Evening star., 1934-05-14

To prove his point, namely what
a screen star can lose by net pre-
pairing the proper material, Mr.. Lyon
recounted the sad story of the star
who went recently to Chicago. When
the manager of the theater walked
up to him to ask him how long his
act would take, the star rephed Il
don't know-what do you think?
The manager then turning somewhat
pale. asked why he should have to
think at all-inasmuch as it wasn't
his act. He then asked him What
sort of a skit he had prepared for
his Chicago debut. The star was
flabbergasted: Prepared he
easped-"Why l haven't prepared
anything. l thought you did that
sort of thing for me- The manager,
when the star had departed. woefully
counted his meager coin and cried
a long tear over the average IN
person. appearance)
"Bebe and I began thinking over
what we should do if we were ever
called a long time ago." said Mr..
Lyon, mourning visibly for his wife
Bebe, whose makeup at that time
of the day prevented her from trottlng
out into the public twilight, and who
was sitting calmly in her dressing
room brooding over a bowl OF soup,
First, we decided we would do a kind
of Walter Winchell' Cheaven forbid,
with Bebe on one side Of the stage
ana yours truly on the other. and
some kind of a flying carpet between
not fOOpt hPr
those letters. and that Mr.. Daniels
gag which audiences like. and then
scme one came along from the M-G-
M studios and tied them together.
We thought up everything except
that tying together-and somehow we
couldn't do that. Then when it came
time for us to come East, instead OF
opening cold at Chicago, We asked
them to give us tryout first out OF
town. So, believe it or not, we opened
cold in Aurora, Ill, and were we
terrible! Well, not so terrlble-but
we asked them to let us do four
shows instead of one. and that sur
prised them so, and did us so much
good, that by the time we had left
Aurora we were going along at
pretty good clip.
Mr.. Lyon and Miss Daniels, two of
the most human and ikeable screen
stars that have ever come out OF the
West, are sincere in their belief that
these stage appearances are a vital
link in the careers of picture people.
and that great care should be taken
in the preparation. They have, how
ever, other things to talk about. Miss
Daniels, interviewed briefly before she
got to that bowl Of soup, is a rapid
fire conversationahst, bright and
witty, most cordial to visitors, and
incidentally one Of the smartest wom-
en- in Hollywood. Her bright red
fingernails are witnesses to one Of her
privately-owned industries-a beauty
shop, or factory, or something that
rips out that liquid red fire, and she
is also one of the cagiest real estate
owners on the coast, being godmother
to a fleet of Santa Monica houses
those houses that sit on the beach
next door to Marion Davies "shack"
"a shack about four times the size
of Mount Vermont.
Come out in the Winter some
llIIle anu We II ItI SOu 4ldHC Oi4C VI
them" CMr. Lyon, unfortunately
didn't say give. Its a funny
thing. but We have trouble renting
our houses in the Winter, which is
much the best of the year at Santa
Monica When the Summer comes
along they are snapped up imme-
diately." eve have suspicion that
writer, Ed Sullivan. who visited them
the other evening at the Carlton
after the show. got the last one)
But In the Winter, people seem to
Think that icebergs or something are
likely to creep up to the door. There
they stand. anyway, friendly and
empty"
So, remember, if you go East (and
we don't get a commission) ring the
Bebe Daniels-Ben Lyon doorben and
ask for a house Ask. too, to see
daughter Barbara. Ask, too, to see
Mr. Lyons plane.
Incidentally. did you know that Mr.
Lyon is responsible for putting a GER
tain we'll known person before the
public? When "Hell's Angels was
about half finished and sound came
in the middle of it. Howard Hughes
was looking around for a new leading
woman. "One night" said Mr.. Lyon,
'I was sitting with some friends in a
cafe when suddenly the Sleekest, Slick
est looking girl I have ever seen