davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-06-29
Now Vaudevillian Meets the Gestapo
Being the Story of Performer Who Had Everything but Life
To Live and Had Even That Taken Away

the piano. and began telling IN
voice, which could be heard on stage,
of the latest act of sabotage against
the Nazis-the cutting of telephone
wires between an observation post
and anti-aircraft batteries. 1t was
unusual for a Dutchman to discuss
sabotage in public because anybody
who does is grabbed off by the Nazis
as knowing too much for his own
good.
But the Piano and his wife kept
on playing and singing. The Nazls
wouldn't let us play American music,
but it was bootlegged into the coun-
try anyway" he said, and We tackled
over the arrangements to disguise
the music. We had plenty Of Scotch
whisky to drink and English ciga-
rettes to smoke and American music
to enjoy. In fact. We had all the
comforts of home except maybe
food to eat and a life to live"
Gestapo Waiting Room.
Well, three or four days later. the
b NJCSLdpO NOhE lliC ldlAO hp Ndl -
in the morning and took him down.
town to see the chief. There was a
line of 10 or IL people waiting TO
see the chief and all of them had to
stand at attention facing a stone
| wall, their toe tips, noses and fore
heads touching the wall. There was
a lot of Gestapo traffic running up
and down in back of the people
waiting and every time one Of the
Gestapo guys thought of it he'd
| push one of the waiting people in
the back of the head, making them
crack their foreheads or their noses
against the rough stone wall. If they
/ got tired standing at attention and
/ sWayed back, the crack would be so
/ hard it would induce stars or blood
But the Gestapo said this kind Of
| treatment didn't hurt anybody ex-
cept the Jews as only Jews had
long noses.
After more than four hours of
this. the Piano was taken to the
chief without having the blood
washed off him. The chief paid no
attention to the blood, but asked
why the Piano hadn't reported the
sabotage conversation he had over
heard This was how the Piano
made sure of what he has suspected
that the loud talking Dutchman was
really a Gestapo agent provocateur.
The chief said failure to report such
conversation amounted to aiding
the enemy and was worth visit
to concentration camp. But if he
played ball. :. Etc.
Must Be a Punch Line.
The Piano said okay, he'd play
ball and to count on him. Then he
went back to the hotel manager and
told him the whole story. The hotel
manager fixed the thing up the only
way possible. He fired the Piano
saying he had caught him spying
and then went hollering down to the
corps area commander to report
that the Gestapo was trying to
monkey up the beautiful two-spot
arrangement that had been worked
out. The army got sore enough to
back up the manager In what he
! (see WOLFERT, Page FAD
Evening star., 1941-06-29

teaming with a husband. Lana
Turner met Artie Shaw during
Dancing Co-Ed." Married a few
weeks later they failed to stick it
out long enough to try teaming in
another film.
Careers Won't Clash.
Cupid struck down Tyrone Power
and Annabella while they were film
sweetheartS in "SueZ." They have
not worked together since. In fact,
at her husbands s request, Annabella
has retired from movies. Same is
true of Katharine De Mile and
Anthony Quinn. who met during
their roles in The Buccaneer" and
were married.
Robert Preston and Catherine
Craig found themselves that way
while acting stock at the Pasadena
Community Playhouse. Although IN
several shows together, they never
had lines or situations to play at
each other. Now married, they have
agreed never to work In the same
picture or even eat together in the
studio commissary. They want to
make certain their professional
careers don't clash.
Probably the strangest movie love
case of all is that of Dick Powell
and Joan Blondell. They fell In love
after working together in eight
musicals. But In none OF the eight
were they screen sweethearts. Al
ways Dick had another love partner
So-they were married. And that
started their tearning together
paper Aiiianee,s fnc)
Evening star., 1941-06-29

themselves as the first great ro-
mantle team. For several years,
they kept audiences painting. But
after Bushmans divorce and mar
riage to his screen partner, fans
stopped palpitating at their love
antics. Soon the team dropped out
of existence.
Played in Some Films.
Instances of players falling in love
while Stimulating it on the sound
stage are not scarce Most notable
is the Gable-Lombard case. They
first met when teamed in mo Man
of Her own" and although they
didn't start going steady" until
some time later, there developed
from that association a romance
which eventually led to the altar.
They have since refused to appear
in a picture together.
Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone
fell in love while playing screen
sweethearts. While married, they
made an experiment of working in
the same pictures. In Love on the
Run" Tone lost his real wife to
Gable. In THE Bride Wore Red
he won her from Robert Young. The
first picture was far more successful
than the latter-which may prove
something.
Claudette Colbert and Norman
Foster found love while stage
romancers, married, and then made
one picture-''Young Man of Man
hattan"-as man and wife. Now
Miss Colbert Is wed to . non
professional, % runs no risk Of
Evening star., 1941-06-29

