The Washington times., 1935-07-09
| mitators Of
Stars Have
Hard Road
BY DAVE KEENE

Dietrich, one Mae West, and one
Will Rogers.
Anyone who tries to steal their
stuff is signing his own profes-
sional death warrant and there is
a galaxy of horrible examples to
prove the point, to prove that the
theater-going public deeply resents
all imitatorS and substitutes.
The gallery of object lessons be-
gan it's collection many years ago,
following the death Of Rudolph
Valentino, matinee idol of his time.
Some 30 would-be successors,
backed by fanfareS Of publicity,
failed utterly, some after brief
flashes of fame. Most of them
may yet be found in the ranks of
extra players.
Major producers, in spite of the
Valentino fiascoS, really learned
about the public from Carlo.
During the years when her name
meant floods of boxoffice millions
throughout the country, rival pro
ducers spent many young fortune
upon the importation of new
talent from overseas, heralding
each and every newcomer as Gar
bo'S successor.
limitations Fail
Thus branded, not one made
good. Incidentally, the public it.
self, strangely unaware Of it's own
peculiar antipathy, contributed to
the Carlo hopefulS by encourag-
ing many young girls to try for
the movies because they CHANGED
to resemble the glamorous star.
Carlo doubles invaded Holly
wood by the droves, each one bear
ing a remarkable resemblance,
augmented by the Carlo couture
and the Carlo mannerisnS, as
siduously practiced en- route.
Twenty of these unfortunate
girls are now listed as humble ex-
ira players at the Paramount
casting office, which is something
of a tragedy, because they are
beautiful, talented, and capable of
greater things we're it not for
their physical handicap.
Hollywood's This Way Out"
road, dusty with the retreating
footsteps of failures, is also clut-
tered with Dietrich types who
came, who saw, and who tried to
conquer in the Dietrich manner.
MarIene Copies
Some had legs as shapely as the
celebrated Dietrich's, others were
just as beautiful, and some we're
extremely talented, but they all
did nose dives into oblivion.
Of the currently reigning film
favorites, Mae West is the only
one who can claim successful imi.
tators, but theSe-and there are
hundreds of them-will never
reach the screen. They baSk in her
reflected glory on the air and on
the legitimate stage, and are &C.
ceptable and applauded because
their stuff is admittedly imitation.
There are few exceptions to the
rule, one of the most notable be-
ing George Raft. After his first
successful production, he was
hailed by critics as THE New
Valentino" as an answer to femi-
nine prayers.
Raft, being an astute young
gentleman, despite his apprecia.
ton of ball games and prize.
fights, got together with Para.
mount officials and Grabbed like
any hard-Shelled Sidewinder.
Together they eventually sue
ceeded in OUTLYING this talk. Rats
final vault to stardom came only
after his Valentino resemblance
had been forgotten. For years he
avoided doing anything
on the screen that might have be-
come even family reminiscent of
the famous silent-day charmer.
Today. in full recognition of the
public reaction to substitutes. all
major producers have definitely
given up trying to cut in on the
profits OF rivals by producing a
star of similar type.
Screen newcomers must have
personalities distinctly new, such
as that of Frances Langford, for.
mer radio star; Gladys Swarthout,
lured from grand opera to appear
in Paramount's classic, so Red
the Rose; Marsha Hunt, 17-year-
old New York girl just signed by
Paramount for personality alone,
as she has never ap-
peared on the professional stage,
and that rhythm marvel from
Oklahoma, Pinkie Tomlin, who
bounced into Hollywood with an
old car, a shirt or two, and a
song, to gain overnight fame.