Evening star., 1939-01-22

spondents, pretty weary of the whole
manufactured controversy, tried to
think of politely embarrassing ques-
tions.
One irreverent sob sister asked
Miss Leigh if she had ever read the
Margaret Mitchell novel; the actress
replied that she had three times
do you know what junebug is?"
asked the disagreeable reporter, and
when the actress said she did not
the writer snorted that even one
reading should have aroused her
| curiosity enough to look into the
matter.
A young reporter, mindful of the
bitter fight that George Cukor put
up in behalf of Katharine Hepburn,
asked the director if he thought
that Miss Leigh would fill the role
with equal competence. Cukor got
little mad about the question and
said, Il won't answer that, for you
are talking about a friend of mine
Besides, it's very stupid question"
Another journalist, curious about
the rumors of romance surrounding
Miss Leigh was almost frozen to
death when studio attache said,
Miss Leigh is married"
Miss Leigh's nervousness increased
as flashlight bulbs popped and ques-
tions became bolder. She gave each
correspondent a demonstration of
her Southern accent, which the
Selznick officials explained was
easier for an Englishman to simu-
late than for Yankee. Eventually
she tired of being on exhibition and
withdrew from the limelight. How
ard, who will play Ashley, was not
so easily discouraged. He continued
to light his pipe and pose whether
camera was handy or not, all the
time referring to himself as or
Massa Howard.
The casting of Gone With the
Wind eliminated the most success
ful publicity campaign in behalf of
picture in Hollywood's history.
Actually OF little significance, the
Selznlck geniuses managed to keep
the matter alive for almost two
years. There were times when the
search assumed the proportions of
national issue. The whole thing
was particularly gratifying to David
y. Selznlck. who invariably uses the
oeVlce to garner space in the press.
Manipulated by astute press agents
this fictitious controversy exceeded
the producers widest hopes.
Now the Hays Office
Recognizes Life.
There is something about cellu-
lold that nurtures and encourages
optimism. Customers see a bad pic
ture in the theater and Immediately
following it an advertising trailer
announcing next weeks program,
Adjectives leap from the screen. It
is the picture you have been watt
ing for; it is "the most dramatic.
thrilling love story ever filmed" The
patrons do not believe it but they
come back anyway. OF course, many
times the trailer is right, but in q
discouraging number of instances it
is wrong.
Perhaps the public reflects the
enthusiasm of Hollywood; perhaps
Hollywood mirrors the optimism of
the patrons. At any rate, The town
is hopeful one week and detected
the next, only to rise to new heights
a few days later. At the moment
the town believes that the world is
a lovely, lovely place, for Will H.
Hays, czar of all the movies, has in
dicated that the screen is to take
cognizance of life and reflect, all in
good taste, of course, some of the
realities of existence. The other
day at an industry luncheon in care
fully couched language he guardedly
admitted that the time has come
for the screen ito develop maximum
usefulness" While in no sense did