Evening star., 1941-11-02

into neighborhood theater where they having
an amateur night, sang song and won basket OF
groceries She can't remember it, and it's probably
just of those stories But it does that she
destined for the public eye from the first. After
high school she went to business school for while
and worked briefly stenographer, but in 1881 she
entered beauty contest and won the tag OF Miss
New Orleans. (She just missed being named Miss
Universe at the finals in Galveston)
As result of this she got job as showgirl and
went on the road for about six months. She didn't
like it, and quit She and her mother decided to move
to Chicago. They figured Dorothy could get job as
model and Mrs Lamour could find something else
to do.
When they got there, Mrs. Lamour got a job the
very first day making salads in restaurant Dorothy
couldn't get any job until her landady told her to
60 see Mr. Mangin
After that Marshall Fields and the elevator
Cood-by Elevator
OoRorHY worked at the department store for about
a year, in all. Now then, it customary for the
night club in the Morrison Hotel to have an occa-
sional Celebrity Night when well-known persons
were asked to take bow and do little trick. Some
body told the publicity agent of the hotel that last
years Miss New Orleans was running an elevator
over at Marshall Fields.
They invited Dorothy over and she sang them
song MIR. Herbie Kay. band leader, dropped in to
see what was going on He saw Dorothy He liked her
voice. which he recognized as natural for radio work
He invited her to sing with his band. She quit the
elevator job.
For three years Dorothy sang with the Kay band.
and OF course was on the air. Later she had her own
program on national chain.
In 1O2S che caroe IN HOLLYWOOD md offered
a part in picture. She accepted. This picture was
The Jungle Princess. and Dorothy wore a sarong,
which at the time was considered minor touch.
The sarong swell. Dorothy looked nice and sang
we'll and she acted as we'll as she could which wasn't
very we'll.
Samuel Godwyn saw the picture and borrowed
her for the female lead in Hurricane" This picture
made Dorothy. She wore another sarong looked like
an especially beautiful South Sea Islander, and still,
if must face the facts couldn't act for sour apples.
1t was just before she played in Spawn of the
North" distinctly non-sarong part, that Dorothy
Lamour decided to become an actress. She began to
work hard then and she has worked hard since. She
did notably we'll in Chad Hanna circus picture.
More recently, in Caught in the Draft ;" an army
comedy with Bob Hope, she moved definitely out of
the straight eye-and-ear class
Although the demand for Dorothy as more or
less sparsely wrapped native girl still largely domi-
mates the parts assigned to her. she has proved that
she can 60 on from there. and that she intends to.
This does not mean that she is future Bette Davis
and she has no illusions about that Sensible. level
headed utterly unpretentious. she wants to be a
competent actress and is willing to work hard.
About month ago she won the award OF BOX
Office magazine. trade journal, for the best per-
formance of the month by an actress They gave her
a scroll, which she has had framed and hung up in
her house.
And that she says lis the closest to an Academy
Award I IL ever come. The poor mans Oscar
Wonts to Sqvore Up
SHE looks upon her success as a stroke of almost
weird good fortune, and her constant willingness to
appear on benefits, make arduous trips for personal
appearances, to step in and help whenever asked is
not based yearnng for publicity or for the spot
light. They are part of her effort to pay back"
Mine years ago." she says. Il was running an
elevator Look at me now. can't see that deserve
it. try the best can to square things up. but Ill
never be able to- I'm not the best singer in the world