Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-04
MOVIES AND MOVIE PEOPLE
BY MOLLIE MERRICK.

HOLLYWOOD, Calf, July 4.-Out
here where songs are reeled OF by the
yard and stories by the thousand feet
of celluloid much attention is paid the
retort discourteous. In fact, the nip
answer is king in Hollywood today. The
rivalry is chiefly among writing nota-
bles-cinemaites just don't register that
way.
Rupert Hughes gets this weeks prize.
He has recently been travelling about
with a crutch, by reason OF a broken
ankle. He told the story Of just where
and when and how over and over again.
But the other day at luncheon LADY
dashed up to the table with
"Oh, Mr.. Hughes, I hear you broke
your ankle. Just how did you break
your ankle, Mr.. HughesP"
To which Mr.. Hughes with the utmost
gravity replied:
Madame, I broke it with my bare
hands"
Mrs. Rupert Hughes is one of the
most attractive women In the village.
A distinct departure from the movie
type, she is tall and pale, with wine"
brown eyes and lovely red hair.
Her portrait. painted by Leon Cor
don. was one of the high spots OF the
Winter exhibition here. In the same
collection we're Peggy Wood, Gloria
Swanson, Winfield Sheehan, Joseph
Kennedy, Claire Windsor, Marion Da-
vies and Colleen Moore. But the artist
put some ineffable quality into the por-
trait of the slim, red-haired beauty in
a white frock, backgrounded by the vital
greens of young Spring landscape.
Ina Claire is giving movie ladies
something to think about by whole
heartedly adopting the long skirt. Even
the most informal of her sports frocks
are several inches below the knee, ana
her evening gowns are ankle length In
front and often have considerable train.
Mrs. Jack Gilbert, as she likes to be
called in the village, considers short
skirts ungraceful. Since the average
movie lady Is never Sd happy as when
showing kneecap, this dictum OF the
fair New Yorker is very grave matter.
Ina Claire Gilbert recently appeared
at village party in q long, slim sheath
of gold gauze completely frosted with
tiny gold beads. With her skin tanned
q warm amber and her fair hair, she
looked IKE a golden lily; The gown
swept the floor In back, and was slightly
shorter In front. 1t had grace and dig
nifty, but so has the lady who wore 1t.
Just to show how sophisticated we are
out here in this haunt Of authors, piano
thumpers and actors and actresses, We
sell on our main street large lollipopS
on wooden sticks with sugar angels re-
clining In bower of highly colored can
died leaves. A sugar motto, Make
whoopee in Hollywood" is the final
delicate touch.
Mae Murray strolls down the boule-
ward looking exceedingly well after her
vaudeville dancing tour. A broad brirn-
med picture hat pulled down to her
eyes. white crepe sports suit and O.
brilliant scarlet scarf. The bee-Stung
lip Is still provocative, and when Mae
Murray chooses, words can fly forth.
Not long ago in the East she told the
assembled critics thing or two.
It seems her dancing Is as supple as
of yore, and her talent for collecting
fat sums Is still in working order. She
is making a talkie-for q consideration;
and Mae Murray's considerations are
never trifling More power to heri She
belongs to the old guard who kept ro-
nance and color and adventure In
celluloidia.
But if the city fathers don't call in
those gracious males who stand on
street corners with little steel hooks,
teaching ladies how to pick up runs in
silk hosiery, I, for one, shall take my
ak and go out and do womsn's work
telling trees.
The honor OF the sex must be upheld
received the shock Of my life yes
terday when one of the casting directors
of a big musical comedy now being
staged in Hollywood told me that 400
of the ugliest girls he had ever laid eyes
upon had applied for work In the
OF the 400, as girls, far from beau
tiful, were chosen. There Is this adj
vantage In sound pictures-the close
UPS are reserved for the principals
The chorus, filmed from some 20 or 50
feet away, is merely a matter OF Sill
"But even the silhouettes aren't toe
good" nioaned the casting man. Then
waist lines are ali at different heights
How are We going to get. precision IN an
ensemble?"
The beautiful but dumb who have
been "extra-ing 1t" around the studios
will not descend to the routine Of
chorus life. Although they get from
$40 to $40 week. according to expert
ence and ability, none Of the girls wa
required to know more than . few IN
consequential dance steps. The aver
age girl Is proficient In these nowadays
But the element who have survived
couple of years of extra work are car
xying on In that nns still hoping To-