Evening star., 1940-08-16

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yearning to play comedy.
A few of the lads and lassies on
the movie pay roll have been lucky
enough to make the switch. The
others, in large numbers, hope they
may be able to do the same.
One of the most enviable of the
change-over group is Brian Donlevy.
Ever since he broke into pictures,
Donlevy practiced villainy in its so
many forms that he became expert
in all. He was thoroughly fed up
on his contemptibleness-an actor
gets that way-when THE Great
McGinty" came along with its op-
portEnity to play one of the truly
fine, satirically comic characters of
the season. Donlevy never will
get over being grateful to Author
Director Preston 'Sturges for the
chance to escape the shackles of
hateful hate-filled roles.
Another disciple of the sinister
and evil life who managed to bounce
into happy, laughing role at
precisely the right time was Edward
G.. Robinson. AS the racketeer in
monks clothing in Brother Or
child" Robinson found himself hav-
ing the time of his life and melting
the hearts of people who heretofore
had been awed by his viciousness
and cruelty.
Neither of these, however, ap-
proaches the significance of a switch
that is about to be made, that OF
Bette Davis. From those positively
Stygian roles which have made her
famous, and earned mantleful of
acting awards. Miss Davis turns
frolicsome indeed in Calamity
Jane" The character, OF course, is
not altogether a thing of irresistible
lightness and laughter. but as COM
pared with her previous portraits
it will be something like seeing
Katharine Cornell co-starring with
Olsen and Johnson.
After her portrait of Melanie in
Gone With the Wind" many
person would have said that Olivia
De Havilland was destined for more
sober and dramatic things than
those light, romantic roles requir-
ing beautiful girl which she once
played almost exclusively.
Upon her return to the home
campus. Warmers, Miss De Havil-
lands next picture turned out to
be one of the most engaging comic
offerings of the current season,
my Love Came Back" And def
nitely to the greater credit of Miss
De Havilland, she played it with
fair which has De Havilland fan
clubs asking for more comedy roles
for her.
More of the same would seem
likely, what with comedy being the
big item on the movie menu.
When Cecil B. De Mile gets
around to writing his memoirs,
Which should be super-colosSals-toa,,
heeMopabfy wifi devote q fex pata I
graphs to the disadvantages of au-
tf1entfcity when 1T Is Navajo m
dians that happen to be the au-
thentic. item.
Those De Mile used in North
West Mounted Police" were real
Navajos, imported straight from the
reservation to Hollywood Until the
day of their arrival De Mile thought
it was an unreservedly fine notion.
The Indians changed that estimate
right away. Coming from
drought country. a famine threat
ening area, their nearness to the
Pacific left them with only one
idea, namely, a visit to the beach,
where they could pray to their rain
god, Dinhin.
A persuasive man, De Mile tried
to talk them out of it. The In
dians did not or would not under
stand. Dinhin was bigger to them
than De Mile.
The stalemate lasted only until
the Navajos convinced De Mile of
the relative importance of rain gods
and movie directors.
At that point he agreed to re-
arrange the schedule of shooting to
accommodate the invocation cere-
monies.
Whether it rained properly in the
Navajo country we don't know.
De Mile might have the last
laugh yet. It would make a nice
snapper on that chapter in his
autobiography.
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