Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23

"HE bed-slat blond, the boyish brunette.
and the rock-ribbed redhead are go
ing to pass out of the American scene
at the end Of the Dry Decade 1929
800 like some unreal nightmare OF
Chinese famine
1t is becoming fashionable for woman to
look more like a woman, and less like an under
privileged boy of IA. And Hollywood, which
has more influence over American fashions
than Judge Lands has over base ball, is blazing
the way toward bigger and better figures.
Maybe it was the long skirts that brought
back the desire for dangerous curves" Or
maybe dieting proved too strenuous an ordeaI
But whatever the cause, the fact Is that today
a piece of Melba toast is just as welcome
around Hollywood as q severe case of laryn-
gifts.
3ird-like eating is still going on, but the bird
is now an ostrich. Two factions are claiming
the credit. Casting directors say that because
they now consider 118 or 40 pounds good
weight for the average girl, the girls have had
to finger at table to put on the additional
weight But the stars themselves claim part
of the credit. Many of them say that they
discovered the fact that they looked better and
felt better with a little more beef on their
bones. and that that settled the matter.
Quite few of the best known women on
the screen, who used to pay more attention to
their diets than their bank accounts, because
the latter depended on the former, have said
good-by 10 all that and now are eating three
iels, Betty Compson, Laura La Plante, Sally
Blame Joan Crawford, Dorothy Sebastian, Lila
Lee Dorothy Macaill, Sue Carol, Alice White,
Anita Page and Mary Brian.
All of these girls once made efforts to exist
on grapefruit and toasted pinochle cards or
Now they're as likely as not to order steaks
smothered in mushrooms.
girls follow Hollywood's lead closer than .
bridge player who's out of trump. And when
the girls of Hollywood cultivate curves. it's
curves that viii grace the figure Of your wife
and mine for 1890.
Hollywood is creating new feminine type
Ia type which viii be much more beautiful
than any of the past, and which viii be adopted
rs standard for all American women"
It is Fanchon speaking, one Of Americas few
woman producers, and one who has trained
more than 10000 girls for the footlights and
the talkies. Considering that she has trained
such stars as Mary Lewis the opera singer;
MurieI Stryker, Frances Williams and the
Dodge Sisters, and such screen celebrities as
Nancy Carroll, Joan Crawford and Janet
Gaynor, Fanchon should really know thing
or two about feminine charm.
YES" she continued enthusiastically, "Hol-
Iywood by demanding the slender will0wy hg-
ure with curves, is setting an example that Is
certain to meet with favor among women.
Graceful feminine curves are being brought
back into vogue in fact are now q definite re-
quirement for all film aspirants, because pro-
ducers believe the public no longer looks upon
the boyish figure as the ideal thing for any
body but boys"
THE story of Fanchon herself reads like q
movie scenario. Ten years ago, with her
brother Marco, as Fanchon and Marco, she
was just another dancing number ON the
vaudeville bills.
Today, still using the firm name of Fanchon
q Marco, the sister and brother have q vast
school and studio in Los Angeles, 1000 artists
of various kinds in their numerous stage reyues
q weekly operating expense of 100000 and Q
yearly budget in excess of 100000 Fanchon
produces the acts, rehearses the dancers and
singers, designs the costumes and exotic stage
settings identified with her name.
THE new type of woman being created in
Hollywood is the natural result of the pass
ing vogue for an ultra-slender figure.
Fanchon was among the first to sense the
revulsion Of the public from the slender, ema-
ciated type Of figure. She promtly issued an
edict banning reducing diets and directed hel
dancing girls to eat lots of wholesome energy
building foods like sugar and potatoes
I'VE have had so many examples" she says
"during the last few years, some OF them with
tragic endngs, of girls who tried TO grow thiK
ct any cost that Hollywood has realized the
effect is not worth the price.
Last June news wire reports from Baden
Germany, carried q short item telling of thu
death of beautiful little Marietta MilIner
winsome miss who was rapidly climbing u
stardom IN the movies. Weakened by dieting