Evening star., 1940-04-21

loan Blondell, the couple whom the
they tossed out that one about "they
their ears. Far into the night It
went, until Joan finally shook her
head real hard and said:
Hey, Dick"
"What?" muttered Dick.
You're the handsomest guy in
town." said Joan, and then he was
hugging her.
Yes, In Hollywood.
Show business has given these
two priceless sense of humor
which precludes the possibility Of a
protracted quarrel, and they are 50
attuned mentally that they actually
carry on short conversations with
each other without a word being
spoken.
You ask Dick and Joan where
they live, expecting the usual Hol-
lywood description Of a Hilltop
manor or sprawling ranch in the
San Fernando Valley, and again
your eyebrows 60 up in surprise.
I'VE live in Hollywood"
"You mean right in the town."
"Of course" you will be told BY
Joan, who is the one who insists on
living there, land why not? We
live in little No. block from Fair
fax and half a block from Sunset
boulevard. It's handy. There's a
drug store around the corner, the
5-and-10 is almost across the street.
And kids like to look In those win
dows and prowl around the stores,
too."
Joan warns to her subject, as you
continue to be puzzled.
why should we move out to the
valley, just because the others are
doing it? Why, I'd never sleep q
wink if heard bullfrog croak or
a cricket crick. I've never lived in
the country, so why should I start
now? We'd die of loneliness If we
couldn't hear horns honking and
things like that"
Then you ask how many servants
there are in the Powell -Blonden es-
tablishment, because that's one of
the most popular questions in Hol-
lywood interview.
Sorry" Joan said. Were be-
tween servants just now. The couple
we had helped themselves to an
armload of our silverware and even
backed up a truck and hauled away
the slot machine we had been play
ing in the garage" -
Raised in q Theater Trunk.
And Dick added, And we can't
do anything about it because we
were not supposed to have the slot
machine. even for our own amuse-
ment. But that jackpot was build
ing up for long time"
Joan was raised in theater trunk,
practically, after she emitted her
first gurgle in New York City in
1909. Her father, Eddie Blondell,
was for 20 years a well-known
vaudeville comedian, and his family
not only Travelled with him, but
played in his act. Joan started in
the act as soon as she could walk.
Until Joan was Z years old each of
her birthday anniversaries was cele-
brated in different country, her
dad getting bookings almost all
over the world. She went to school
In New York, California and Texas,
Between bookings one winter Joan
set some sort of record by holding
job as department store clerk
exactly IL minutes. She broke away
from the family act and took a part
in a New York stage production
called Penny Arcade" A Holly
wood studio bought the play and
took Joan and another player in the
cast-Jimmie Cagney-to Hollywood
to play leads in it. The picture of
the play was entitled Sinners Hol-
iday." 1t clicked and Joan and
Jimmie were proclaimed star ma
terial Immediately.
An Arkansas Boy.
Joan played in eight pictures with
Dick before they were married. II
Want a Divorce" is their ninth film
together. Because they are SO
happy with each other they asked
Producer George Arthur to change
the pictures title on the first day
OF shooting, so that there could not
be even a suggestion of a rift in
their marriage, ever. The studio had
purchased the title from a radio
program, though, and would have
tossed the purchase price out of the
window by changing titles.
Joan Is a natural gray-eyed blond,
feet 4 inches tall and weighing lis
pounds. Her favorite dish Is chop
suey, her pet aversions are bridge,
phone calls and sand under her
f1ngernails.
And now about Dick. He was
born near Mount View, Ark, and was
discovered while serving as master
OF ceremonies in a Pittsburgh the
ater, being signed by Warner Bros.
He sang in church choir in Little
Rock before entering show business,
learned to play dozen musical
instruments and to sing.
Dick made good in Blessed
Event" and followed with q score of
hits, radio getting its share of his
services.
He is 6 feet tall, weighs 172
pounds, plays golf well, rides and
swims. He eats ham and eggs when,
where and however available, has
blue eyes and very dark red hair.
The only thing Dick and Joan
don't do together is yachting. Dick
has a good boat, but Joan doesn't
want even to discuss 1t. She gets
seasick when the thing is mentioned.
So Dick goes alone.
They have son, Norman Scott, 5
years old, by Joan's former marriage,
and 19-month-old daughter Ellen.
Released By the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inc.)
Wanger Film Role