Evening star., 1941-11-16

ear, that it alone dominated the whole,
Its owner was invited to step forth
He was given special assignment, at
a special fee As the Christian martyrs
were led to the lions, Caradine was to
stand aside, out of camera range, and
cry out.
MOT death, but victory!'
But alas, it was not victory for him.
He was forthwith typed as voice.
and as a voice only His larynx was
used again in THE Crusades," per-
forming somewhat the same functions;
and it was Carradine's voice which
recited President Mckinley's stirring
lines in "A Message to Garcia"
Poor Carradine. He demanded a
chance to show himself. to take part.
to act They shook their heads. No
soap. Just wanted the voice.
In desperation. Carradine withdrew
his vocal cords from hire. He shook
off all offers, even those which prom
ised increased rates. True. he had to
90 back to the Boulevard, and once
more his lean artistic hands we're
made rough and red by caustic soaps.
But he stuck to his guns: and, sticking
to his guns. he got into the movies. In
person.
4 Too.Msnoeinu Menace
OOtIN FORD. preparing the film The
Prisoner of Shark Island" )" was looking
for a lean, ga,int and villainous guard
He remembered Carradine, who was
put into the movie. and turned out to
be splendid menace. as the tough
guys are called.
Immediately he was cast as heavy
in the Shirley Temple picture Cap
tain January" He was delighted at
his good fortune. He was on the way
now. He put everything he had into
this one. He put too much.
Not only did he frighten poor little
Miss Temple half out Of her wits. but
most of his best and most arduously
acted scenes had to be cut for fear
he'd scare the coaster wagon trade in
the audiences.
Carradine saw the Boulevard loom
ing up ahead of him once more. But
just at this time The Prisoner of
Shark Island" was released. and our
subject was hailed as a genuine find.
He was signed to a long term con-
tract by Twentieth Century Fox; and
he was in.
For a while he continued his strictly
villainous parts. twirling wicked
mustache through several films. But
his real acting ability stood out, and
he began to be regarded. not as sort
of curiosity with special talent for
viIlainy. but as. a fine. finished actor
in any role. He took the part of Bob
Ford. killer of Jesse James. in the pic
ture of that name, and of a gambler in
the pictorial classic ''Stage Coach
He was Abraham Lincoln in ''Of
Human Hearts," frontier scout in
Brigham Young" a taxi driver in
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" the
charming Mr.. Bisby. circus press
agent and advance man, in Chad
Hanna" the tortured ex-preacher.
Casey. in The Grapes of Wrath"
(probably his finest parD. bull fight
er in Blood and Sand" and a Nazi
spy in Man Hunt"
And so passeth the Bard of the
Boulevard.
He is distinguished actor now,
married. lord of his own ranch in San
Fernando valley. an occasional visitor
at the more ultra of the HOLLYWOOD
night clubs. usually dressed in white
tie and tails.
The other day visited him on the
set of "Son of Fury" in which he plays
- no kidding "a pearl diver. l asked
him if he'd ever actually muttered
Shakespeare while strolling on the
Boulevard. and if he had worn cape
while so doing. He said he never had
muttered Shakespeare any place. l
offered to confront him with seven