variously dubbed the Chewing Sisters, the Glumm Sisters, ithe Dumb Sisters, the Crumb Sisters.

Whereupon Clark Gable sent her a bracelet. Perhaps you remember why. Life stories usually mean little to me, but this history of experience and juvenile achievement is a reason for great faith in Judy's future. "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" gave her comparatively little opportunity, but in "Everybody Sing" she proved that she could" dance with spirit, sing with astonishing regard to tricks of emphasis and delivery, and slip smoothly through emotional scenes with a convincing sincerity. We shall have to wait for "The Wizard of Oz" before seeing how her talents are progressing in the hands of her studio, but of one thing we can be certain. Judy will have no "awkward age." With ordinary luck and sensible exploitation she can steer her enthusiasm into a promising adult career —not as one of Hollywood's synthetic beauties, but as a character actress of ready-developed energy and ability. Judy herself has decided, "I would like to play character roles. Character roles with songs." That is the danger. "With songs!

i Change of Name It was George Jessel, when appearing them at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, who suggested that they Bhould change their label to "The Garland Sisters," an inspiration apparently originating in George Jessel's admirar tion for the writer, Robert Garland. This was done. Frances Gumm bejcame Judy Garland. The little act prospered. The family Iwent bodily on tour. Mr. and Mrs. Gumm sold the theatre in Grand [Rapids, and within a year Judy had iVisited practically every State in the (country. She grew, to understand the reactions of her audiences. She gathered a whole museum of memories. At the imposing ago of four sho landed with her family in California, where her father settled in Lancaster, and bought the Antelope Valley 'Theatre, The Garland Sisters were sent to school. School a Nuisance School was a tremendous nuisance to Judy. She continued with her stage career on Saturdays and Sundays in much the same way as a city clerk continues with his gardening. She played with Jess Stafford at Loew's State Theatre in Los Angeles; she appeared in practically every town in Southern California; she was heard on the radio; she was featured with 'Johnny Murray in the "Junior HiJinks." Christmas and other holiday periods enabled the Garland trio to reach stages further afield, in Arizona, .Nevada, and Northern California, and during the summer "vacation" they doubled their efforts, receiving most

Danger of Singing Roles Judy is an unusually efficient little singer, and in many ways it would be a pity to waste the natural ease and compiete lack- of embarrassment with which she delivers her numbers. She obviously enjoys her singing as much as you and I do. It is only natural for her to consider that first. But already she has been too heavily publicised as the junior exponent of hot rhythm, and similar reputations have decoyed plenty of promising young actresses into musical futility. Her films have proved that her gifts can go to the building of a young dramatic star —one of power and personality rather than good looks and glamour —and it would be regrettable if we lost an actress of this kind for the sake of a cabaret singer. Perhaps Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will see to it. They must know as well as anybody that a girl who is only a singing sensation cannot last long. A girl who builds her reputation on acting ability has a limitless future.

Film History Made in the Commons STRICT RULE RELAXED

STAR'S EXPENSES FOR "FRONT" Costly Hollywood Item Most of Hollywood's better-known stars seem to bo having trouble with their income tax these days. But not all of them divulge so many figures about their expenditure as Madge Evans. Madge is trying to get nearly £SOO knocked off her income tax for 1934. She claims that the assessors did not make allowances for the expenses of keeping up her "front." "Front" in Hollywood means very much tho same as "face" in the Orient. It means large cars, largo houses, resplendent frocks and parties —everything that might impress others. "If you haven't 'front,' " says Miss Evans, "you will never get anywhere in films." She claims that she earned just over £6OOO in 1934, and that more than £2OOO of that went to pay for "front." There was £6OO spent on clothes, for instance. There was £2lO paid to her brother, Tom, for "photographic services." There was £6O for a maid to attend her on tho set; £SOO for travelling expenses; rather more than £IOO for wigs, make-up and hair dressing; £25 for photographs sent in answer to fan mail; and a queer item headed "promotion of self," which accounted for £l2O. Since it was necessary to "entertain producers." Madge also»claimed th.it part of tho rent of her homo in Beverlv Hills should be deducted. Other odds and ends include £3O for telephone bills; £2OO for upkeep of car; £7O for entertainment; and £9O for the removal of her tonsils and other medical services.

Film history was made Jast month when for the first time the strict rule prohibiting photography in Parliament was relaxed, and cameras recorded the Speaker's procession, illuminated by a blaze of arc lamps. flie scene was being "shot" for the first of a series of "shorts" which Gau-mont-British Instructional Films are hoping to make so that the world may see forms and ceremonies, men and

manners at the Mother of all Parliaments. "There is a great deal of totalitarian propaganda being put out these da3's,'' tho producer, M. H. Bruce Woolf, said. "We think the world would like to see how things are done at tho fount of democracy, Westminster." Certainly, tho scene was democratic enough. Scores of M.P.'s, curious visitors of both sexes and all ages, including Americans, a Japanese, policemen and film technicians in their shirt sleeves, were gathered in the lobby to see the Speaker pass. In accordance with custom, the Speaker, Captain tho Hon. E. A. Fitzroy, left his quarters at 10.58. A cry of "Hats off, strangers!" gave warning that the procession was approaching the lobby, the cameras began to turn, the battery of lamps blazed and, preceded by the Mace, the Speaker turned right again into the chamber and reached the chair just as Big Ben began to strike the hour. The members present gave a chorus of good-humoured "Hear, hears," as he passed, and even the policemon were so captivated by the novelty of the proceedings that their faces relaxed into smiles. Permission to film Parliament is understood to have been granted largely through tho good offices of Earl Stanhope, president of the Board of Education, who thinks that tho pictures will have educational value.