The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-01-25
Hollywood News and Gossip ---- THE WORLDS CHAMPION LOTHARIO
 HAS LOVED 200 WOMEN! But Francis Lederer Dropped Them Cold He Left Stage
BY DAN THOMAS


 MIA Service Staff Correspondent
 Hollywood T fall in love ferventIy and genuinely in love, with every woman with whom l have romantic scenes on either the stage rscreen. And l have lQvesn
 < This statement was made to me tho other day by Francis Lederer. Czeehoslovakian actor who arrived recently in Hollywood to begin his American screen career a1 the star of ''Man of Two Worlds
 He's utterly frank in his state- rnents. this man who has played opposite more than 200 different women and loved every one of them.
 'When l fall in love with the girl opposite whom I am playing Tam not acting, I am just a hu- man being reacting to the attrac- tions of q beautiful woman" he declares.
 However, regardless of how pas sionately he may love girl on the stage or before the cameras, that love is broken off abruptly the minute he steps out of character. ' Never yet has he carried his loves outside of his work. And he loves each new leading lady with the same fervor he did his last one.
 Sounds rather heartless to me, this falling in and out of love with such rapidity. But Lederer ex- plains it by saying that 1t reaiy isn't himself who falls in love, but 1. les, traN Y
 However, he admits that severe complications might set in If he were to develop a tremendous pri- vate love.
 Iederer's statements remind me of similar one made not so long ago by Loretta Young, who de- clared that she falls seriously in love with each new leading man, because she has found 1t helps her work to do so.
 She. however, carries her loves straight through the duration or the picture, in and out Of the studio.
 And then there was Maurice CheyaIier's statment that he likes to have new leading ladies because each one to whom he makes love brings out something new in him.
 Maurice May Change His Mind ss Speaking of Chevalier reminds me that Jeanette Macdonald may be cast with him in "The Merry Widow" after all. As a re- suit of his statement, published l first in this column, that he did l not want her to play opposite him. l the public reaction has been SC I great in Jeanette's favor that 1 Metro c oldwyn- Mayer executives may persuade Chevalier to change his mind.
 l Alter all, she really is far better suited for her role than he Is for 1 his. In fact, there isn't a girl in 1 Hollywood who could portray the role as well as Miss Macdonald. < Tn the meantime, while waiting { for the Frenchman to return from 1 a vacation in this native land, so l Q final decision can be made, studio executives are trying to find an- other story for eJanette in case IChevalier proves stubborn. ! If, however, Producer Irving lThalberg gets a few more letters lin Jeanettes behalf, Chavalier It. ! tera1ly will be forced to admit that he maue a Hl1Stdhe' - ' He had sold all his chestnuts 10 the extras, pocketed his pro1lts' ahd gone home.
 l Worth $50, 900 to JOlson 1 Apparently Al Jolson agrees to some extent with Miss Paterson's l views, At least, he has offered to give Ruby Keeler $50.000 if she -,,tII ahopdop her screen career. Al lisn't troubled with getting too lit- ltle attention from Ruby, however; She practically worships the ground he walks on.
 But her career keeps her in Hol- .lywood a good bit of the time. And he likes to go places and see things.
 However, his offer hasn't been accepted so far and there is very little chance that it will be in the immediate future. Ruby doesn't care about money. She's having the time of her life right now, just working.
 Hack and Wiser
 "Iitting the toboggan from fame was the greatest thing that ever happened to me-" This from Betty Blythe, who once had a limousine at her disposal to carry her from her dressing room to the set and who now parks her car two blocks from the studio and walks the rest of the way.
 "I used to think that l was born
 HASTE BLOOD MONEY