The Washington times., 1936-08-04
DOWN MEMORY LANE!
with Virginia Bruce)

got an INSPIRATION.
"The telephone book never
fails" he declared. So the
three Of us went down the list
until we came to Bruce. That
is how my present name was
determined.
MY first picture was one In
which Madge Bellamy starred. A
fellow bit player of mine was none
other than Jean Harlow.
Next T played in "Blue Skies
with Helen Twelvetrees. After
the picture, some one who had
heard me sing, offered me a test
They liked it. and as result ]
received another contract, this
time with Paramount with raise
to $75 a week.
Under the new contract, my
first part was in "The Love
Parade" starring jeanette Mac
Donald. How well remember!
1 had only one line in the pic
ture. 1t was: WAS it a nice
dream, Your Majesty" and /
was to say it to jeanette Mac
Donald. Director LubitSch, who
has a definite foreign accent,
went over the line with me.
ACCENT FOOLS HER
"Say it now, please" he said.
"Just as 1 have spoken it."
The stage quieted down, and
the cameras started rolling. The
scene was progressing beautifully,
and I repeated just as LubitSch
had told me.
'yas eet a nice dream, Your
Majesty" sEr
Lubitsch's eyes bulged, and tit
ters broke out on the set.
"NO, no." he called.
Clearly as he could enounce, he
repeated patiently the line. Again,
when the scene was taken, I read
it exactly as he had said. On,
what a time I had living down
that day! Lubitsch teaSed me by
taking the scene again and again.
When I was near the weeping
noint, he relented, begged my
pardon for his misleading accent,
and asked me to please speak
English.
Shortly after this incident, l
was stricken with appendicitis.
It was during the filming Of
"WhoOpee." Needing the money,
continued with the picture un-
til it was completed. Then un-
derwent an operation. During
the interval that / was unable
to work, 1 lost my two sponsors,
Beaudine and Cohen. Knowing
it was necessary that l resume
INV career, I wrote to Jack Hark-
rider. who was responsible for
INV role in "WhOOpee." He was
a designer for Ziegfeld and was
in New York planning another
show. After weeks Of anxious
waiting, he sent a wire telling
me to come to New York as a
show girl in "Smiles."
From Smiles" I went directly
into americas Sweetheart" not
only as show girl, but as the un-
derstudy to Jean Auoert. This
show lasted six months. then the
season was over. But I departed
for Hollywood with an offer for
east Wind" that fall.
X X y
Back in Hollywood several weeks
without finding anything to do,
Nat Goldstone, an agent and man
ager, saw me as I waited in all
ante.room at Columbia Studios,
Through him was introduced to
Irving G. Thalberg and given a
screen test at Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer.
Bob Young, at that time a be-
ginner, too, took the test with me.
It was successful, and they offered
me a contract.
For months after signing with
MGM, I did little besides make
tests. Then I got roles in Sky
Brides" and "Winner Take All" )"
After these two pictures, I was
notified to make a test for "DoWn-
stairs" starring John Gilbert.
Gilbert didn't bother to appear
for the test, q fact which made me
decide to be very cool when the
picture began. 1t was a different
story, however, when the picture
went into production. Being to-
gether day after day, Jack and I
gradually came to wonderful un-
derstanding. Friendship grew into
love.
WEDS AND RETIRES
With my marriage to Jack Gil
bert I retired from the screen. But
there was no sacrifice on my part.
There were things which meant
more to me than a screen career.
Principally wanted to live. Mar
riage at the time seemed more i'm
portant than anything in the
world. And I was terribly in love.
After two years together, when
Jack and I decided it was best that
we separate, my thoughts again
swung to the career which I had