The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-29
FORMER 'RUBE'
NOW AT TOP IN
MOVIE WORLD
Daryl ZanuCk, Nebraska
Farm Boy, Makes Good
in a Big Way.
BY DAN THOMAS
MA Service STAFF Writer

HOLLYWOOD. July 29.-Holly-
wood today looks up in admiration
at a thin, wiry man Of 30. whose *
pensive brow is about the most
striking feature that appears above
his desk.
And in beholding Daryl Francis
Zanuck. genius of modern movies.
Hollywood wonders how it eve
overlooked the simple. m~atter-of-
fact ideas that he introduced to the
film world and that helped raise
him TO success.
What irks many is that here is a
"rube" from WahOO. Neb., who had
no more than A grammar school
education, yet who now is the big
geSt mar in the motion picture IN
dustry-vice president in charge Of
all production Of the new Twentieth
Century-Fox Film Corp. and owner
Of approximately 20 per cent of
this gigantic company.
Possesses Daring Initiative
But what Zanuck lacks in edu-
cation, he more than makes up in
uncanny genius and daring initia-
tive. a rare combination that has
brought millions into the Golfers of
his companies.
It was Zanuck's realization of the
timely need for a change that
brought the historical biographical
picture of the George Arliss type.
Crashing the industry without a
single friend or relative TO help
him. Zanuck. by his own ability,
has risen to the top in II years. On
his shoulders now rests the re-
s%pOnsibility Of spending annually
about $40, 900 900 in the production
of so feature pictures.
Made Good as Scenario Writer
Zanuck went through only eight
grades, but he was a prolific writer.
He started selling stories to the
cheaper magazines. and finally be-
gan to crash the movies with them.
He was going good as a scenario
writer. when the craze fer big names.
set in. and Daryl found himself
out in the cold.
That was y years ago. He crashed
the movies again with a novel"
consisting Of a couple of rejected
scenarios. a short story and a long
testimonial ad he had written for
a hair tonic manufacturer. That
book proved to him that the neon
ventional. the daring and the I'M
expected was the best route to sue
cess.
1t gave him a cockineSs and a
clustering Impotence with others
that almost cost him his career.
He began to regard himself as a
monument of infallibility. But 500
he saw the light. realized that his
wasn't the only brain in Hollywood,
and opened his Sanctum to other
peoples opinions.
Now his subordinate executives,
directors and writer's have more
freedom than any others in the in
dustry. But he never let's himself
be swerved from a Jul once he
feels that he is right.
The same battling instinct. how
ever. vaunts itself on behalf of the
%underdog. Two years ago. while
earning $4,000 a week for Warner
Brothers. he tore up his contract
without flicking an eyelaSh. when
the Warmers failed to carry out a
promise they had made to him, of
restoring a so per cent pay cut to
their employees.
Formed Twentieth Century
That started him on his O%rganiZa-
ton of Twentieth Century Films.
with the aid of Joseph M. Schenck.
Perhaps his outside interests have
had much to do with this change
in Zanuck'S bearing. Married IL
years ago to Virginia Fox. then a
screen actress. he now has three
children: Darrylin. 4; Marie. 2. and
Richard, 1.
Once a year he takes a two
months vacation and goes big
game hunting. sometimes with his
wife. At other times he gets MS
only fun out of polo. which he plays
several times a week.