enemy occupation. the hotels spot
re-opened and the guitar and the
piano started working again. The
German officers couldn't get any
women to dance with them, so they
started dancing with girls who were
not so much in the habit of choos-
ing their company as in the business
of soliciting it.
This was bad for the spots trade
among its regular patrons and the
Nazis thought it was bad for their
business. too, which was to have
Nazi officers pose before the popu-
lation as something out of this
world. The upshot of it was that the
manager-a smart guy-Worked out
a cozy deal for the hotel. with the
corps area commander, opening a
spot for the Nazis to be by them
selves and do whatever they wanted
without the Dutch knowing about it
and restricting the original spot to
the Dutch only.
Nothing Doing"
That was where the Gestapo
stepped in They wanted the Piano
and his singing lady, who circulated
a good deal among the customers
to hear whatever could be overheard
and report same to headquarters
All private, all confidential, all paid
for in cash and extra ration tickets
The Gestapo theory was that the
Dutch, when off by themselves in
surroundings they were sure of
would talk less discreetly than usual
and tip off things of interest.
The Piano said nuts. that to dc
anything like that would ruin him
professionally. The Gestapo tried
/ this and that to enlist the Pianos
services, always in a fairly nice way
never getting real tough, and the
Piano was able to say nothing
doing" without holding his breath
Then a Dutchman who hadn't
been there for long time came
into the spot and got a table neal
Evening star., 1941-06-29
But Where Are Those New Leading Men?
Hollywood Needs Them, Cries for Them, and Does
Nothing at All About Developing Them

ture. When Hollywood had its
hands on the Kentucky boy, it re-
garded him as fine figure of a
man to put in loin cloths and other
primatively glamorous clothing. 1t
never seemed to occur to them that
he was the raw material for matt
nee idol who could appear on stage
with Gertrude Lawrence without
being blacked out. That, of course,
is what Mature could do all the
time. AS a result of having done it,
he now returns to Hollywood at a
fancy price, which amounts to fine
for the cinema for having been so
dumb in the first place.
1t Helps the Veterans.
The dearth of top flight male
stars is working out happily for
several veteran players whose tall
ness. darkness and handsomeness
was obscured until the leading-man
situation became desperate. The
public, of course, was not blind to
the merits of such gents as Walter
Pidgeon and James Stephenson, but
Hollywood was.
They are being seen today in more
important roles in steadily more
important pictures, which is occa-
sion for surprising the very wits cut
of their employers.
The same applies to Joseph Cot
| ten, whose acting ability in Citizen
Kane" had sufficient impact about
it to make the studios mark him
as a fellow who was pretty hand
some also.
1t is the reason. too, why Henry
Fonda was allowed to stop being
a hill-billy character and become
comedian in The Lady Eve" ano
why he will do it again as the hero
in "The Male Animal"
But where among these, and in
cluding Franchot Tone who also Il
making a bright comeback, is thai
new talent?
It seems still to be missing.
Evening star., 1941-06-29

had only DoWlng acquaintance
At school she was Angela, a quiet,
pretty girl who got AS on her re-
port card. She didn't talk about her
movie work. She didn't take part in
school theatricals. Because of her
training and experience, she said
this wouldn't have been fair to other
students.
Several weeks ago she was offered
the leading role In the senior class
play. She declined, and acted as
prompter.
No Easy Task.
After school hours she was Leni
Lynn, an intensely ambitious young
woman who wants to be an opera
singer some day.
She didn't always want an
operate career. Three years ago she
vaguely intended to be stenog-
rapher. That was before Howard
Herty, Passaic newspaperman,
heard her sing at a benefit minstrel
show and convinced her parents
that she had an extraordinary voice
This was no easy task. Mr.. and
Mrs. Ciofani, who had come to this
country from Italy, were poor.
Frank Ciofani was a mill hand. His
wife, Carmehta, operated q sewing
machine In q dress shop. There
were three chill dfeu to support, and
Evening star., 1941-06-29

PALACECaught in the Draft what happens
when his number and Dorothy Lamo won't him
by wedlock arrives Thursday.
EARLEKss the Goodbye from the play
worlds premiere here Friday Mary Martin is the Cndy
and Don Amece her leading Sby Bowan will headline
the accompanying stage show.
CAPITOLBiy the Kid Western adventure technicoor with
Robert Taylor drawing shooting but in the
enough starts Thursday Johnny Burke soldier headlines
the
story illegal boadcasting
fighting for freedom in Germany with jeffrey Lynn Philip Dorm
Kaaren Verne at the head of the arrives Friday
Reluctant Dragon" Robert
Benhley invsdes the factory, will follow Navy
the Abbott and Costello froic.
Evening star., 1941-06-29
By Jay Carmody.

