The Washington times., 1938-08-18


Group Theatre and the movies.
uraliy, Joan Crawford, owing eI
understand his attachment to
the theater. 1t was that con-
flict that originated the fric-
tiOn. Extended over a three
year span, the accumulated
friction exploded recently.
WHO UTTERED the first
provocative word? AS easy to
chart the way of ship in the
sea. 1t may have been the
noise he made brushing his
teeth in the bathroom, or per
haps she left a jar Of cold cream
uncovered. On such trifles was
Reno constructed. Perhaps it
was a misunderstanding based
on liquor. Franchot likes
vodka; Joan doesn't drink. She
had a rather frightening ex-
ample of what liquor can do,
in her own immediate family.
So she never drinks, and doesn't
like people who do drink. She's
never had any sympathy for
those who claim that they in
herited taste for liquor. She
points out that on that theory,
she would be a drunkard in
stead of teetotaler.
WILL THEY patch up the
misunderstanding? It all de-
pends. FranchOt is going to
New York to rejOin the Group
Theater. If it is as bright and
brilliant and heart-warming as
he believes, In his mind, it Will
solve all of his problems. If he
finds he has exaggerated it in
his inlaginings, / think that he'll
come back here and live hap
PLY ever after with Joan Craw-
ford, and transfer all Of his
enthusiasms to pictures. As it'
Is now. he's torn between two
poles. Until he determines to
his own satisfaction which is
which, he'll have NO peace OF
mind or heart. / think he'll
return to the movies and live
happily ever after. I hope so.
He's a nice boy, a little mixed up.
X X Il
I THOUGHT Of all these
things when I saw Joan Craw-
for on stage 10, at M-G-M yester-
day but didn't talk to her about
them. A black evening dress,
cut low in back, revealed her
shapely and tanned shoulders
and back. A chap at piano on
the deserted stage was banging
out a rhythm and Joan was re-
hearsing a ballroom dance with
dark, wiry Tony De Marco, who'll
dance with her in The Shining
Hour" her next picture. They
faced full-length mirrors, which
reflected every movement so
that they could learn more rap
idly.
TO THE LEFT of the piano
were two canvaS-backed chairs,
one of blue canvas, one in white.
Each had Joan Crawford"
printed on the canvas back.
Solemnly sitting on the blue
chair was a tan dachShund who
persisted in hopping down to
the dance floor and following
his mistress as she whirled and
pivOted. "He chewed through
his LEASH" explained Joan.
"He's FranchOt's dog" There
was no connection between the
thoughts.
SHE TALKED about the news
paper panning she received the
night of the Marie Antoinette"
premiere, when she arrived late
at the Carthay Circle Theater,
offending friends of Norma
shearer. GAS matter Of fact,
we were held up 30 minutes in
the traffic in front Of the the
ater. I stayed one hour and 40
minutes at the 1rocaoero party,
for Norma, later, and finally
left because ! had to get up at
6 a. m. I didn't go on the radio
broadcast because they said I'd
have to read a speech from the
typewriter card. I wanted to
say something nice about Norma
and refused to- read something
that somebody else had scrib-
bled."
X y
The piano started tinkling
again. De Marco hoped up
and in front of the long mirrors
and started doing a time.step,
with triples. Joan started hop
ping the buck with him. II used
to get $35 q week from the Shu-
bertS for doing this at the
Winter Garden" she said. Look
at you now" painted De Marco,
In motion. yeah, look at me"
she answered and collapsed in
one Of the canvas chairs, gone
In the wind.