The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-31
In Hollywood
By PAUL HARRISON

BY RAUL hAnN1SON
NEA Service Staff Correspondent
A group of movie people dropped
into a penny arcade on the Venice
amusement pier and we're having
some laughs at the printed slips
delivered by a fortune-telling ma
chine. Then a self-centered actor
put in a coin and drew this warn
ing: You are very egotistical. If
you do not change, you may lose
both. your friends and your ca
reer."
This was so true it wasn't very
funny. The actor hastily dropped
another penny, and the second slip
read: You are very egotiscal.
If you do not change, you may lose
both your friends and your ca
reer."
Red-faced and mad, the fellow
muttered something about the
machine being stuck. He hammer
ed on it and put in a third coin.
and the next slip read: Maybe
you think I'm kidding"
It was Cliff Edwards. I believe,
who went to one of~the Riverside
stables, hired an elderly but still
handsome nag, and went for a trot
in the park. They got along fine
and were almost back to the barn
when the horse suddenly stopped
and looked around. DO you know
Gene Autry?" he asked.
Sure" said the starteled Ed
wards, who really doesn't know
Autry except by sight.
WELL" pleaded the horse, next
time you see him, put in a word
for me, will you? I used to be a
movie star myself in the silent
days, but nobody'u give me a
chance in talkies."
And then there's the yarn about
the two men on the train coming
to Hollywood. In the club car, the
young, handsome one asked the
elder, prosperous-looking 6 e n t
what time it was. And the latter
CURLY refused to tell him.
There was no more conversation
until the train neared Los Angeles.
alone, and I like to talk. If I hadn't
insulted you we would have got
into conversation, and pretty soon
we would have had a drink, and
then some more drinks, and we'd
have got pretty chummy.
I'D have invited you out to my
house in Beverly Hills for dinner,
and my wife would practically
have adopted you, and my daugh-
ter would have fallen for you and
first thing I'd know you'd be
member of the family. And I don't
want a son-in-law who can't afford
a watch!"
Another director, Ray McCarey,
has a different sort of panhandler
yarn. This is about the time he
was stopped on a dark Hollywood
side street by a man who said,
please, mister, could you let an
cid vaudeville actor have 20 bucks
for a cuppa coffee? l amt had
anything all week except two
doughnuts and this little old loaded
revolver"
Director Eddie Buzzell tells an.
other slot-machine story; says a
wistful-looking little panhandler
tugged. at his sleeve the other day
and asked for a cent. declaring
that he hadn't eaten in three days.
But what good will that do you
if you haven't eaten in such a long
time?" Buzzell asked.
II want to get weighed" said
the moocher.
A drunk hung on the bar in a
little hideaway near Metro and al.
ternately shook his head and NUT
tered. After a few hours of this.
the bartender reported that all the
guy said was, "No-no-absolute.
ly not! A thousand times no!''
Other customers seemed a little
afraid of him, and the proprietor
was trying to coax him out of the
place when a friend from the
studio came in. Its all right
said the friend. He's a yes-man
on vacation"