A year ago when This eager and
tireless (see, boss, it says in the
paper about US being tireless) movie
fan was In Hollywood eavesdrop-
ping on the mighty, the favorite
lament was over the shortage of
leading men. It was that. not what
malicious rumor mongers say, which
was paralyzlng producers in every
studio At any rate, that was the
impression every one seemed to want
to leave with the innocent visitor
although almost never leading men.
The undisguised anger that there
we're not enough Clark Gables, Rob
ert Taylors. Enroll Flynns. Cagneys,
Powers. etc. to go around left the
stranger with the impression tha:
1t was something that never would
happen again. Not If the studios
had to go out and hire every filling
station Adonis from Beverly Hills
to Bangor, Me.
Well, it did happen; in fact, it
never stopped happening from that
minute to this.
Just how thoroughly it never
stopped happening was expressed
here this week by Herbert Wilcox,
English producer, who dropped off
to announce that his next picture
would be made in England. Among
the several reasons for that start
ling decision on the part of the
man who directs Anna Neagle pic
lures was the fact that warning
England is lot more likely place
than Hollywood to find a leading
man.
England's Supply Better.
With an unstudied frankness that
many producer could not achieve
In years at the University of Okla
homa. even, WilsoX admitted that
Miss Neagle could not make pictures
Indefinitely without suitable mascu-
line support. In three musicals,
Irene, mo, No Nannette" and now
Sunny" she has been supported by
Ray Milland twho was then less a
leading leading mani, Richard Carl
son and John Carroll. 1t is not in
diSparagement of any of them, save
from the standpoint of boxoffice
stature, that Wilcox speaks on the
leading man situation.
The funny thing about it." said
Wilcox smiling wryly into his tonic
"is that we came to Hollywood on
the assumption that eligible males
Of suitable box-office glitter would be
easier to find than at home.'
The wryness went right out OF
Wilcox smile when he clicked of
the names of such current Englisi,
ehgibles as Leslie Howard, David
Niven, Robert Newton, Robert Do
nat, Barry Barnes and Rex Harrison
one or more of whom is likely tc
be waiting for just the role in Mis-;
Neagle's next picture
But to get back to Hollywood, ont
OF It's most conspicuous neglect.
over the period of several recen
years has been building up new lead
Ing male talent. 1t talks a lot ant
Evening star., 1941-06-29
By Ira WoIterf.
NEW YORK

NEW Yum.
This is a story about new wrinkle
the Nazi Gestapo has introduced
into show business in the part of
Europe that Himmler's meatmen
now push around.
We get it uncensored from fel-
low name censored on account OF
his wife's family. who spent long
time in show business here in New
York, and then dropped out of sight.
The word from out front of the Pal
ace was that he had bought himself
a chicken farm or whatall and was
waiting there for the fad for movies
to burn out. But instead he was over
in Europe all the time, putting dol
lar together the best he could. get
ting himself a wife in Zeebrugge
and working himself up little act
to pay the payments on their dove
cote
I'VE worked the hotel name CEN
sored, still because of the in-laws) in
Holland; can't print the name of the
city because that would give my
folks away, too. and was fixed there
permanent like the priX fiXe, kind of
part of the bill of fare almost, doing
48 weeks a year, every day in the
week and could count regular on 48
weeks every year there was year"
Not Soft, But Nice.
The wife did walk-around among
the tables, singing low and as though
in whispers into the ears of the
customers and they burbled all over
like beer while her husband followed
her. pulling notes out of guitar
and making sure the customers kept
their distance. He played the piano,
too. while she sat on the piano, sing
ing some more
1T wasn't a soft dollar" he said,
''but it was nice dollar, as nice a
dollar as ever heard in my life"
When Holland settled down to an
Evening star., 1941-06-29

bv Barbara Stanwyck and Joel Nc
Crea. They've just finished their
fifth romantic duet, The Great
Mans Lady" at Paramount. And
in each they have capped fervent
love scenes by marriage. The situ-
alton doesn't appear to bother either
player. Barbara is married to Rob-
ert Taylor and Joel to Frances Dee.
The four play cards together once a
week and often make up a dinner
foursome.
Evening star., 1941-06-29
Yes, the Movie Stars Also
Have Their Various Ills
To Make Life Difficult
Some Could Win Prizes for Health,
But Many Others Are Ridden by
Allergies and Angry Germs
By Sheiiah Graham.


