HELEN TWELVETREES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 283, 3 December 1935, Page 2

HELEN TWELVETREES

ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND TO MAKE AUSTRALIAN FILM “Apart from various hobbies of swiijiining, riding and golf, 1 am interested in my home—what 1 see of it,” said Miss Helen Twelvetrees, the American film actress, who arrived in Auckland by the Monterey a few days ago on her way to Australia, where she will make a film with an /Australian setting. Miss Twelvetrees said that she had just built a new home at Toluca Lake, five minutes’ car drive from Hollywood. It was a white house, designed on’rambling Spanish lines and all the doors opened out on to verandahs. There was a swimming pool and the inside was furnished with light rugs and coloured furniture and drapings. While she was away in Australia, Miss Joan Blondell was tending to the new home. Miss Twelvetrees was charmed with the wealth of flowers she had seen on her trip from America. The gardens were very lovely at home, she said, and sh.Q. had a fondness for beautiful flowers, but in her profession she could nott find time “to learn how to make them grow.” Miss Twelvetrees’ new home is in the centre of a little colony of Hollywood actors and actresses. Walt Disney lives opposite, his property extending to three acres. Nearby are Bing Crosby and his wife Dixie Lee with their three children. It was when she was about 14 that Miss Twelvetrees went on the stage and after playing parts in stock companies she took the lead in the stage version of “An American Tragedy,” which made her success assured. She was brought to the films when talkies came in. Twelvetrees, she added, was her own name and not. merely a stage one. She mentioned that she enjoyed playing in films with John Barrymore, who was a great help and a charming man to work with. Miss Twelvetrees said that she preferred dramatic roles although it was occasionally fun to portray a part where she did not have to “weep her way through.’’ The work of making a film was strenuous. The actresses started at six in the morning and went on “until’’ . . . .11 was most imperative that they kept themselves fit for the daily grind and they all paid considerable attention to matters of health. F.xcivise was important, and you would always find that actresses did a greaj deal of swimming and riding. Miss Twelvetrees, who is a keen fisherwoman, hopes to spend a certain amount of time in Now Zealand on her return journey and explore some of the trout streams in this country. Without any of the blatant “actressiness’’ that ]ay people arc inclined to associate with famous actresses, Miss Twelvetrees is a tiny person of sft. 2in. in height, weighing only seven tone and a-half. She was dressed simply this morning in a plain little suit of black velvet wi.th a chic velvet pointed hat in the same shade. Colour was supplied by her natural vivacity and the masses of light auburn hair which formed a soft cloud under her black velvet hat. —(Auckland Star). lovers’ knots in pale blue. Thrown into relief by her frock was her exquisite veil of deep cream tulle, handembroidered in rose design, which was held in place with a tiny coronet of pearls, and she carried a bouquet ol cream-tinted roses, set in dark green rose leaves, which trailed to the hem of her gown. A lovely shade of soft briar rose pink had been chosen for her five attendants —the bridesmaid, Miss Nell Simpson (Marton), three tiny flower girls, Erica Faris, Barbara Grant, Elizabeth Strang (New Plymouth), and a small page boy Mac Hamilton (Wellington), nephew cf the bride. Their frocks were in keeping with the bride’s, for they had been copied from a Tutor design. The bridesmaid’s was fashioned of pink faille taffeta, with a fitting corsage and full skirt with pleated ruffles falling from the shouldei to the hem of her gown. A pleated muff was carried, trimmed with a spray ot pink and blue flowers to match her hair garland of pink roses, blue lor* get-me-nots and anchusia. Tne small maids wore frocks of pink taffeta with short yoked bodices ami, full sleeves caught in at the wrist, the vctv full skirts being ankle-length, and sashes, with large bows tied at the back. Tiny stiffened head-dresses of taffeta were covered at the back with roses and forget-me-nots, and pleated muffs were carried, trimmed with floral sprays of pink and blue. The page bey wore a suit of pink with a large frill of cream georgette at the neck. The duties of. best man were carried out by Mr. Derrick Tovey, of Taura nga. The reception was held at “Woodside,” the residence of the bride’s mother, wilier© the grounds were bright with many coloured lights. Indoors, the bridal party stood under a pink and cream wedding bell to receive the guests, and t>he bride’s taule was centred by a wedding cake and pretty floral decorations ot roses and pink and cream sweet P'eas, with trails 01. greenery. The other rooms were armnged with bowls of tinted lilies. Mrs. M’Allum, tffie bride’s mother, was wearing a very becoming gown of steel grey suede lace, with cape of gray suede marocain in the same toning. Her wide-brimmed black hat was wreathed in a grey ostrich plume, and she carried a bouquet ot roses gerberas, carnations, and sweet peas. Mrs. A Hamilton (Wellington), sister of tJJ bride, was in a floral georgette o cream and jade, with a picture hat ol black baku straw, and Miss Mary M’Allum wore a charming frock ol floral georgette with a rose pattern on a cream background, with frilled draperies on the skirt, and on her han a bandeau of pearls. Later, after the usual toasts haci been honoured, the bride left on her wedding tour wearing a navy blue crepe tunic suit, w'ith a very smart blue straw bat, and nlue snakerkin shoes and bag to match her ensemble.