Evening star., 1936-07-05

hearsing."
DO you want me to let you in OF
have vocal ambitions, practice before
a mirror. That's just SO you won't
make funny faces. learned this at my
first singing lesson from Roger EdenS,
M-G.-M's coach. When I sang for
him he didn't say very much at first.
Then he brought out mirror. All I
can say is that I'm glad the mirror
wasn't motion picture camera.
You know" she went on, music
Just seems to do things to cast. I've
only been in one musical picture. but
that was more fun than all Of my other
pictures put together. Every one seems
30 gay and happy. 1t doesn't make so
very much difference whether you can
really sing or dance. You find your
self trying to keep pace with Eleanor
Powell anyway If I could be some
one else rather than myself, my choice
would be Eleanor. Imagine the thrill
Of being able to dance as she doeS!"
JAMES STEWART started his career
"on the wrong foot" in the great
est series Of f1ops known to theatrical
history"
They were, however, artistic f1ops."
Murder Man" was his first picture
and Rose Marie" the second In
wife Versus Secretary he played
Jean Harlow's boyish beau. In Small
Town Girl" he was a futile small
town suitor for the hand of Janet
Gaynor.
Stewart. tall, slender, youthful. had
no ambition to become an actor when
he attended Princeton. He was study
ing to be an architect.
But the Princeton Triangle, pre-
vailed upon him to take a small part
In its annual show.
He was sophomore then and en-
joyed the experience so that he re-
turned again next year for a bigger
part. In his senior year he was lead
ing man.
Then came graduation, the depres-
sion and jobleSSness. He looked around
him and discovered that all the men
admired most in school had some
A4O" S1dN4tdtCQ w IIlt OliCdIcI.
They were all at Prince ms famed
Falmouth Repertory Comp " at Cape
Cod.
Il needed a job," Stewart says.
They offered me one and, presto, I
became a professional actor
He remained at Falmouth for
"some of the happiest months" of his
life. Occasionally the group would
have guest stars for a week. and thus
he played there with Jane Cowl in
Camille"
The star was so pleased with the
young mans performance that she
offered him the same part with her on
Broadway, which he accepted.
Thus began the first of the fiops
Camille" was highbrow and didn't
run long. "An artistic success" the
critics wrote of it. Hard times fol-
lowed until he found a JOB as a stage
manager for Blanche Yurka's Spring
and Autumn"
This was the best stage experience
ever had" he continued. II found
I could learn more about acting as
stage manager in overalls than as an
actor. I liked the job and worked
hard"
When this show failed, early in its
run, he was back on Broadway, max
ing the diScouraging round of pro-
ducers' Offices. He went into rehear-
sal with "All Good Americans" with
Fred Heating and Hope Williams.
But it was too sophisticated, the
Jokes too inciSive." It failed.
"Yellowjacket" came next. Hailed
as one Of the most enlightened plays
of its time, it was nevertheless a fnan-
cial failure and Stewart was out of a
Job.
His next failure was a personal sue
eess-"Divided BY Three" It didn't
run long, but the role provided him
with a Characterization that inter-
ested professional Broadway.
The personal prestige he derived
from this was such that Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer made a screen test of
him on the strength of it.
The day after Divided BY Three"
closed he was tenaciously rehearsing
a role in Page Miss Glory" This too,
closed in a few weeks and he began
rehearsals in Journeys by Night"
The day this theater went dark he
received telegram from the West
Coast. Next day he was en- route to
Metro -Goldwyn-Mayer, a contract In
his pocket.
Stewards vast popularity in the
screen colony is due partly to his en-
gaging manner and partly to his col
lege-born talent for playing an ac-
Gordon.
This latter he does, on the slightest
provocation, for hours at time, re-
membering with something amounting
to a clairvoyance any popular song
and its lyrics that his rapt listeners
can request.
This skill went far in breaking the
off-scene monotony Of Rose Marie's"
long location at Lake Tahoe, Cali
fornia.
Stewart has just completed an i'm
portant role in Speed" for Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer. He then went into
one Of the leads opposite Joan Craw-
ford In the Gorgeous Hussy,' which
is aimed to assist him on his ride to
flame.
Two for Meniou.