The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-11-22
By PAUL HARRISON

NEA Service Staff Correspondent
 Hollywood Gladys Swarth- out, opera and concert star; has just wound up her three year movie con- tract with little cops-and robbers flicker called Ambush"
 It is not much of a climax to screen-musical career because, al- though she received $60,000 for the job, Miss Swarthout didn't sing a note. Didn't even hum. "The only thing musical in the picture" chuckled Frank Chapman, her hus- band and vocal coach, 'tis piano. A guy gets shot and falls on the keyboard"
 Chapman has been on the Par amount payroll as vocal coach for the star during each of her five pictures. "But I was not idle while Ambush was being made, even if there isn't any singing in it." he said. When I read the script and found three places where she had to scream, decided to be Scream Supervisor. It's nice work and very remunerative."
 GANGSTEK THk1LLERS
 AT $2O,O0O A WEEK
 You. might think that Miss Swarthout, having been the victim of four astonishingly bad musicals, would have regarded as crowning indignity her role as leading wom- an in class B gangster thriller. Fact is, she accepted it voluntarily. The studio had no musical Schedul- ed, so if proposed to buy up the rest of 'her contract--at a big discount and release her. She said no. The studio protested that all it could offer with a modest little melodrama with a three-weeks shooting sched- ule. She said okay, that it sounded like a amusing way to earn $20,O00 week.
 Actually" she declared, T loved ! it. The screen play was written by Laura and S. J. Perleman, and it was the best script I've had. For the first time in Hollywood I could believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. Another thing, although was born in Deepwater, Mo, and am typically American, this was the only one of my five pictures in which was an Ameri- can girl.
 FIRST CHANGE
 TO REALLY ACT
 Everybody in the company was swell. nearly tainted when the director apologized because had to work overtime one evening. The pro- ducer never set foot on the set. The assistant producer looked in only three times. I was allowed to choose my, own wardrobe. And had a chance to act. got more from that little picture than from all the others, and for the first time-now that I'm leaving-I feel that I really know something about the job"
 This reporter asked: What if it turns out that you gave bang up performance and people come after you waving acting contracts?" She said: "I'd love that, too. Of course I'd always sing in concerts and opera now and then; that's too muCu pdTL Ol ule HOW. buIl IIllIlk the screen is the greatest possible medium and I'd never want to leave Hollywood. It's crazy - but I'm crazy about it!"
 IT DID HER
 NO HARM Such talk didn't sound like the bitter valedictory of an humiliated prima donna. Other singing stars have faded out of Flickerville in huff. Lily PonS, for example, has been grumbling that Hollywood did wrong by her and Grace Moore and Gladys Swarthout. q must ask Lily to leave my name out of that" Miss Swarthout said.. T can't speak for her and Grace, but really I think that none of us was awfully smart. Anyway, I don't think it has done me any harm"
 You see, Miss Swarthout happens to be honest and well-balanced and tolerant, along with having a sense of humOr. Her first picture. Rose