The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-29
(BY GES DEED

Today friends, we present neighbor who is three thousand miles away. She hasn't been in Waterbury since year ago last February and yet we see her and hear her voice at frequent inter- vals. You have probably guessed that we're about to pre- sent a word picture of Rcsalind Russell. We needn't tell you that she is in the middle of a meteoric rise as 8 star in Holly wood. Your biographer had the pleasure of visiting this famous young woman's mother, Mrs. James E. Russell of 54 Gaffney place. On meeting her, one is irn- Inediately struck by the strong resemblance between RoSalind and her mother. As a matter of fact, 1t has been said that when some of Mrs. Russell's friends first saw Rosalind on the screen 1t brought back fond memories of Mrs. Russell in her younger days.
 The movie star calls herself "The Filling in the Sandwich" be- cause she is the fourth of seven children. i. There were three before her and three after her, she fills in between.
 Her early schooling was at Notre Dame academy and from there she went to Marymount Col- lege in Tarrytown. She didn't finish at Marymount because, as she told her family, she wouldn't know what to do with an A. B. degree when she got 1t. She. had always been interested in the the- ater and in order to prepare her. self for a career on the stage she enrolled in the school of Dramatic Art in New York. At the closing of her two year course, she was chosen to act in the final play giv- en by the students. She had the lead role and so polished was her performance that she was of- fered position in the theater on the day of her graduation. For reasons of her own which may be- come apparent as this biography unfolds, she turned down this of- fer. She had worked quite hard in school and she went to Ber- muda with her family for 8 short vacation. Upon her return she ac- cepted her first professional en- gagement.
 In the summer of 1928 she be- came a member of the stock com- pany which was giving tent shows at Saranac Lake. Perhaps her audiences there were more ape preciative and more attentive than any to whom she has ever played. For the most part they were made up of the unfortunates who were being treated at the sanitorium in the little town In New York state.
 Theatrical people agree that stock companies offer the very best of experience not only De- cause of the variety of roles to which an actress must adapt her. self but also because she must be able to learn her parts quickly, thus developing her ability to step into any part on short notice: The group with which Rosalind Russell was playing produced two plays a week. You can imagine the ditiiculty she had in acting in one role for three days a week and at the same time studying for another.
 Upon completing her engage men with the tent show, she went to Boston to work in stock with an all English cast. Originally she was contracted for only SIX weeks but her engagement lasted tFirty-six weeks. She played stock Q great deal, moving from saranac to Boston to Redbank and Buffalo. .. She believes that the few years she spent in this branch of the theater offered her invaluable experience. She played on Broadway for one sea. son with the Garrick Gaieties ana then went on the road with the same show. Upon her return to Broadway she was csat in the lead of "The Second Man." playing opposite Bert Lytell who is per- iaps best known to most of us as a star of the silent movies.
 It was while she was perform ing in this vehicle that movie scouts from Hollywood were im- pressed by her talent and offered her a screen test. Of course her test was successful and after short stay on the coast she was signed by Metro GOldwyn Mayer.
 It isn't necessary for your biog- rapher to tell you of her rise to- ward the top in the movies. Shes been in several different pictures which we've all seen here, ana each film cast her in a different type part. It is this ability to portray a variety of characters which makes her SO valuable 70 the motion picture producers.
 Her mother believes that she has a long way to SO before she reaches the peak of her ability. Mrs Rlszell has ree1' Ser naugn' tny in ever'5.sng she's ever done