Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-01-20

York
FT. BY. :,
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New York, Jan 20 am no ardent
fan of child actresses. When you
have seen one vie starring a child
prodigy you feel you have seen them
all; however cute or cunning or tai
ented as mimic the little darling
may be, there is a sameness about
the emotion she communicates. One
spoonful of syrup, taken straight, can
last you a long time.
Yet this tot, Jane Withers, is diff
ferent.
For one thing, she zoomed to top
flight box-office rating not as an ex-
ponent of the perfectly adorable. the
winsome little sugar-lump. Jane was
holy terror in several of her roles;
in others she was a mischievous,
tongue-poking sprite, female Huck-
leberry Finn rather than a Little Lord
Fauntelroy with skirts like so many
of her sisters in Celluloid.
But James pictures are not what
interests me most. To be perfectly
frank. probably wouldn't sit through
che of them on a bet But I could
sit long time talking to this amaz-
ing child in the flesh and her almost
equally amazing mother. 1 did.
To begin WITH at the age of ten,
Jane ha; put behind her a sort of
capsule career, full enough of priva-
ton, disappointments, hard work and
; diversified ups-and-downs to give a
i mature actress pause. At the age of
3, in Atlanta, Georgia. she was hailed
as child prodigy of the benefits
and radio
But when her mother took her to
Hollywood the lack of enthusiasm on
the part of the studios was arctic.
Mrs. Withers was not d9unted and
i neither was Jane, even though it was
disillusioning to get no more response
| to the gilt-edged letters Of introduce
ton they had from Atlanta newspap-
er, radio and political powers. For
eight months Jane and her mother
made the rounds of the casting bur-
eauc-without seeing the inside of 2
studio.
Meanwhile Jane acquired a ST. Ber-
nard dog and gave performances at
chlldren's matinees in neighborhood
theatres During the Olympic Games
she did two-a-day at the Hollywood
Athletic Club. She danced and sang
| and mimicked for Old Soldiers
Homes, for sanitariums, for womens'
clubs, in community theatres, at news
boys Christmas parties, for the Girl
Scout Leaders Association the Ma
tional Women's Relief Association, the
Sunday Breakfast Club, in hotels and
every conceivable place whsre she
| might be seen by someone in the
movie oligarchy.
She got a bit part, finally in pic
ture with Ruth Chatterton. Then
nothing. Louis Lewyn saw her do a
benefit and wrote an act for her and
Jackie Searle in Hollywood on Pa
| rade." Then half a dozen bit parts in
big pictures. Silence from the stu
dioz-no. jobs for months.
Back to radio and a good berth
there-but Mrs. Withers' daughter
had her eye on films. She took a
vaudeville tour, went to Mexico, came
back to Hollywood. At last lightning
struck. She got a fat part with Shir-
ley Temple-and went to town in it.
In a year she was famous-and ten
years old!
Her mother thinks, talks, breathes
and I have no doubt sleeps "Janeys
career" Mrs. Wfthers is soft-spok-
en-, handsome young woman with the
music of the South in her speech.
Jane is humorous, active, popping
with interest in everything from her
collections of scissors, knives and dag
gers to the view from the top of The
Empire State Building.