Evening star., 1938-09-12

ousn movie protector, Wnlcn Is the
even more. furiously studying the
script.
"Ah. that's It," reflected Mr.. Mont
gomery, ''he always knows exactly
what he is going to do in advance.
Think, think, think-that's the Van
Dyke way"
But the Van Dyke way was not
that. Inside the script, like q thriller
in 'schoolboys geography, Mr.. Mont
gomery later discovered the director
had concealed military tactical ex-
animation which he was studying for
one of his periodic tests as a major in
the Marine Reserve.
OTHER things one learns from Mr..
Morris about Hollywood PERSONAL
tiles is Jean Harlow, who is remembered
still as one of its most beloved cinema
citizens, that Nelson Eddy is a pretty
good amateur magician, that Tyrone
Power is a young actor prof1ting by
his early stage experience, that Rob-
ert Taylor is one of the hardest work
ing and most sincere youngsters in
pictures, that Billie Burke can look
more like an ingenue today than a
great many film ingenues and that
Mr.. Morris would have liked to play
the stages in Mice and Men" That's
the play which won the critics circle
prize last year, remember?
Mr.. Morris, who has two children.
a home IN Beverley Hills. which Is a
slightly pedestrian suburb these days
and who also has q lathe, is not
nearly so tough as his script writer's
have pictured him. Fact is he is not
tough at all. Even his sharpest OBJ
servations about people and things,
some of which are pretty pungently
worded, are accompanied by smile.
He believes in the simple life. He
is not member Of the Trocadero set,
the Trocadero being the night club
where groups Of actors gather to snub
other groups OF actors. While the
others are doing that he probably is
home. making boxes for those magic
tricks he likes to do. The box he is
using in the magic part of his act
this week is his own handiwork. An
amateur critic OF that kind of crafts
manship would give him at least
three bells for the job.
The touch Of nature which made
every one Immediately kin in the Nor
rls dressing room was the rabbit he
uses in the act. If you are the kind
who worries about stage animals,
don't fret a bit about this one. It
looks like a baby, but it actually is a
year old. 1t is special kind of rab-
DIT, a vest-pocket type, so to speak.
1t is produced in miniature like that
so magicians won't bulge in the wrong
places just before they pull the rabbit
out OF the hat. The Morris rabbit
lives in the lap Of luxury, more of 4
pet than prop.
The rabbit and Mr.. Morris both will
go home to the Morris kids by October
Is. As . proud father, Mr.. Morris
Will be glad to see the youngsters;
as an actor he will be happy to 90
to work in a new picture, "Pacific
Liner" but If you think he's crazy to
get back to the California climate.
you're crazy. He doesn't like it.
The interview ended there.
Il EMEMBER those Chester Hale girls
whose precision dancing made
such a hit at the Capitol recently?
They are returning Maybe as a per-
manent fixture of the theater. There
has been talk before OF a permanent
ballet at the house which Just recently
brought Gene Ford back as stage show
producer. But it never had the def
nlteness OF this :. Red Shelton, top
ping the Capitol's stage bill this week,
probably will return to Hollywood soon.
There's story that he is to do a series
OF four short subjects, maybe more. for
Twentieth Century-Fox A man
identified with show business thinks
he has found a definite answer to
the question: Do taxi drivers ever
consider their customers when selecting
radio programs? The pair of them
were riding up the street last night
when the announcer let fly with the
statement that the next program would
be Orson Welles and the Mercury
Theater group in Julius Caesar"
"Humph," the driver humphed switch
ing to something that started of like
mountain music "Four's a Crowd"
will replace Army Girl" as the Metro
politan's attraction beginning tomor-
row.