HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19240, 29 November 1930, Page 25 (Supplement)

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON.

(By

Mollie Merrick.)

(Copyright by the “Star” and the North American Newspaper Alliance). (All rights reserved.) A Woman’s Privilege. Janet Gaynor exercises the woman’s privilege of changing her mind and becomes reconciled to __________ Eox on vthe eve of

that company’s plans to star Maureen O’Sullivan with Charles Farrell. Costumes for Miss O’Sullivan were well under way before the reconciliation was effected. This news will spread happiness among thousand of Far-rell-Gaynor fans who could never assimilate the idea of the new team.

Long-term Contract. Paul Lukas, who has been called The John Barrymore of Hungary,” was signed to long-term contract recently. Behind this simple statement is one of the most unusual stories in the film colony. Lukas, brought here from Europe when talkies were unheard of, was considered a find indeed on the Paramount lot. His suave sophistication was prized by directors who fought for the services of the actor. But when talk came, Lukas suffered the most heavily of the foreigners, because his English seemdd the most hopeless. Then the lot decided to send him home as he was of little use to a colony dealing in American talkies. He pleaded to remain, offered to play the smallest kind of parts, to meet every requirement of the studios if they would give him time to acquire negotiable English. They did, and in the meantime he saw Adolphe Menjou leave Hollywood and Emil Jannings—both from the same lot. Lukas, now speaking understandable English, gets a long-term contract. Adolphe Menjou has made his first English-speaking talkie, and Emil Jannings is on his way back to Hollywood. Don’t Call Me “Buddy.” You are not to say “Buddy” Rogers any more. I’m not guilty. I haven’t been saying it at all. Charles has seemed the only practi-

cal title for that handsome youth, who has a large following of ladies of all ages, complexions and vintages. It would be timely if Jackie Coogan would mutiny and demand to be called “Jack”; but he hasn’t. Since making Tom Sawyer, childhood has once more enveloped him

in its kindly mantle. After all, it’s only a few months ago that I stood on the Tawns at Del Monte and saw his parents send him out with the infants on an Easter-egg hunt—to maintain the illusion of childhood, I presume. True Comedian. A 1 St John proves himself a comedian when his wife states that he only works when she threatens him with a suit for non-support. By that I mean that most of the local comedians have found themselves in the divorce court this season. It’s an epidemic. He is a famous actor and he runs temperament around the block. He ha* learned from experience that it

doesn’t go on the studio sets, so he indulges in his tantrums at home, and often in the presence company. She is a clever actress, his wife, and she has learned to take his obnoxious scenes with a grain of salt, knowing them for a gesture which wins him the attention of people (if sometimes a rather horrified attention). She gave a party recently, and husband threw a particularly lively scene. He halted lor breath, and, in the interval, his wife said in the wheedling tones of a barker: “Ladies and gentlemen, never a dull moment in our household!” Busy Denying Rumour. At the present time Janet Gaynor is busy denying the rumour that she and Lydell Peck will seek a divorce. That story started as a result of her resuming work at the Fox Studio as the Farrell-Gaynor attraction once again. It is impossible for the public to separate these two artsist in their minds, and it seems equally impossible for the local public to disassociate them in its consciousness. Virginia Valli, who for some time now has appeared exclusively with' Charlie Farrell at all public affairs, and

has been his closest! friend in out-of studio hours, has gone to the East Coast for a while. Children of faine lead turbulent, dissatisfied lives, despite the glory and the adulation which '.heir talents bring them, to say nothing of the cash they acquire through talents.

