Evening star., 1940-09-08
Heffernun
Continued From First Page.)

be greeted by leading-man assign
ments
Gable Begged for Chances.
That Hollywood should hit upon
this plan for training hopefuls who
no longer have schoolhouses on the
lot to polish them off is not sur
prising. Many preSent-day stars
have been forced to desert Holly
wood for Broadway-either to break
up mediocre careers or to induce
the film casting directors to even
look at them.
Clark Gable should have shown
the way 10 years ago. He romped
around the studios for months beg
ging chances. For months he played
s3-a-day extra roles when he could
get them and slept on pile of hay
in a garage. He could have been
signed at that time fort $50 week.
Finally he left the town of many
disappointments, did some dramas
on Broadway and eventually landed
in Los Angeles, playing 1.-THE Last
Mile" His stage career had given
him the needed impetus-and from
that time on his movie star went
soaring.
Cases such as Gables are fire.
quently revived. During the past
year three striking Hollywood-to-
Broadway and -back-again examples
plopped the screen capital square
in the fact. A little girl named Mary
Martin had gone to Broadway with
out Hollywood help. well-wishes or
interest. Shed been singing in night
clubs here and hearing casting di-
rectors say she wouldn't have ghost
of a chance in films. Then June
knight decided not to take the
feminine role in Broadway's Leave
It to Me" and Mary was hustled
into 1t at the last minute. She sang
MY Heart Belongs to Daddy'-and
Hollywood reached out and grabbed
her back.
And There's Betty Cradle.
A short time later little Ann Mil
Ter began doing big things in George
Whites Scandals Hollywood well
remembered that Ann had been in
a few pictures like Room Service y
stage Door" and You Can't Take
It With You" But she had slipped
away one option time. And then all
of a sudden she was cutting top
headlines on Broadway. OF course,
she's back on the old home lot,
starring in TOO Many Girls"
More astonishing and more re-
cent is the experience Of Betty
Cradle, tagged two years ago as
Paramount's greatest feminine star
ring bet. That studio spent hun
dreds of thousands publicizing the
youthful blond, but gave her bad
pictures. Soon Betty couldn't get
work In any of the studios. Next
thing Hollywood knew the persever-
ing youngster was in the Broadway
hit ''Du Barry Was a Lady''-3,00
miles away. Daryl zanuck signed
her for Twentieth Century-Fox at
q salary twice the figure she was
paid beforehand what's more he
starred her at once in Down Ar
gentine Way" a musical originally
intended for Alice Faye.
"Such a Voice"
It's extremely doubtful whether
the stage ever did quite so much for
a down. and-out Hollywood player
as for Jean Arthur. When sound
came in Jean was under contract
to Paramount. She had shown
promise in several silent pictures.
But with the arrival of the new
medium Jean was the first to 60.
Her voice, which does have pecu-
liar quality, was ridiculed by studio
officials. They settled her contract
and advised her to forget all about
the amusement business. Such a
voice!" they kept saying. Jean went
to Broadway, studied hard under
i, vocal tutors and finally got role
10 her liking In "The Bride Of
Torozko." That play was a critics
delight and surprised every one. Re-
suit: Jean came back to her old
stamping ground as stage queen
with drama in her soul. She's been
picking her own stories ever since
Under present conditions, which
eliminate extravagant training
schools on the lot, Hollywood real
ICES its best bet is to tie up with
! Broadway--So that deserving novice
contractees can get that needed
training. Five of the eight major
studios here say they have already
adopted the plan and are looking te
Broadway producers for farm out
spots.
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