The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-12-25
HOLLYWOOD Shorts
Federated Pressl
BY JOHN R. CHAPLIN

date is Hollywood's s10-a-plate ban
quet of some weeks ago. All Holly
wood turned out-but not for snobbery
this time Hollywood was doing what
it could for the Writers in Exile.
We will not try to give you the feel
ing of the speeches that were made
Others before Hollywood had paid
tribute to those great minds which to
day languish in prisons in Germany
concentration camps in France, or suf
fer elsewhere in exile, far from their
native lands.
honorary Craftsmanship Of Charles
Chaplin, H. G. Wells and Ernest Hem
ingway, the following turned out for
the affair: Sheridan Gibney president
of the Screen Writers Guild, M. G.
Levee, Norma Shearer, Paulette God
dard, Paul NUM-, Edward G. Robin
son, Charles Boyer, John Garfield,
Melvyn Douglas, Ernest Lubitsch, Gar
son Kanin, Sidney Buchanan, John
Wexley, Irwin Asher. The guests,
exiles all, included Genevieve Tabouis,
Emil Ludwig, Heinrich Mann, Alfred
Doeblin, Leonhard Frank, Leo Mittler,
friedrich Torberg, Alfred Polgar.
James Hilton and Donald Ogden
Stewart led in paying them the high
tribute they deserved. Dalton Trum-
DO called for a silent collection"
Pens scratched checks = and Holly
wood did what its union-organized art
lists could to alleviate the troubles of
their great colleagues the world over.
The only thing that remains is for
the producers to do as much-not
from their pocketbooks, but through
their films. Will they?
Degrading to the great labor tradi-
ton of picketing was the silly stunt
recently pulled by Greta Rozan, Holly
wood actress. Claiming her part had
been cut out of So Ends Our Night
from the Erich Remarque novel
about exiles, Flotsam), she picketed
the studio daily, removing one gar
ment each day-threatening at last to
picket in the nude unless her part was
restored. The stunt was simply
publicity farce arranged by Russell
Birdwell, and one of Hollywood's all
time lows in vileness. -.
Briefly: Olympic Bradna has been
signed by Warmers to appear in
with Arthur Kennedy and
Anthony Quinn, both of whom made |
good in a big way in City for Con-
quest. The same studio is considering |
4 full-length biography of Teddy
Roosevelt, called Teddy and the Boys,
which would star Sidney Blackmer,
who has often portrayed the Big-Stick
president. !. M.G.M. has purchased
he old George Gershwin musical,
lady Be Good, to star Eleanor Powell,
Ann Sothern and Tony Martin. Fred
md Adele Astaire did it on the stage.
Somerset Vaughan says Bette Da-
lis is incredibly good in The Letter
Since, for Davis, she is incredibly bad,
t makes you wonder whether there
re no limits to what even well-known
writer's will do to kowtow to Holly
wood. In case anyone tells you
hat Tin Pan Alley is not British war
you can point out that
While there is much talk of going to
rance" in its portrayal Of World War
there is not single French soldier II
o be seen in it-and its scenes of the II
918 Armistice show the American II
nd British flags superimposed, with
ut the French tricolor. Lewis II
tone has started his 18th consecutive
ear at M.G.M., a Hollywood record
HE CURRENT FILMS
Second Chorus (Par.): Fred Astaire,
aulette Goddard, Charles Butter
-orth, Burgess Meredith, Artie Shaw
nd band make merry in riproaring,
,rewy musical that is the best jam
sssion yet put on the screen. Re-
uired entertainment for hepcats and
ators; highly recommended for the
ore stable.
Bank Dick U.): w. C. Fields most
sjointed comedy. Excellent satire
4 the movies, but not very salts
ing film, despite very good gags.
ields portrays an unwilling bank |
gro. Take it or leave it, unless
,ure a WCF addict.
Comrade x (MG.M.): A would-be
tire ON the Soviet Union; funny in
,ots. Gable is good, Hedy LAMAR
,rgeous, but King Vidor directed
ithout his usual talent. The film
axes no bones about its authors
rowing and hoping that red-baiting
ads to union-busting.
RECENT BEST BETS: Great Die
tor, Long Voyage Home, Escape,
wen Sinners, Mark of Zorro, Lady
Question, Arizona, Tin Pan Alley.