Evening star., 1936-08-10
With Melcher in Hollywood Again
Another FINLAND Coseups by The Critic
BY E. de S. MELCHER.

r OLLYWOOD, Calf, August 9.
The plate which the lady
dropped yesterday in the COM
u II misSary at M-G-M isn't the
only plate that's been dropped at
sight of Robert Taylor. Breakage Is
SAID to have been enormous ever since
this man began what is considered to
be one of Hollywoods most fantastic
careers. His rise is discussed in the
rich, velvet offices of the big fry not
In comparison with Clark Gables, but
in comparison with young man who
used to 90 by the name of Valentino.
Fifteen years ago to the dot Valentino
was playing in Camille" opposite
Nazimova. Today Bob Taylor has
the same role opposite a lady whose
usme is Garbo.
Mr.. Taylor, whose admiration for
Barbara Stanwyck is genuine and un-
bounded, drank his coffee yesterday
afternoon in some haste so he could
later have an hour with his trainer
before going home. Since 8 that
morning he had been salted away on
the Garbo set-a set which no man,
nor woman, may see (outside of the
caSt) and live. To this day, while
we knew that Miss Garbo ran in and
out of the studio like frightened ga
gelle, we hadn't realized that she plays
all of her scenes surrounded by
screens. Her fear of the human eye is
apparently uncanny. People frighten
her to death.
While with Katharine Hepburn this
dislike of interruption and people may
be pose, with Garbo it is something
that she definitely cannot overcome.
She runs like a rabbit if she thinks
any one is looking-she runs even if
nobody is looking. At this very mo-
ment if you travel out Brentwood way
you will see an amazing new 8-foot
wall being thrown up around house
that formerly was occupied by jean
ette Macdonald. That would be Gar
bo moving into her new home. Jimmie
Stewart lives next door. But says he:
VI can't see nothing!"
Taylor Is Surprised.
Nobody is more surprised at Bob
Taylor'S rocketing to fame than Bob
Taylor At the moment he is at the
top of the heap. Fort Worth and Dallas
almost had war over him-with
Dallas winning out-and when his
plane Zoomed over the former town
the crowds below were so large and
angry (because Dallas had sniped him
out of their territory that the pilot
was afraid to land-so he hustled Tay-
1or on to the other city.
AS Kay Mulvey was relating this, to
Taylor's great embarrassment, Jackie
Cooper came running up to the table,
whispered something hurriedly in Miss
Mulvey's ear and vamooSed. Miss
Mulvey smiled. She said to Taylor:
Jackie wants your autograph" Tay-
ior smiled, too. Cooper, you see, is set
down on M-G-Ms books as a star"
Taylor is still only featured
player.")
AS evidence that M-G-M, while it
knows a good thing when it sees it,
nevertheless is not peppering the
young man with undue attention, in
his dressing room. 1t is two doors
from Ted Healy'S, and one of the
smallest and most modest ones on the
lot A typical mans room it is lit
tered with pipes and letters and books
and 'Junk" lacking the
personal photos the divans, the riot
Gus color scheme which most players
demand when they get just so far.
There is a table with a mirror, a
chair, and in a smaller inside room a
great many books on which are slung
Taylor's costumes for Camille"
That's about all-other than the usual
pots of grease-paint and oil in which
leading man has, daily, to dip him
self.
At Taylor's entrance into the res
taurant on this day. to the left of the
lady whose plate had gone boom on
the floor, jabbering went up from a
group of visiting British exhibitors
Gncluding many ladies' such as you
have never heard. The room echoed
with "Oh, I say" and do you see
what see!" until Director Woody Van
Dyke, who was off in another corner
gently doing away with a steak Che
had just completed The Devil Is
sissy, couldn't help laughing aloud
at this burst of enthusiasm.
The Lady Takes a Bow.
A few minutes later when the Brit
ash brigade filed out, the first lady
of the party made sure that she
passed by Taylor. Bowing low to him
she said in her best Piccadilly brogue:
$50 glad to have met you, Mr.. Tay-
l0r" which SurnriSed hin, So +bat he