The times-news., 1938-09-28
HARD WORK IS
KEY TO RISE
IN FILMDOM
Joan Crawford Expects to
Keep at Top of Heap;
Nancy Kelly to Arrive
By FREDERICK c. OTHMAN
United Press Hollywood
Correspondent

HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 2S. (UP)
Yesterday We talked to two girls.
One was at the height of her
movie carecr-and wondering how
she'd stay there. The other was
at the beginning-and wondering
where it would lead.
The first was Joan Crawford.
The other was Nancy Kelly. Both
spoke in almost Identical vein. In
each case they figured that old
fashioned, hard work should do
the trick.
Miss Crawford was on the set
at MGM, red-haired and beautiful
in a black dress with gold trim
ming. and playing in "The Shin
ing Hourt," her first film under
her new five-vcar, 81 500 900 con
tract. Miss Kelly was at home IN
Beverly Hills, in a red-velvct bath
robe. resting after a hectic month
on location, making Jesse James,
her first big picture.
Joan said she feared she'd have
to work harder than ever to re-
tain her position as one of Holy
woods frst-ladicS. Nancy said she
already had worked hardcr-ana
suffered morc-than ever before
in her life. ,
"My big job now is simply that
of staying at the top Miss CraW-
ford reported in her blue uphol,,
stored cubicle inside the sound
stage. "That will be far harder to
do than getting there. -,
"Ive been in pictures for ~
wears. Pve always made a poiht
of getting to work on time, cauS-
inp the studio no trouble, keeping
whatever temperament | NAV nave
to myself, and doing what I'm told
to do.
"Now have this tive-Ycar con-
tract, But | have no special clauses
in il about what will do ana
what | wont. I'm working Just
like | did when was a depart
ment store stock girl. When the
boss says frog. ! Jump.
As she talked, she fondIed a
Dachshund pup, which belongs 10
Franchot Tone, her husband. She
said that when Tone went to Ne"
York to 90 on the stage, she eX-
uected he'd leave his dog Tor her'
Outside her door phonograph
n,ayed softly. A special phono,
praph player in an old felt hat
was on hand to change the rec
ords. Miss Crawford thinks Sne
emotes better when there's music
to nut her in the mood.
She said frankly that her iaS'
few pictures. with the exception
of "Manneuuin." had not been SC
good, but that she believed nei
fans were standing by her ano
not blaming her for the poor
stories she had been forced to
I enact. n;o
"And a bad story is something
/ that no actress can overcome
she said. "I hope now that my
/ story luck will be better.
.
Miss Kelly is the 17-year-olc
dramatic actress that goth Cen
| tury-Fox hired from her Broad
way stage job as Gertrude Law
rence's daughter in "SuZan ah'
| God" The studio is keeping mum
about Nancv's age, on the theory
that anybody who sees her on tn'
screen will refuse to believe ina
she was born in 1921.
Her month in the MiSSour
Ozarks, taking the part of Jess
(Tyrone Power) James wife, ha'
left her bruised, banged, an'
bumped, but she goes into another
picture this week.
al tried to ride horse in pet
ticoats," she said. 81 mean ] wa
in petticoats. And I fell off an'
| sat on a barbed-wire fence.
an another scene they tried u
help me into a buggy. / misse(
the step. That's why I've got th'
bandage around my skin. ] broke
two of my fngernails in a thlr'