STARS IMITATE STARS

Southland Times, Issue 23026, 21 October 1936, Page 9

STARS IMITATE STARS

“THE GREAT ZIEGFELD”

Those who see Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “The Great Ziegfeld” on the screen shortly will see impersonations of many stars whom they have known in real life. Several of the characters actually saw themselves being imitated at the Hollywood first night. Foremost among these was Billie Burke, who was the great American showman’s second wife. Miss Burke is under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the producers of the film, and it was an embarrassing moment when they had to go to her and suggest that as they had to show her when she was 25 perhasp it would be as well if someone else played this important part. Miss Burke is 5.1 now, though she does not look that age on the screen in her delightful comedy parts. But she did not mind a younger star having the part. “That’s all right,” she said. “I understand. What about Myrna Loy? Not exactly like me, but I think she’s the type.” Later she coached Miss Loy in her own little ways and mannerisms.

Then there was Eddie Cantor, looking at his imitator—Buddy Doyle, who appears in the film as Eddie when he was a black-faced comedian in the Ziegfeld shows. Will Rogers was played by an amateur actor —A. A. Trimble, a stockbroker, who was taking his first and only film part. He is an exact double of the late comedian.

William Powell, who has the part of Ziegfeld, was coached by the showman’s English valet, who was with him for more than 20 years, and by his accountant.

Reginald Owen plays the accountant, and during rehearsals of a scene in which he appeared with Mr Powell and Luise Rainer as Anna Held, the famous Ziegfeld star, the real accountant supplied witty lines which Ziegfeld actually used when that scene was acted in real life.