How many stars wonder cd win better-heah competon'
Mickey strong"
Gable could Clark spends of his time the And
others who have
large the hlm acting fraternity bit the
side
bought house the dry brings
relief Ginger Rogers pretty until when
her abstinence the
Ginger OF was, little anem
Judy land
On
heathest Hollywood
drinks his films Larane
Laughton
things like chocolate
Belle illness
Wessmuler
Betty healthy
Evening star., 1941-06-29

no extra dollars for singing lessons.
But Herty had great enthusiasm.
He spent his savings grooming Leni
for crack at Hollywood. When
studio executives heard her sing at
the Trocadero, M-G-M signed her
without a test.
So far, Leni's movie career has
consisted of brief roles In five pic
(see BARNsLEY, Page FAD
Evening star., 1941-06-29
She Had a Private Life
Leni Lynn's High School Pals Never
Knew That's Who She Was
By Mary BarnSley
Associated Press Stan Writer.


6-year-od Ciofan graduated
School few classmates
who has had movie three
N. Hollywood
dren at a musical given honor.
Hollywood High Lens school professional lives have
Evening star., 1941-06-29
Cupid Plays Some Franks
There Are Many Romantic Teams,
Only One Married Couple
By Harold Hefersnn.

OF the world but
oddes most unpredictabe cape Hollywood SOUND
-
likely happen When Oh
the
Evening star., 1941-06-29
COMING Attractions

(See WOLFERT, Page FAD
Evening star., 1941-05-11

The boat is anchored at a choice
spot out in the ocean. A Jug Of
blood is emptied over the side, at
tracing boards of the blood-thirsty
creatures Since a shark will de-
YOUR his dead brother. the motor Is
started to frighten away some of
them. As the braver ones fash for
ward to seize the bait, the hunters
stand in readiness, harpoons and
high-powered rifles handy.
At just the right moment
wicked looking harpoon slashes out
and down from the hand Of one
experienced in the art of hitting a
vital organ, and a mad thrashing
of the once sky-blue waters into q
bloody foam announces that there
is another candidate for the leather
factory. The carcass is quickly
hauled aboard the cruiser before the
rest can get at il. In case there is
still fight left in the monster a we'll
placed shot with the rife will take
it out of him, Charles said.
The three cruises that he went
Oh always will remain memorable
experiences to Charles. Here in
Washington. in the absence of
shark-hunting opportunities, he
divides his time between archaeology
and writing short stories. He is
good swimmer. is interested in
drama and lives at 703 East Capt.
toI street.
Evening star., 1941-05-11

uoGN IoOlC ollb ollolilOL tiAilN a
hogshead of molasses. Bonnet, who
started his career as pupil of the
notorious Blackboard. had good
record as an army major before he
became acquainted with the Jolly
Roger.
But he was not the only famous
pirate who had unusual traits. The
celebrated Terror of the Seas, Ed
ward Teach, also known as Black
beard, was one of the most eXtraor-
dinary Williams in the history of
piracy. When the sea claimed Teach
the stage lost born actor. His
flair for the dramatic is shown in
the use he made of his famous
black beard.
Not content with the ferocious
appearance these whiskerS gave
him, Teach braided them until they
stuck out in all directions like so
many writhing snakes. He tucked
pieces of sloW-burning rope into
each braid and let others hang
down from the brim of his hat, so
that the smoking ends dangled all
around his face Add to this make
up" the fact that Blackboard was
over 6 feet tall and had arms that
reached down to his knees. You
can then picture how his opponents
must have felt when he charged at
them, his WhiskerS sputtering like
fuses and his head resembling
huge bomb about to explode.
Dramatic Traits.
Blackbeard's dramatic traits were
also evident in the number and type
of weapons he carried. He invari-
ably bore a cutlass in his right
hand, a pistol in his left. three pis-
tolls in his red silk Waistband. three
short knives in his belt and an
extra cutlass in scabbard which
hung from his side. And to top off
this small arsenal he usually car
ried a knife feet long in his
teeth.
The peculiar thing about the man
whose name means pirate to most
people is that he wasn't a pirate
at all! Evidence proves that the
famous Capt. Kidd, instead of being
romantic brigand was really the
victim of a political intrigue. His
trial was a farce, and his execu-
ton a gross miscarriage of justice.
There was such a thing, however,
as 'Kidd's Treasure" 1t consisted
of the profits" from privateering
Evening star., 1941-05-11
Prize Contribution.
By JOHN W. MEGGERS, IL,
Alice Deal Junior High School.