A Spell of the Doldrums. Hollywood is undergoing a spell of the doldrums. At irregular intervals the movie ship would seem to be becalmed. When the gay and noisome professional colony of the village, quiet down to the pace of mere civilians, and everyone says, “They’ve gone conventional at last.” They really haven’t. It’s only a deceptive lull. We’ll have our fist fights, oUr dope raids, our triangles, and our troubles again. It only seems a reform. Miniature Golf. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks opened their own golf course with a personal appearance. This is quite Hollywood in type, if exceedingly recherche on the part of the King and Queen. All openings, from jewelers to meat markets, seek to inveigle a star to be present. Since a miniature golf course is deemed one of the best business hazards that can be indulged in at the present time, it is quite appropriate that Mary and Doug, should do everything to make it a success. Eyes of Security. Slim Summerville pockets his fiveyear contract and looks on life with eyes of security for the first time in many, many years. The long, lanky actor with faded eyes and a pathetically wistful thwarted look on his grotesque face, has gone over the top as the most sought-after type in the colony at the present time. Following his success as Tjaden in “All Quiet On The Western Front,” he was offered parts by several studios, but he really couldn't believe his luck and played them dazedly, all the while thinking this was a flash in the pan. Then a five-year contract—which is just about as good as they come in Hollywood these days—starts him off in a series of two-reel featured comedies, the first of which, “Parlez Vous,” is about the funniest thing made in this village for many months. Slim was once a Keystone Cop; whenever an actor or actress makes good in Hollywood in a great big way, go back to their beginnings and nine times out of ten, if they are of a certain vintage, you discover that Mack Sennett keyed them in their acting guage and gave them an opportunity to capitalise on their talents.

Madonna Role. Olga Baclanova, Hollywood’s tigerwoman of yesterday, is playing a Madonna role. A nine-pound heir to the Nicholas Soussanin’s has wrought the metamorphosis. The Baclanova led off as one of the most prized stars during the end of the silent regime, but with the increase of foreign moviemaking in Hollywood, it is fair to prophesy that she will have a splendid field opened to her here in the near future. From a Nursing Bottle! In refutation of the charge that we are becoming as other places, staid and dignified, may I rise to defend us with the story that Clara Bow is said to drink all her liquids

from a nursing bottle because the process adds to the sensuous lure of the famous Bow mouth. It was told me with a “ cross my heart and hope to die,” clause, by a charming and hilarious lad who claims he was an onlooker at the event of Clara’s taking her susten-

ance that way at an afternoon tea wheie tea was scarce. The Barrymore Baby. What greater anti-climax could be arrived at than the discussion about the strawberry-mark on the Barrymore baby? All Hollywood is agog—and how easily we get agog—over the fact that the daughter of the world’s handsomest man and one of the screen’s greatest beauties has a strawberry mark on her head. The rumour flashed around that the parents had come to a serious disagreement regarding the disposal of the strawberry mark. The handsomest profile in history scoffed at _ this, saying the mark was only the size of a pea anyhow and that a good dermatologist was going to take it off. Sic transit young Dolores J3arrymore’s disfigurement. “A Beast at Bay.” We have come a long way in our entertainment-making. Mary Pickford is advertised on the boulevard in a picture entitled “A Beast at Bay.” Mae Marsh plays a small part in the “ mellerdrammer.” Most of Mary . Pickford’s early pictures have been bought up by the Pickford-Fairbanks Corporation. Less from sentiment than from good sound business principle, I should judge. They display Mary as a moon-faced young thing with absolutely straight hair. Her idea of acting would seem to be putting the head on one side,‘lifting a hesitating hand to the cheek or pouting her full mouth provokingly. And the head romantic devil in all these Shenanigans is Henry Walthall. Deary, deary me!

Depleted Constitution. Lila Lee is still in Arizona waging war on a depleted constitution. She be- J came, from a plump and pleasing type, one of the willow-slim beauties which directors adore and which have occasioned more sorrow and tragedy than any other angle of screen qualification.

The work involved in the making of talking pictures is heavier than that of accomplishing a silent film, but the camera demands are the same, and food must be cut to such a minimum that the body has little to travel upon. Ronald Colman Sings. Heigh ho! Ronald Colman will sing in his next picture. The Lonsdale story which was written especially for the English star, presents him as a younger son who comes back to England from Africa with matrimonial intent. He courts the wealthiest heiress in the 8.1., and, according to the story, tries a bit of song as a way to her heart. Colman has made several departures in his stories of" late. In fact, since

talkies began, Coli®an has been a different type from the romantic fellow he was in silent pictures. He is a comedian _de luxe for one thing, if he is given a decent opportunity for comedy, and whether he sings well or not, he will get away -with song charmingly. For if there is no voice in back of the effort,

Ronald Colman, in some mysterious fashion, will manage to communicate to the audience the fact that he is quite aware of this, and is a bit more amused by it than they can possibly be. That is a life-saving quality in professionals.