Evening star., 1938-05-31

the figure is something that your own
tailor never even approached finding.
Impeccable, we think, Is the word for
which we are cropping.
Even the knowledge that the car is
waiting, and the further knowledge
that out in Beverly awaits Amanda
Duff, barely is enough to tear one
away from the mirror in the clothes
closet door.
1t is hard to wait until you can hear
the voice of Miss Duff remarking how
we'll you look. how de-e-e-vine, but it
Is harder to have her overlook the
matter entirely, which she does. You
console yourself with the thought that
1t is Just Hollywood, even though Miss
Duff makes it almost impossible to
think that by not being in the least
like your conception of Hollywood.
1t is Miss Duff,s first preview. She
has been told that she will have to
undergo a lot of photographing and
will have to appear on the radio to
say how proud she is to be there.
She does not like that. Neither does
she like the idea that the hooks in
the side of her Powered evening gown
keep popping at the wrong time. Miss
Duff wonders. between pops of the
hooks (advt. for upper fasteners), If
there is any way she could avoid the
whole thing.
IT TURNS out that there almost Is
a way Of avoiding it. But only
almost" They finally got her.
The narrow escape from the lime
light was worked out carefully over
the dinner table at the Beverly Brown
Derby Every one was to eat long
and slowly until the arrival at the
Carthay Circle would be timed with
the beginning Of the picture. BY that
time, it was figured on the basis of
some knowledge Of old star habits,
the photographers would have run out
of flashlight bulbs and the radio an
nouncer have grown too f1oarse to say
another word.
1t turns out, upon arrival at the
theater, that the wish has fathered
no sillier thought In years than that
photographers should run out Of bulbs
or radio announcers be stricken dumb
on an occasion like that.
The approach to the theater, Incl
dentally, is fascinating thing. For
blocks the street is lined with gaping
hordes, thousands OF taxpayers roped
of from the orbit Of the stars, con-
tent apparently to stare around the
corners Of policemen who are no more
transparent here than they are any,
where else in the world. The scene.
II not the people, is unspeakably bril-
liant. Red, green, blue, purple, yell
low and other colored lights squirt up
toward heaven as II to call its atten-
tion to the fact that earth, too. has
its stars. It Is amazing. Even If you
have seen 1t before, it is amazing.
In spite OF the poise induced BY an
excellent background. maybe because
OF 1t. Miss Dun is amazed.
The publicity department is waiting
for Miss DUR. It is waiting armed
with photographers who have lust
nntshed shooting. flashlights in the
faces Of such notables as Mary Pick
ferd, Claudette Colbert, Tyrone Power,
Alice Faye. Don Ameci1e and scores
upon scores of other celebrities.
One of the things newspaper work
teaches you is to recognize a pho
tographer when you see chap armed
with q camera and fiashIight bulbs.
Poor Miss Duff, with no such train
ing, did not run the same way we did,
so she had the experience of having
her picture taken walking into a pre-
view all by herself; much too beauti-
full girl to suffer a fate like that. As
a matter OF, cold truth, Miss Duff was
Infinitely to be selected from the stand
point Of freshness, fairness and in.elli. |
gence Of expression over great many |
Of the more wildly applauded females |
swimming through the photographers |
toward the crowded entrance Of the |
theater.
As q matter of colder truth, after |
her subsequent appearance on the |
radio, Miss Duff went into the pre-
view with much more heroic escort |
-one much too courageous to nee In |
The face Of flashlights. We thus missed |
IN opportunity to see a screening in
the presence OF young lady who,
although not in the picture, might |
nave had some interesting things to /
say about 1t which were worth record |
ing.
X X X
HAVING left Miss Duff to the {
mercy of fate, or whatever those |