A group of 40 Indian figures rep
resenting % tribes is the feature Of
the doll collection OF my sister,
Betty Jane, 18. They are accurate
reproductions OF the costumes OF
these tribes, because they were MADE
by Indians themselves. many OF
them living on reservations IN the
United STATES.
The tribes represented are the
Apache, BannocK. BIackIoot. Chero-
kee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, ChoctaW,
Comanche, Greek, Hopi KatChlna,
kloWa, Menomlnee. MonaWk, Nava-
10, Oneida, Pamunkey, Seminole,
Seneca, IuscaroIa, Wlnneoago, Aunl
Qulchua and Jibaco.
= The Hopi dou was carved out Of
the root OF a cottonwood tree and
clad IN a ceremonial costume. The
hloWa uoll was maze OF beads, the
Seminole doll OF palmetto tlDer ID
the seneca doll from corn huSkS
and pigskin. Betty James pair OF
<aA1 ~r Nse ss1kt& >r-"->~
" -. oG-s eaT-fS Wrs.A ISsz< E-e
Jointed al the LIMOS.
The Pamunkey dolls were fash
ioned from reeds and dressed in
buckskin. They represent the tribe
OF which PocanonUas, one of the
most famous indians OF American
history, was a member.
HEADS of the ChoctaW and Greek
dolls were carved at HaskelI Insti-
tute, a Well-knoWn Indian school.
Stuuents there learned this arJ from
Tony Sarg, who is famous for his
marIonette shows. The palr OF Mo-
hawk dolls in the collection came
from Canada.
Two doll pairs are from South
America. One is of the Jibaco tribe,
headhunters of the Upper Amazon
River, hand carved from cedar,
dressed III plumeS and bark and
covered with war paint. The other
is OF the Quichua tribe, Indians liv-
ing high IN the Andes Mountains.
The latter are rag dolls.
Betty Jane has been collecting
these dolls for several years. She
and mother have bought lot of
them, while others are gifts of
friends. She also has a number of
foreign and antique dolls.
Betty Jane, who is a graduate of
Woodrow Wilson High School, is at
tending the University CT PennsyI-
vanla this year.
Evening star., 1941-05-11

expedition-and Kidd had it buried
on GARDENERS Island. just off the
east end of Long Island. Incident
ally, in case you decide to do little
treasure hunting. the treasure trove
laws of the United States follow the
common law OF England. which
states that treasures for which no
owner can be found belongs TO the
crown. In actual practice in Ameri-
ca, however, its@hnders keepers.'D
1t was, appropriately, Scotch
man who injected the element of
thrift into the business of piracy.
He was Sandy Gordon-another of
Blackbeard's unsavory friends.
Sandy thought the usual practice
of sharing the spoils with the crew
was a sinful waste. So he kept
most of the sWag for himself and
merely paid his men off in wages.
He was the only pirate chief who
ever got away with this arrange
ment
High point in Sandy's thrifty
tactics, however. occurred the time
he ran into a bad storm with his
ship heavily laden with Spanish
treasure. Instead of dispensing with
some of the treasure to tighten the
load, Sandy had 20 of his men tossed
overheard
Shown to Tourists.
Tourists to New Orleans are still
shown the spot where Jean Lafitte
and his brother ran a blacksmith
shop as a blind for their piratical
activities. Lafitte, "the pirate Of
the Gulf" bitterly resented being
called pirate. and once shot one of
his own men who suggested that
they stop pretending and call a
spade spade. Oddly enough,
Lafitte was supposed to be subject
to seasickness. Although he was
bounded for most of his career by
the American Government, he re-
fused an attractive offer to join
the British in the War of 1872. and
later helped Andrew Jackson in the
defense of New Orleans.
Capt. Mission, French pirate, was
a sort of sea-going Robin Hood. He
combined piracy with humanitarian
ideals. He not only forbade drink
ing on his boats, but also banned
profanity. Missions ships always
flew a white instead of the usual
black pirate flag.