Evening star., 1940-04-28

rolled in a dramatic school in Holly
wood and afterward was signed up
by Universal. He is now playing
an important role in THE Mortal
Storm"
Dennis Morgan, 20. will get his
first starring role as the Red
Shadow in "The Desert Song" Nor
gan has come up the hard way. He
was under contract to Metro for
three years under his real name
Stanley Morner. But for some rea-
son he was employed only as a
threat to Nelson Eddy. Every time
Nelson got out of hand Morner
would read in the newspapers that he
was to get all of Nelson's roles. Then
Mr.. Eddy would come to heel-and
Mr.. Morner would be out in the
cold again. His test for "The Desert
Song" won him long-term con-
tract at Warmers. The brothers
changed his name-and changed
his luck. The lad has a fine sing
ing voice. I wouldn't be at all sur
prised if Dennis soon becomes more
than a threat to Nelson Eddy.
Now They Get Breaks.
John Wayne and Roy Rogers
have done all their emoting to date
in westerns. But unlike Colleague
Gene Autry think they could hold
their own in any other type Of pic
ture. Wayne emerged into big
time pictures under John Ford's
direction in "Stage Coach" He has
a magnetic personality of the Gary
Cooper school, Together with 27-
year-old, Wyoming born Rogers, he
turns in a swell job in Dark Com
mand." Every studio in town is
offering fancy prices for them both.
Wayne (his real name is Marion
Michael Morrison. born in Iowa 81
years ago. is again under the star
ring aegis of John Ford in 'The
Long Voyage Home"
The shortage of established lead
ing men means more and better
opportunities for actors of the cali
ber of George Murphy, John Payne,
Eddie Albert, Jon Hall and Robert
Cummings, all of whom have been
in Hollywood for long period with
out getting good breaks-until this
year. John Payne is in for a star
ring build-up at Twentieth Century,
Fox. His next big opus is Mary
land" George Murphy has his big
gest role to date in 1.-TWO Girls on
Broadway" with a better to follow
in Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No. l."
Eddie Albert has taken over an i'm
portant part in Olivia de Haviland's
Episode"
With More Experience.
When Robert Preston tones down
his over-strong personality, I pre-
dict there will be general rush of
producers in his direction, offering
more than the supporting roles he
gets at present with the exception
of 'Typhoon," in which Preston CO.
stars with Dorothy Lamour). The
boy is in his early 20s and is cur
rently supporting Gary Cooper in
Cecil B. De Miles Northwest
Mounted Police" He can act, and,
with guidance and more experience,
should be able to take on pictures
that are now held up through lack
OF Gable or Tracy;
John Carroll is another actor who
has the virility necessary for first
rank future pictures. With expe-
rience he soon will be a leading man
to be reckoned with. I thought he
was excellent in Congo Maisie,"
with Ann Sothern. His next pic
ture is Susan and God" in sup
port of Joan Crawford and Fredric
March.
In listing future film star fodder,
I must not overlook 24-year-old Or
son Welles, whose amazing $3.50 000-
per-picture contract is one of the
consequences of the current short
age of masculine movie stars. 1t is
true that Orson so far has only
talked about pictures he is going to
make. But one of these days he will
get beyond the talking appropriation
stage, and if and when that hap
pens III take any bets that he comes
through with a star-worthy per-
formance
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