Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-09
BY MOLLIE MERRICK.

HOLLYWOOD, Calf, January
(N.AN.A).-The various forms of ex,
tortion from which movie stars suffer
begin with the hold-up and go or
through all the variations of the black.
mail racket. Most pathetic of all is the
story of a noted star whose name will
not enter into this story, by reason OF
the fact that publicity in the matter
! has brough her sufficient trouble.
Some year and half ago she adopted
little baby and was photographed
proudly holding the new member of hel
family. The parents of the chic
| recognized the picture of their baby
and laid low for one year, when they
suddenly descended on the star and
began money demands. She had mean
while become SO devoted to the baby
that she would rather die than part
! with it and her life from the moment OF
their appearance has been a record OF
misery and extortion.
! OrphanageS never reveal to the par
ents of the children the identity of the
| people adopting them. But star pub
licity can do damage-and how!
| For this reason the new crop OF
adopted babies in movieland remains
photographed for publicity purposes,
until sufficient time has elapsed for the
child to change.
| When "a Farewell to Arms" was
premiered locally there was much en-
| thusiasm in the audience for members
of the cast present who were making
! public appearances. Loud cries for
| Gary Cooper brought that handsome lad
reluctantly to his feet and brought the
eyes of the entire theater upon him.
Seated at his side was the Countess
FraSSo, looking a bit stern, it seems.
No sooner had the waves of applause
for Gary died down than cries of "'Lupe
Lupe" rent the air 1t was the
! psychological follow-up-the association
of the two names has gone on for years
and years in Hollywood. To every ones
surprise, Lupe Velez rose and took a
bow She was seated not three seats
away from Gary Cooper, with Johnny
Weissmuller. They say the Countess
Frasso looked trif1e bored.
Jean Dixon, New York actress, is due
in Hollywood for part in Kiss Before
the Mirror" which Universal is making
Jean Dixon is the girl who scored so
heavily in once in Lifetime" as the
voice expert. Her slow, ironic reading
of those lines was sensational. She's
good-looking in a very different way
from most stars and should find an in
teresting place for herself in pictures.
Aline MacMahon, who took over Jean
Dixon's part in the road show of Life
time" has scored one of the greatest
personal successes of any actress to come
to movieland
Copyright. 1888. by North American News
paper Alliance, Incl
Irving Thalberg's very serious illness,
which has given his associate producers
and the entire colony much concern,
has completely halted all work on
Norma Shearer's part. The beautiful
actress has never left her husbands
bedside since he was stricken and her
alarm at his condition is pathstic &C
coriing to her friends.
That Thalberg may have to retire
from all activity for a time and seek
the aid of famous European heart
specialist is current rumor. His con-
dition has been so precarious for several
days now that even the slightest move
ment of his arms might pyecipitate an
attack of the heart affection which is
the main cause for alarm.
Influenza, which has combed the pro-
fessional ranks, lost producers literally
hundreds of thousands of dollars since
the cycle began six months ago, was
the beginning of Irving Thalberg's sick
ness. Sam Goldwyn is i'll with the flu
at the present time.