The Washington times., 1936-08-11
ACTOR NEVER
STUMBLED
SHE SAYS
Crowd In Courtroom
Roars DeIiriousIy
Over Recital
CONTINUED from Page y

Inc crowd which filled the
courtroom and overlooked into the
hallway, guffawed repeatedly dur
ing the examination, but never
more deliriously than when Bar
rymoreS name was mentioned.
Anderson was trying to force
Miss Aston to admit she knew Bar
rymore rather we'll and further
more that she had done a fair
amount Of drinking with him at
her home, following the divorce,
in the presence of little Marilyn
Thrope. The actress testified:
Mr.. Barrymore came to see
me the day he returned from
that rather famous tranS-cOnti-
mental trip. (BarrymOre'S flight
to California from Elaine Bar
rie, his prOtege, who pursued
HIM, I think it was in Septem-
Der, 1885.
"He talked over his troubles.
think he called on me two
times and was not drunk on
either occasion. And he did
not fall over Marilyn."
Anderson had the idea Barry
more had tripped over the child
on one of the visits after
round Of drinks, but this sugges-
tion was repudiated Indignantly
by the actress.
Repeated Objections
Repeated objections bv Attor-
ney Roland Rich Woolley, Miss
AStor'S lawyer, left unanswered
many questions about details of
her friendship with Kaufman
and other men. One question to
which no reply was permitted
was:
"What did you mean by tell
ing your husband before the
divorce that he knew of your
affair with Kaufman and had
cOndOned it,"
The witness Indignantly denied
liquor had ever been served to
her and George Oppenheimer in
the bedroom Of her Beverly Hills
home. Anderson asked:
''Was he ever in the bed
rOOm?"
Possibly 1 showed him
through the house."
"HOw many times did he
visit yOu?"
POSSIBLY once a week"
ibid he stay all night?"
''Never."
"Did you know Count Al
fredO Carpegna?"
Eyes, very well"
"Were drinks served to you
and the count in your bed
roOm?"
''Never. Possibly in the living
ROOM"
"How far was MariIyn's
room from your bedr0Om?"
"Hers adjOined mine."
"Did you ever keep men viSi-
tors in your BEDROOM"
"Never."
TO CALL SERVANTS
Anderson'S questions were un-
derstood to be preliminary to the
calling of former servants at Miss
Astor'S home to the witness stand.
The actress also fatty denied
the implications of a series of
questions designed to show she al
lowed DR.. Thorpe to obtain an un-
contested divorce and custody of
the child because she expected to
be given a place in one Of Kauf-
mans plays on the legitimate
stage.
Didn't you say before the
divorce that you hated Holly
wood and wanted to get away
from it,"
81 don't remember"
didn't you expect to get a
chance in play written by
Kaufman"
81 don't remember"
"WaSnt the play known as
'Merrily We Roll AlOng'?"
"We never discussed it."
Remember DIR. Thorpe tell.
ing you before the divorce I
love you, Mary, and don't want
q divOrce'?"
81 don't remember"
Miss Aston insisted she last saw
kaufman at dinner party given
by Mr.. and Mrs. Ernst Lubitsch.
Lubitsch is the noted film director.
Denies Heavy Drinking
She denied drinking one-fifth
of a gallon of Scotch any day
much less as regular thing, as
implied by Anderson's barrage of
questions.
Bennett Cert, Miss AStor admit
ted, was her squire on many gay
rounds of theaters, cafes and foot
ball games in New York last win
ter.
At the same time she testified
she was a member of a Christ
mas party" that went to Havana
during the holidays, a member of
which was SilVerberg. Asked if
she had travelled with Silverberg,
she replied:
81 did not. had my own
hotel room. There were several
other persons on the party"
Upon the conclusion of the
cross-examination of Miss Aston
two or three other witnesses will
be called by Woolley to subStan-
tiate her contention DR.. Thorpe is
an unfit guardian for Marilyn.
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