Imperial Valley press., 1936-11-25

StrollS Thru Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 25. UP)-
Chubby j. Edward Bromberg, im
ported New York stage actor, Is
changing his monicker to Death
Valley Eddie" after being lost IL
hours in the grim California
desert
Bromberg set out to explore Death
Valley in rickety, rented auto
mobile from Furnace Greek Inn,
where he had gone on location
with a film company shooting
Death in Paradise Canyon"
The actor said he was charmed
with desert scenery, for until he
came here a year ago he thought
the great open spaces" meant
Central Park, and that Boston and
Philadelphia were the last frontiers
Some 30 miles from Furnace
Greek Bromberg turned from the
highway into the desert, following
faint trail which seemed to lead
toward a distant rock formation
he wanted to examine.
Presently the trail disappeared,
and while circling to find it, clutch
mechanism of the car gave out.
Bromberg then found himself COM
pletely confused as to the direction
in which the highway lay.
1t was early morning when he
started hiking, and dusk when he
finally reached the road and flag
ged down passing car with his
shirt. Filmsters were organizing
search parties when Bromberg
reached the inn.
After disposing of a gallon of
water and several pounds of steak,
the actor was strong enough to
write 10-page letter to his wife
describing the perils of pioneering.
Two weeks after goaling critics
with her performance in winter
set," Margo, single-named Mexican
turned actress, is out of a film job
and headed back to New York.
Why RKO-Radio passed up her
option mystifys Hollywood, although
studiomen explain in guarded terms
that mo role was available for her,
and she was anxious to return to
the stage"
You can gamble, however, that is
not the reason. Same officials re-
Gently announced that Margo would
team with Fred Astaire in a dance
special this winter-to have been
the first Astaire has made in years
without aid of Ginger Rogers.
In the same breath the studio
announced purchase of the P. c..
Wodehouse novel, "A Damsel in
Distress" in which Astaire will star
alone. It's to be an elaborate musi-
cal, with George and Ira GershWin
supplying tunes.
Mrs. Wallis Simpson is "Okay for
Queen" according to the book OF
Peter Willis, 23-year-old English
actor who claims descent from Sin
Frances Drake. Willis said he re
Gently attended a dinner given ir
London by Mrs. Beatrice Cart
wright, at which Mrs. Simpson anc
King Edward VIII were present.
90
Two game cocks threw a Para
mount stage into near panic ano
Carole Lombard into near Mysteries
until intrepid firemen parted them
with extinguisher fluid. Fred Mac
Murray held one and Lombard the
other for a Cuban scene in Swing
High, Swing Low" but the birds
wrenched loose and had at it, with
spurs and feathers flying.
Swarthy Caesar Romero is con-
vinced its bad luck to sit in the
hot seat" Jeering at superstition
Romero used a prop electric chair
on his set for between-scenes read
ing, until Walter Pigeon and stage
electricians hitched it to a small
battery and gave him the works.
Robert Taylor refused the BIRTH
day gift of an added room for his
rising house in Coldwater Canyon
offered by his agent, Nat Goldstone
Plans call for 12-room shack. The
gift room would have made 13.
90
Cutting Room Scraps: Doris
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