Evening star., 1935-06-26
RY MOLLIE MERRICK.

T OLLYWOOD, June 25.-When
IL modern painters are listed,
the list of Modiglianis, the
Il Il Picassos and the Grant
Woods will not be further embellished
with the name Peggy Fears. Yet, in
the opinion of Estelle Taylor Dempsey,
Peggy Fears is one of the most active
painters of modern time, If not one
of the most artistic.
The fact that Peggy was a painter
came out after the story was printed
that the Basil Rathbones were being
sued for unpaid rent by Peggy Fears.
The rent story wasn't true, for the
Rathbones had deposited their rent
checks with lawyer pending some
adjustments on cleaning of the Fears
Dempsey house.
The hitch in the arrangement oc-
Cured when Estelle Taylor Dempsey
arrived in Hollywood and found that
the Rathbones, not Peggy Fears, were
occupying her house. Her anger at
hearing that Peggy Fears had sub-let
her home was nothing compared to
her surprise and horror at discovering
that Peggy Fears had painted all her
antique furniture white.
There's a terrible fuss all around,
but when the smoke blows away the
Rathbones tell me they will hold
lease from Estelle Taylor Dempsey,
that the financial difficulties with
Peggy Fears about cleaning the SWIM
ming pool and the house and other
conventional landlord troubles will
have been settled amicably, and that
they will remain in the lovely Los
Feliz Hills estate.
Stories about Hollywood diets bring
in the largest amount of fan mail,
both to studios and to columnists.
In other cities. stories about dogs
and food generally ring the bell for
results.
I took young friend of mine
from Manhattan-Elizabeth Wheeler
through the studios the other day.
We saw artificial moonlight made
with an incense machine, artificial
fog made with an apparatus which
sprays oil on ice, an artificial garden
being planted with hundreds of cut
flowers thrust into prepared earth.
An artificial lawn spread away be-
meath artificial trees.
We went on Oman set and
hard-boiled gangster was about to
make terror scene, so they put some
artificial perspiration on his forehead.
When we came out I said, IF it's
nice tomorrow we we might go to
the beach," "Oh, they'll probably
turn on some artificial sunlight" said
my young friend.
Hollywood exquisites have taken to
blue for Summer pale blue hand
tailored suits cornfower blue
tie :. cornfiower in buttonhole :.
deep blue Isle socks and deep blue
suede shoes Claudette Colbert
was mobbed by fans when she at
tended recent preview. The ever
attentive DR.. Pressman came in for
his share of curiosity, too. Flesh
colored chiffon is the rage for evening
wear in Hollywood these days. At
a recent dinner party both Marlene
Dietrich and Gloria Swanson had
frocks in this shade and both we're
very stunning.
Princess Paley and the Countess de
Maigret are strikingly similar in type.
Hermes Pan, dance director at r. K.
O.-Radio, is the son of late Ambas-
sador from Greece, hence his pagan
name. This interesting young man
learned to dance as a child from the
Negro sevants his family employed,
and to this day, when he wants new
inspirations and ideas, he takes a trip
through the country part of the South
and watches the Negros dance.
Joan Crawford will 20 musical in
her next film, Elegance" which, by
the way, will be directed by Bob
Leonard, who piloted Joan to sue
cess in Dancing Ladies" anc such
early films. And while we're speak
ing of Joan, did you know she never
travelled by plane?
Clark Gable is radio fan, as you
know, but 1t may be news to hear that
his favorite broadcast Is the police re-
port And why not" says Gable,
Isn't truth always more interesting
than fiction?" The best murder"
mystery player In Hollywood is Lionel
Atwill, who assumes the part of each
person involved in murder and is
knockout in Filipino servant roles.
Murder" Is still one of the most
popular games In the colony. Games