The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1936-12-23
FILM COMEDIANS, VILLAINS ARE A SENTIMENTAL
LOT, THEIR CHRISTMAS CARDS REVEAL
Even Grisly KarlOff
Goes Soft, With
Santa Greeting
BY PAUL HARRISON
YEA Service stan CORRESPONDENT

04 EAOA kMhNNA6VN
NEA Service Staff Correspondent
Hollywood Holly and tinsel
notes: All comedians seem to be
sentimentalists at heart. Holiday
greetings sent out by Patsy Kelly,
the Marxes, Joe e. Brown. the
Brothers Ritz, Martha Raye, Helen
Broderick, and most Of the others
are as conservative and proper as
the one you get from your Aunt
Minnie.
Hugh Herbert also has mailed
dignifieu cards, but to q few friends
he Is sending copies Of his men,
bership certificate in the Liars
Club OF America, and on the bot
tom he has penned, Hoping you
are the same"
Charles Butterworth dispatched
greetings written in invisible ink.
He figures people will throw them
into the fireplace, anyway, and
then the messages will be made
legible by the heat.
Williams are sentimentalists, too.
Even Boris Karloff, heebie- jeebie
specialist. has mailed cards bear
ing the likeness of a beatific Mr..
Claus, together with a heart
warming Christmas benediction.
Gag presents are all right In
their place, but the seasons salu-
tations are tremendously exchang-
ed in Hollywood.
Mae West is the exception; her
cards usually are tops for indie
corous epigrams. On the other
hand, she probably gives a larger
number Of expensive presents than
anybody else In the colony. On her
shopping list this year were six
sapphire rings-but I can't tell you
who gets them.
On the Record
Some of the stars, Elizabeth AL
Ian among them cut the wood and
linoleum blocks from which their
cards were printed.
Jane Wyatt shopped for days
picking out verses for different
friends.
The most original greetings have
been sent by Gladys Swarthout and
Frank Chapman. They're phono-
graph records, with q picture of
the couple in the center. Play a
record and you hear them wishing
you Merry Christmas and sing
ing carol.
Freddie Bartholomew has had
raise In his nickel-a-day allow
'ance since Dec. /, but he's doing
all his shopping in the dime stores.
Shirley Temple will distribute
what she hopes to receive -, a lot
Of boxes Of candy.
Gives EN- Time
Nelson Eddy has wrapped up
something like gross Of electric
clocks.
Enrol Flynn is sending cans of
very choice worms to his fisherman
friends.
From Frank McHugh will come
boxes OF special cigars. The bands
read, eel Flor del Ntzhugh,"
The stars do not, as a rule, ex-
change costly gifts. This Is a sort
Of truce which has endured since
the prodigal days when their CIV
ing was more competitive than
sincere. But they still send sub
stantial remembrances to produc-
ers, agents. and others from whom
they expect favors in the year TO
come. Such presents may range
in value from 500 TO several
thousands,
Jewelry statesmen have been
cluttering the sound stages lately.
picking up late orders. saw a
star looking at a fine watch which
she was considering for her IA
vorite cameraman.
She told the salesman TO stroll
over and show him the watch,
casually, to see how he liked 1t.
The poor fellow got an awful
bawling-out from the cameraman.
who refused even to glance at his
wares. But the actress bought the
watch, anyway, and for good mea-
sure a tasty little diamond pend
ant for her hairdresser.
Christmas Ribblng
All Hollywood Is wondering
what John Miljohn and w. s. Van
Dy' will exchange this Christmas.
They've been ribbing each other
for years-first Van Dyke sent an
ancient car: then Miljohn sent a
rattletrap bus; Van Dyke delivered
a truckload Of some 80 dogs: and
the next year Miljohn returned 300
pounds Of wieners. hear that Van
Dyke now has bought an asthmatic
fire truck and will deliver 1t on his
pals lawn wrapped in cellophane.
Also, there's speculation about
what Carole Lombard will do to
the patient Mr.. Gable. He has
spent a ticy fortune on the $40
fiivver she sent HIM as q Valen-
tine last spring. Only recently he
further glorified 1t with pair of
huge chromium plated headlights.
Oh, yes-Jean Muir Is knitting
a pair Of pants for q dog. She
won't say whose dog, because she
wants them to be a surprise. To the
Dig ANYWAY.