Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-26
Reality.
Needed
In Movies
Plots Of Remarriaee Draw
Runyon Scorn
BY DAMON RUNYON


But he never gets under the
wire until she is right at the
church door with the other
bloke, who is usually depicted
as something of simkin.
The ex-husband, on the other
hand. is presented as a real
bright, snappy guy, and we
presume this contrast is offered
so the customers will be pulling
for the lex" To win out.
Well, it has just the opposite
effect on those of us who feel
that the movies should reflect
real life. 1t is false note. We
know that in real life the other
bloke, Simkin or not. would just
step outside the church and
bash the ex-huSband's brains out
with a few deft strokes and then
60 on and marry the divorce
and it would serve the Tex"
right for sticking his nose into
a private and intimate matter OF
this nature.
But in the movies under this
now familiar plot, the ex-hus-
band Tugs his former ball-and-
chain away in triumph because
love conquers all. leaving the
other bloke standing there like
simkin, and us with the i'm
preston that the dame is a dope
for going back 10 the stuff they
show us she stood for prior to
the divorce, and that the ex-
husband is even a greater dope
for having any further truck
with one who could kick him
out once with practically no
compunctions of conscience and
Immediately GO looking for
some one else 10 support her.
If YOU ask us. the way she
L ruShes into another matri-
monial deal, ere the warm
careSSes OF the first egg cools
on her lips. is almost immoral.
We think she ought TO wait 4
little while.
But we suppose they got 10
get ii all in five reels and there
Is no time, TO waste.
We have seen quite a number
Of these pictures and appar-
emily we are going 10 have TO
see many more and we think the
plot could stand a little revis-
ing
We think IN would make a big
hit with many Of the customers
If the Simkin was not only per-
mitted 10 win the broad but 10
throw the eX-husband out a 20
II would be a more plausible
finish, anyway.
There is always another
woman hanging around trying 10
win the ex-huSband while he IN
trying 10 win back his ex-wife,
and this strikes an even falser
note.
Let us illustrate.
We think the last picture ~
this kind we saw had Dennis
Morgan trying 10 win back his
ex-wife in the person of Miss
Merle Oberon, and while Miss
Obcron is without doubt a vision .
of lovcliness and all that sort Of \
business and would not he easily
rcllnquiShed by any man. the
gal who was hanging around
trying 10 win Morgan was Miss
Rita Hayworth.
WELL, 10y Of us customers
w Just sat back and said To
ourselves:
"Why Is that mugg making
such fuss about getting Miss
Oberon when he can have Miss
HaywOrth >"
We could understand him
wanting Miss Oberon if she was
the only one around. of course.
hut Miss Hayworth was right
there, and offering no resist
sance. either, as against a terrific
hard-to-get attitude on the part
OF Miss Oberon.
We have made n long-distancs
study of the situation in Holly
wood where the pictures are
produced and where the scena-
rists and directors might be ex-
pected TO inform themselves on
real life at first hand and we
do not find that il is the COM
mon practice for husbands who
have been divorced by their
wives 10 perform any extraor-
binary didoes TO win back their
old ever-lovings.
So then, those guys are Just
taking liberties with real life.
We do not say that it never
did happen in Hollywood that
an ex-husband won back his ex-
wife.
We just say il is not fire.
uuent occurrence.
And we certainly doubt that
il ever happened that an ex-
husband pursued his fight right
up TO the door of the church
where the eX-wife was TO marry
the Simkin.
On one occasion in Hollywood. \
we are told. an ex-husband did
appear under those circum-
stances causing something Of a
panic as a rumor spread that
he was there TO seize his ex-
wife at the very altar.
But it turned out that he
merely brought large bag Of
currency with him. which he