The Washington times., 1937-01-02
KAY FRANCIS
MAD ABOUT
FOOTWEAR
BY LYDIA CALVERT
Special to The Washington Times
E--L-AAn -

was SOIllS W oCC AAoJ oAASAS'
Armed with a score of warnings
about what to say and what not
to say, waited.
Don't talk about clothes, she
hates them"
But that was exactly what I
did want to see the best-dreSsed
woman in Hollywood about.
Don't stay too long-Kay's
funny"
Don't ask her about Delmar
Daves-She doesn't like anything
personal"
SECRETARY AT DESK
"Come this way" said a secre-
tary, opening an office door. I
walked in. A girl obviously a Sec
retary, was sitting at desk. On
the sofa sat man.
I glanced at the girl in dark
glasses and waited for her to put
down her knitting and direct me
to Miss Francis. The man rose,
shook my hand and sat down
again. The secretary continued to
knit. 1 stood waiting and sud
denly the secretary took off her
dark glasses and extended her
hand. l jumped. was shaking
the hand of Miss Kay Francis.
If the majority of interviewerS
find comedians unfunny off the
screen by the same token l found
Kay Francis unSmart that day.
The gardenia of the Hollywood
hothouses looked more like
faded Sweet-pea. Where was the
glamour, the whiteness, the still
lovely quality like water-lilieS in
moonlight that had always, for
me, distinguished her from all
other stars of the screen?
Devoid of Makeup
Here was gray looking little
person-you get no feeling OF
height when she's seated-who
was no more spell-binding than
the girl picked at random in the
business office. Her face was de-
void of makeup - no rouge, no
lipstick. The little gray sweater,
the triangle of nondescript silk
tied about the neck, the dark
glasses hid her light like buShel.
And the knitting-that completed
the illusion as her slim fingers
sped after the beige boucle.
Clothes" she eXclaimS in
reply to my question. II haven't
talked about anything else for
eight or nine years. I'm not
nearly the clothes person the
studio has built me up to be.
But think one has to dress, for
goodness sake"
1t wouldn't take a mind-reader
to know that here is subject
better stayed away from or at
least not pursued to the bitter
end. We switch to houses.
"My house? Oh, it's just a
house. I'm not one for settings.
Just a little house big enough
for me with all the convenienceS
and none of the troubles"
CONSIDERING HER PETS
She doesn't consider her pets
has one dachSchund, three rabbits,
several pigeons, two canaries and
q bull frog.
"I'd really like more dogs"
says Miss Francis, "but Vicente
that's WiIhemina my dachS-
chund, won't let me. She's
frightfully jealous"
Aside from her talents on the
screen Miss Francis has one flare
of which she is proud. She can
knit mean dog sweater.
"NO, this one isn't for a dog
its for me-" she laughs, "but
when 1 was doing "Nightin-
gale" I made a sweater for each
one of the electricians dogs.
No st. Bernard or great Danes
they were all little dogs. How?
Oh it's easy. You just take their
neck measurement and go ahead
and knit"
HATES HATS
She tells me that she hates
hats and never wears them ex-
cept in pictures and when she's
travelling. She means:
ooh, the hats this year! They
are .hOrrible-SO. unbecOming
and so hard. I'm very tall and
they all build me up six inches.
/ hate hats"
Shoes are another matter.
Though she is tall, Miss Francis
wears a size 5 C shoe and like
most people with small, graceful
feet, she's crazy about shoes.
She has "at least 80 pairs" She
said:
Last year took Sc pairs Of
them to Europe with me, but
this year I'm going to cut down
to Al. They were too much
bother"
HER FIGURE
But don't confuse her personal
collection of shoes with her
movie footgear. On a shelf in a
Warner Bros. wardrobe I had
that morning seen at least rs
boxes all marked with her name.
I had also seen her figure" with
kay Francis" written across it
in lead pencil and many the
Orry-Kelly clothes ;he'S wearing
in her next picture.
The figures are made to save
the star the initial worry Of fit
tings. I have old-fashioned Dolly
AIMS" they are made of white
stuffed muslin and conform per
feCtly to her measurements.
It's a good thing she has a