Evening star., 1935-04-03

Only yesterday, for instance, local
cinema fan brought this departments
attention to a statement in a Holly
wood movie journal which said:
When these film company heads
meet one day during the week, it is
likely that compromise move will
be effected for the new Hollywood
to be located somewhere in the Caro-
linas, far enough south to assure a
year-'round comfortable climate and
far enough north to be overnight on
a train from the financial, distribu-
tion and producing center-New
York-and overnight from the head
quarters of our national legislators
Washington, D. c."
Gosh" said our breathless in
formant, do you really think that
Hollywood will soon be only a few
hours from Washington"
We mumbled our doubts and then
fell to thinking
No, it isn't right for Hollywood to
move out of Hollywood. There should
be law passed against such a thing
Immediately. Nanny singing in Hol-
lywood just wouldn't do. Jean Har-
low in Southern Pines? Where would
you put Constance Benefits superb
California garden? Or would she
take it with her? How would Alice
Whites handsome Italian furniture
look on a plantation? Can you pic
ture Greta Garbo picking cotton?
HOLLYWOOD in the Carolinas!
and all of Charleston's spacious
lawns glittering with Kleig lights,
Clark Gables and the four Marx
brothers Hollywood in the Carolinas
and Sam Goldwyn at a revival meet
ing. Hollywood in the Carolinas and
Mae West riding to the hounds at
Aiken-and Bing Crosby running
round the corner to be made another
Kentucky colonel. Hollywood in the
Carolinas and Lionel Barrymore mov-
ing into a duplicate of the Carolina"
house they built out on the Fox lot!
Shirley Temple surrounded by honest
to-goodneSs mammies. Joan Crawford
giving up King Georges English for
broadside of ''you-al alls"-Dick Powell
doing his setting-up exercises with
spirituals-Busby Berkeley trying to
figure out a giant dance sequence on
piece OF cotton-Marian Davies
moving her Malibu Beach cottage
into the State. thus forcing the State
to annex another. State-mint julips
on every stars dressing roOm-pic-
lures Of Gen. Lee taking the place of
pictures of Mr.. Metro. Goldwyn and
NEor ho LOT su-or
the World War on every breakfast
tray-Montgomery changing his name
to Pinckney-Claudette Colbert prov
ing that she really came from the
Southland Katharine Hepburn learn
ing how she really should have played
'Spitfire."
THERE'S another angle, too. With
Hollywood only just around the
corner, there is danger that some Of
our local celebrities will hop off to
these Hollywood Carolinas and take
that leap they've been threatening for
years.
You've heard. Of course. that the
manager of Keith'S, Hardie Meakin,
has been thinking of being q movie
hero for many a moon, and but for
the entreaties of Mrs. Meakin might
long since have been hanging up his
hat next to Irene Dunn's Hardie has
always said that he doesn't exactly
care what sort of role he plays. But,
since he has a brother who emotes
comfortably in Hollywood, the family
theatric failing is strong.
Therefore. Hardie might go. And
then again. Carter Barron, the Caro-
lima bells Ginning not so far from At
lanta, and hearing the call of a foot
ball guy for aonther 'Huddle," might
easily desert Mr.. Loew's Fox, Palace
and Columbia, and succumb to the
ereasepaint urge which his many
cinema boosters have told him is real
ly latent in him.
And if MesSrs. Meakin and Barron
give way to their acting itch, why,
then one of the best darn performers
of them all, Col. Angelo Ratio of the
Palace, could cut himself nice slice
of cake any day, teaching Miss West
how to make ravages on spaghetti and
macaroni.
Others who would unquestionably
be tempted would include Julian Bry-
lawski, whose facility at speech
making has long since made him a
bull's-eye victim for the cinema;
Steve Cochran, whose National Play