Evening star., 1940-11-10
1rnportations
Are Seldom
Successes
So the Producers
Now Have Turned
To Native Stars
By Harold Hefernan.
By Harold Hefernan.
HOLLYWOOD.


The war did more to Hollywood
than shatter its foreign market, rep
resenting IS per cent Of its income.
For another thing, it practically
ended the importation of all those
thick -tongued land sometimes
thick -waisteO dramatic and singing
finds from European countries.
Maybe United States fans have
lot to be thankful for there.
Time was, and not so long ago.
when any major producer who
toured the continent and failed to
return home with bag of at least
one startling foreign discovery had
a lot of explaining to do when he
checked in.
The head of Hollywood's largest
lot spent his vacation abroad three
summers ago. A few weeks after
his departure, feminine strangers,
who couldn't make themselves un-
derstood, began clamoring at the
studios gates. The total finally
reached seven. They waved con-
tracts given them in Europe by the
excursioning boss.
Today, none of these actresses is
left on the lots pay roll. Three
were so stout and so tongue mud
died they were used in only one pic
ture apiece. The others weren't
considered worth a debut. 1t was
an expensive experiment. But for
many years it was duplicated in a
more modest way by every studio in
town.
Up to the time Adolf Hitler went
on the march and clamped down on
American movies, there was some
sense in Hollywood's occasional ac-
QUESTION of European player. The
inclusion of a few such aliens in
Hollywood-made movies often had
a stimulating effect on box Office
returns from over there. And even
though American audiences paid
these imports scant heed, producers
could well afford to ignore their un-
popularity here But now the situa-
ton is reversed.
Marlene Holds Her Own.
Today Hollywood offers hope for
only a small handful of actresses
catalogued as Europeans Garbo,
with her strong comeback in Mn
otchka,' which had plenty of do
mestic appeal, is still first lady of
the accent brigade.
Marlene Dietrich is still struggling
to hold her own for second place,
and now Seven Sinners" looms as
a likely follow-up for her fairly sue
cessful '"Destry Rides Again" ',s
In third place is Hedy ban1hrrs
who in spite Of her tremendous
buildup as the most gorgeous crea-
ture of the screen. is still a sharp
question mark at the box Office.
Producers are in perpetual trouble
trying to cast these three Europeans.
They can play only one type of
characterization and always must be
surrounded by strong name casts. A
sure sign of their cascading value as
United States drawing cards is
the word through Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer that the No. l, Garbo, has
agreed to $4,000 salary cut on each
future picture.
Looming brighter than any of the
more recent imports is another
Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman, an
intelligent and highly talented ac-
treSS recently signed by Columbia.
Miss Bergman was successfully in
troGuced by David o. Selznick last
year in "intermezzo" and brought
wave of instantaneous approval
from fans in this country. She is
tall, blond and has fresh, natural
loveliness. Language is no handi-
cap in her case, for she speaks Eng
lish almost flawlessly. At present
she is appearing opposite Warner
Baxter in Legacy" and seems to
hold an excellent chance of whip
ping the jinx.
1t Hasn't Been Profitable.
R-K-O would seem to be taking
long chances on a couple of other
recent newcomers-one from Swe-
den, the other from France. Sigma
Hasso, the Swedish girl is attractive
and is getting much publicity. There
also is a hint she will be dropped
into one of the studios most impot-
tant winter productions, Palm
Beach Limited" opposite Ronald
Colman. Also, Just arrived at the
same plant-and the publicity guns
(See HEFFERNAN, Page F-3)