The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-25
- lH Hollywood
RY PAUL HARRTsON

NEA Service Stair Correspondent Hollywood-Well, I'm in the mo- ries now, and after my picture is released probably sfan't be able to call my soul my own.
 Not even these next few weeks will be free from the responsibilities of what seems to be my new des- tiny.
 First, I'll have to get an un- listed telephone number, whole wardrobe of sports clothes and some unusual hobby.
 Then I must practice writing au- tographs, and shall have to think up answers for interviewers who will be wanting to know what I like to eat, what qualities l most admire in American womanhood, and how I broke into pictures.
 
 Picking Flaws
 may as well tell you how I be- came a movie actor. Actually it was just whim of fate. because as long ago as my eighth year-when l lost my most essential article of costume in Sunday school canta- ta--I had abandoned all hope for a future in any of the Thespian arts.
 But it happened that some of us correspondent were standing around the set of Exclusive" a newspaper picture being filmed at Paramount. We were engaged in our favorite sport of picking flaws in Hollywoods ideas of how me- tropolitan daily's city-room should look.
 The floor was too clean, the typewriters were b0Okkeepers' ma chimes with carriages about IS inches long; the furniture was too fancy; there weren't enough telephones; the
 Just then Director Alexander Hall etolled over to us. I knew that on the previous day he had fallen from 8 horse and had suffered a slight concuSSion, and I recall now that he had a rather strange look in his eyes when he spoke:
 "You guys look something like newspapermen, and I've got to have somebody holding down these desks for scene. How'd you like to be movie actors?"
 A Good Spot
 Right away it occurred to me that ought to engage an agent and let him discuss the terms. And rhn,l1A o c1 for cnri,Nf decide whether the story and my role had sufficient dramatic quail ity. Also there was the question of whether I wanted to risk being typed as reporter: my fans might consider me an imitator of Stuart Erwin.
 But there was Director Hall, awaiting an answer. So, along with the others, I agreed.
 He assigned us to desks and I drew one in the middle of the room. It was a good spot because the scene was to be trucking shot with the camera passing by me as it followed Frances Farmer through the news room to the editors of- flee.
 For an hour they adjusted the 38 lights counted 'em) that glared down on us. I had on fancy pair of suspenders, so I took off my coat. Hall said:
 Nov, fellas;I want you just tO act naturally. as you would in your own offices, only quiet down when Miss Farmer gets to the editors secretary and the diaIog begins"
 Given so much leeway, none of us could think of anything to do but light cigarets. put paper in our typewriters and bat out Nov is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party" During sev- eral rehearsals. when Hall yelled "Action!" the cadence was so reg ular that any stenographer would have known what we were typing Determined to be different, I switched to another tempo. I wrote, 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
 Gave It Everything
 Hundreds of people spend years In the movie business and never speak a line. I thought of them with . twinge of compassion when Hall came to me and arranged for me to say something. It seemed there was an awkward spot in the action of one of the copy boys rac- ing through the office. It was nec- essary to delay him at a certain point, and the point was my desk.
 Such was the confidence of the astute director in my histrionic ta- Tents that he didn't ask me to re- hearse my speech. Of coruse it wasn't an awfully long speech. When the young man carrying a eheaf of galley proofs reached A