Evening star., 1935-09-30
BY E. de S. MELCHER.

v OLLYWOOD, Calf. September
30.-Book collecting out here
Is not an unknown sport
Il Il Rumor has it that when Di-
rector AL Green has an extra dime or
an extra $1,000 or so, instead OF
Haunting it with a caviar-and-catsup
festival at one Of the gilded hauf-
braus, he hies himself to musty
little bookshop and there sinks his
coin in whatever yarn may suit his
fancy. Joseph Schildkraut's Holly
wood library Is said to house thou
sands of rare volumes-and even the
walls of Dick Powell's new Taluka
Lake estate are lined with books rang
ing from Plutarch's Lives to Fannie
HurSt's latest romance.
Robert Montgomery is. however. tne
only person We have run into whose
collecting drifts into single channel.
Over a lunch of chicken soup, milk
and crackers mention was made OF
Max Beerbohm and his essays col
lected in Around the Theater." In
an instant Mr.. Montgomery jaws had
stopped working. both of his eyebrows
had risen to new and quizical heights
and with an expression of both Won
derment and excitement he had said:
"Those are my Bible"
MIR. Beerbohms essays on the thea
ter which he wrote for the London
Times are only half of it. The mere
mention of this distinguished writer's
name brings forth salvoS OF eulogleS
from a man who not only collects
Beerbohm, but has read every line OF
him as well.
For years Montgomery has been on
this secret treasure hunt, pouring MS
pennies into anxious book collectors
laps and building himself one of the
finest Beerbohm galleries, If not the
finest gallery, that this country or
any other boasts.
Not only this-when he and Mrs.
MONTGOMERY visited Italy this Sum-
mer he was invited for tea by the
Beerbohms at their villa at Rappallo.
They we're asked at 5. At 10 they
we're still there-Mr Beerbohm being
undoubtedly very well pleased to hear
that his manuscripts had found sucn
q pleasant homing place.
INSTEAD of an hours discussion
concerning my next picture
show 1t feels to be star" what l
do on vacation" what I do when
I'm not on vaction." Montgomery
spoke freely and feelngly Of a hobby
to which he has devoted probably as
much time as he has to the newly
formed Actors Screen Guild-of which
he is president-and with which one
OF Washington's favorite actors, Don
aid Woods, is also vitality concerned.
Furthermore-after browsing YER
bally among the Beerbohm higher
points. he suggested a trip to his Bev-
erley Hills homeland there, after
thunder and lightning trip in his
new English car, a car which people
look at with great admiration and on
which the Marx brothers have hung
many a MARKHAM slur-he initiated us
into library which few know about
and which good many less have
seen.
The south wall of his large living
room Is devoted to his books, and
there Chaucer finds himself next to
the Rackham edition Of Midsummer
Nights Dream" and the last Of the
many shelves is devoted exclusively to
Mr.. Beerbohm.
Mr.. Beerbohm Is handsomely bound
in red morocco-and there you may
see great portions of his original
manuscripts in his fine, legible and
also occasionally blotted handwriting
as we'll as "flrsts" of "Zuleika Dob
son" and other popular works with
which you are undoubtedly familiar.
On his living room walls may also
be seen several of his original draw
ings-one of an old critic and young
critic particularly delighting Mont
gomery'S soul.
We were doing the rounds Of further
volumes and paintings when q small
voice said: Hello, daddy"-and there
stood 2l2-year-old Miss Montgomery
in the doorway. a cunning little girl
with blue ribbon in her yellow hair,
hugging q Vllainous looking pig doll,