Evening star., 1938-09-18
The Old Stars
Fall andNew
Ones Rise
Many Familiar Faces
To Be Replaced
This Year.
By Harold Hefernan.
HOLLYWOOD

HOLLY WOOD.
r rs fact that 1888 is going down
in movie annals as the year Of the
great star exodus. Producers are
L cleaning house as never before.
p One logical explanation offered is
that lot of once-important box Office
people are getting too much money.
Another is that the public is weary Of
feasting its eyes on faces that have
become too familiar.
Regardless of the real reason, stars
and featured players are slipping out
of their old orbits SO rapidly these
days that the annual fall talent plant
ing has assumed an importance seldom
approached out here There must be
requirements, many of them, and stu
dio heads are cycling potential pros
poets for stardom with an earnest
ness and hope born of desperation.
1t is estimated that 20 per cent Of
the 100 or more actors still listed on
recently slashed contract rolls of the
eight major studios of Hollywood as
top line personalities have shown such
definite signs Of box-offce palsy that
they must be dropped when options
come up next time.
Fortunately, the potential crop Of
stars appears much better than in pre-
vious years. Each leading studio has
named small group of newcomers 1t
considers to have the greatest chance
for lasting success, and each in turn
has selected one individual as marked
for outstanding" progress during the
coming year. Here are the ace selec-
tions:
Metro Goldwyn- -Mayer-Hedy La
MARI.
Warner Bros.-PriScilla Lane.
Paramount-Ellen Drew.
Twentieth Century-Fox - Nancy
Kelly.
RKO-Lucille Ball.
Universal-Dorothea Kent.
THE box Office, Of course, is the one
master key to popularity. New
players may enjoy sudden flare and
then sputter out like defective sky
rocket. Simone Simon was that way
She gave great promise in Girls Dor
mitory," but fell far short of fulfilling
it in three successive years Of effort.
Now she has gone back to France.
Other touted personalities have
slipped of contract lists in surprising
numbers this year. Victor McLaglen
has just been dropped by Twentieth
Century-Fox and 50 has Louise Hovick,
the former strip-teasing Gypsy Rose
Lee.
Victor Moore, Helen Broderick,
Miriam Hopkins, Milton Berle and
Jack Oakie are few of those cut of
at R-K-O In a general housecleaning.
Eddie Cantor, Kay Francis, Dick
Foran, Beverly Roberts, Dixie Dunbar,
Rochelle Hudson, Ian Hunter, Patric
Knowles, June Travis, Lily Pons,
Hugh Herbert, Leslie Howard, Gladys
Swarthout, Francis Lederer, Sylvia
Sidney, Ann Sothern and the Mauch
Twins are few who have left vari-
GUS other lots.
Let's make hurried survey of the
most promising replacement prospects
now being trottsd out by major plants.
M-G-M's all have had the test Of
fire except Miliza Korjus, who is just
completing her first American role in
"The Great Waltz" She was SEN
sation abroad. Mile. Korjus is gorgeous
to look at, has one Of the worlds love-
liest voices and can act. And q lot of
money is being spent on her debut.
In addition to Hedy Lamar, other
strong bets on this studios list in
clude Judy Garland, Gene Reynolds
and Dennis O'Keefe.
Warner Bros. have many likely
bets, too, in Priscilla Lane, Jeffrey
Lynn, John Garfield, John Payne,
Gale Page and Ann Sheridan. Pris-
ella has done virtually everything
asked Of her 50 far and looks to be
"in." Garfield, late Of Broadway,
where he was known as Jules, did such
an excellent job in -Four Daughters"
that he had the Warner Bros. doing
nip-ups on the projection room cham
deliers. Lynn also collected q hatful
(see HEFFERNAN, Page F-2.)