Evening star., 1940-03-10
Boyer Rated
Films Tops
In Amour
Bette Davis Is the
Lucky Lass Cast
With Him Now
HOYI,YWONn

II your girl friend goes to the
movies (and whose girl friend
doesntO ask her to jot down the
names Of i've heroes who, in her
estimation, are the greatest lovers
Of the screen. Not necessarily the
biggest, most handsome lads, you
might caution her, but the ones who
deliver the most ardent punches in
those tender love scenes 80 dear to
every woman's heart.
Clark Gable? Perhaps. Robese
Taylor or Enrol Flynn or Tyrone
Power? Maybe-but don't gamble
too much on any Of the trio. Charles
Boyer? Almost certainly! Here you
have feminine fandom's leading
love-making candidate of the day.
Among casting directors, Boyer Is
rated Hollywood's ideal love-mak-
ing hero" His last four pictures
have proved tremendous hits, not
only hereabouts. but In every for
eign country where American films
still find a market. Foremost &C
tresses in Hollywood are fighting to
get his services.
Lucky lady of the moment Is
Bette Davis. She and Boyer cross
romantic paths In q tragically
tangled love tale called "All This
and Heaven, Too" from a True
Story best seller. And, judging by
that read in the script and seen
on the stages at Warner Bros, lady
fans are going to be weeping copi-
ously into their kerchiefs when the
film Is released few months hence.
Vivacious Bette and the sad-eyed
Charles (no one ever dared call
him Charlie) stumble over almost
every known convention, and finally,
after running afoul the law. Charles,
drat it all, gulps down some potent
poison.
Secretly, it's that death scene that
worries the Warner brothers. They
don't want to kill Boyer of for nu-
merous reasons (mainly box ONCE,
but they can't justif1ably let him
live. They would be willing to take
q chance on the wild protests of the
books readers, but the Hays ofiice
Is quite another matter. After read
ing the script, the Hays censors said
in effect. you kill Boyer or there
won't be any picture" It seems
Boyer's death is necessary to Justify
the movie as one Of thigh moral
tone"
The picture is about half finished,
and one day last week the love and
the tragic aspects Of the story
weren't to be observed anywhere on
the set. In fact. Mr.. Boyer, motivat-
ing factor in the love interest, wasn't
to be observed, either. He was en-
joying an afternoon OF, white Bette
and . couple Of kid actors, under tho
direction of Anatole Litvak, were
striving against innumerable dim.
culties to establish a happy home.
coming scene.
In q horse-drawn carriage. COM
plete with two coachmen, Bette, as
the governess employed in the home
OF q French family (of which Boyer
Is husband and father). and little
Richard Nichols, as her young
charge, were supposed to drive UP to
the mansions entrance. There the
child was to be lifted out by old.
timer Harry Davenport, the steward,
and exuberantly greeted by Virginia
Weidler, Richards sister.
Looked like . cinch, but never
theless the Homecoming went on and
on. Every time the scene was shot
some detail seemed to be out of line.
The horses didn't halt in the right
place, the child didn't read his lines
loud enough, Virginias entrance
wasn't properly timed or Gas hap
pened on one take) . hairdresser
fell fiat on her face. Litvak spit.
tered and spouted. Finally every.
thing seemed to coordinate.
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