Evening star., 1940-11-20

press. But men, women and children
still alive can recall the day when his
own good looks, his studios bad cast
ing. and press agents who took the
easiest way with a subject virtually
ruined Taylor's career. Regardless of
any personal preference with regard
to a career, Taylor was too handsome
not to be cast in light romances
with wrong accent, the studio
thought, and it made not the
slightest difference what contrary
ideas Taylor may have had.
Then, suddenly, came the dawn.
A disappointed, disheartened Taylor.
a chagrined studio, and press de-
partment which became so desper-
ate it almost took to drink, realized
it was the most exquisitely overdone
build-up in movie history. Taylor
was not box office any more.
X
At that point. the average idol
Is through and that is that Taylor
and a few other reasoning gents
among his friends, however, re-
membered that he had shown signs
of being an actor-not another Sir
Henry Irving. or Joseph Jefferson,
but promising nevertheless-in his
early pictures. These constituted
a number of shorts and Walter
Wangers venturesome Private
Worlds" The remembering ones
suggested an about-face in the
handling of Taylor; something on
the husky side instead of banalities
in the moonlight They also sug-
gested a change in publicity treat
ment, even so radical a one as a
completely silent treatment.
The course has been followed
since, with one or two slight devia-
tions, and it is working out just
fine. Neither of the two slips was
anything like as serious as allow
ing Taylor to play Armand to
Garbo's Camille, of putting green.
unfinished youngster against so
skilled and devastating performer
as Carlo
Ever since, too, Taylor has been
working It has helped lot. So
have the years which have given
him heft and a mature look. The
combination enabled Taylor to quite
hold his own in Waterloo Bridge"
in which he was co-starred with
Vivien Leigh, who is no actress to
be around with unless you have
some talent.
That was a good performance
good enough to earn Taylor role
even more important than Norma
Shearer's in Escape
In that one, he seems we'll past
the danger of becoming merely
matinee idol.
What does conscription mean?
Especially in terms of the change
it will make in the lives of millions
of Americans drafted for military
training?
These questions have struck March
of Time as the most timely con-
fronting the country today Ac-
cordingly, the next issue, which
opens at Keith's tomorrow, will
attempt to answer as completely as
possible. Every angle of the vast
subject has been examined to show
how the defense program is pro-
crossing, how it is designed to give
the United States an Army of s.
100000 active and reserve troops
including 10 full divisions of mech
anized and motorized units, a two
ocean Navy and an air force of So
900 fighting planes.
Tickets for the special Thanks
giving eve showing of "Bittersweet"
at the Capitol tonight, at 11:45
o'clock, are on sale at all Loew
Theater box Offices. . The picture
was screened yesterday for the ben
eft of critics who might like to have
Thanksgiving dinner at home. :.
Screened also and for the same
purpose. was THE Letter" Earle's
next attraction. That one was at
11:30 last night. And, demon
strating holiday good will, Loew's
yesterday gave a one-man preview