The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-07
Paul Harrison iga Hollywood
BY PAUL HARRISON
fEA Service Staff Correspondent

lywood-Although she has ap- peared in only two pictures, Osa Massen, 20th-Fox's newest foreign importation, probably knowsas much about movie making as any star in Hollywood. This is because acting was only sideline with Miss ,MasSen in her native Denmark. Her chief interest was cutting and film editing, and she also knows about photography.
 Over here, though, it has been decided that the brOwn-haired, greeI;-eyed little Dane must not
 hide her "rmph" among the wheels and reels of the cutting department. From now on she's an actress; or will be as soon as she masters little more English.
 Five years ago, when she was just 19, Miss MaSsen won Surf-rldlng contest, together with the admira- tion of numerous news photograph CTS who found her very decorative subject. She knew a lot about ca meras and wanted to be a photo grapher, so as soon as she had fin ished posing she asked the head of a small picture syndicate for job. He was doubtful, but hired her, let ting her splash around in dark room for two months before sending her out on assignments.
 On that job she had to make the rounds of the small movie studios ill her home town of Copenhagen (Which she spells "KobenhavnS" and pronounces "Coobenhowan"), After two years of photographing screen players, she was asked by director how she'd like to be in the movies. Miss Massen replied that she'd like it, but not as an actress.
 Does Some Cutting Up
 So they gave her job in the cut ting room, and, after that, it was a fairly simple matter to persuade her to act. The bait they held out was a chance to cut and edit her own pictures. Miss Massen's first flicker was "Kidnaped,' the Palladium Film Company's exploitation of the Lind bergh case. Another, in which she was both star and film editor, was Behind the Scenes in Copenhagen" The remainder of her two and a half years with the studio was spent as a cutter of other pictures.
 Meanwhile, she had been spot ted by Cecile ClOvelly, foreign ta- lent scout for Paramount. Miss MaSsen made three trips to Lon don for screei; tests, but the stu diO sent word that # already had too many foreign players and couldn't use her. However, the tests were seen by Sam Engle, 20th-Fox director visiting London. He telephoned Hollywood, declared he had made terrific discovery, and asked permission to sign her. He got it.
 In London, seven months ago, Miss Massen joined public speak irlg class through the aid of a friend who filled out the applica- ton. She attended every class but did no speaking; just sat in the back row and listened. When she arrived in Hollywood the day after Christmas, her new employers dis covered that she knew lot of big words and resonant phrases, but lit tie of the language of the movies.
 Under Florence Enright, studio dramatic coach, she's learning fast. lii couple of weeks she'll take an- other screen test, for diction, and after that expects to go into pie ture.
 Loves to Eat, and Eat
 Miss Massen hasn't had any dates yet, nor has she seen the inside of a night club. There'll be plenty of time for those things, and she al- ready has decided that American men are charming.
 The actress is feet inches tall, weighs 110 pounds, and never wor- rieS about her weight. She says Danes are famous for large appe- tites and the fact that their mid dle-aged women smoke cigars. She doesn't smoke, but she eats every thing, and often.
 Miss Massen smiles when she talks, and looks you straight in the eye. She doesn't use nail polish or much makeup. She walks lot, and swims, but her chief hobby is catching and mounting butterflies. K n d. hearted, she catches 'em just be-
 fore a storm, because the rain would kill them anyhow.
 There's little that Osa Massen ser; doesn't know about the cin- ema game. She can operate a onr,,ara cut and edit film and