Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-27
BY INEZ ROBB


like sunburn lotion: Burnu Acquanetta
her Meta has joined the select group OF
those who have given the movies a taste Of
their own make-beleve medicine.
And, like few other distinguished homeo-
paths before her-Sigrid Gure; Margaret
Lindsay and Robert Cummings 10 name a
few-she has gotten away with It.
She drawn TO the film capital some
months ago by the same 1-in-a-l000 chance
dream that takes such terrific annual toll
OF the nations beauties.
The chief difference between Meta and
most Of the others that she didn't turn her
acting on and of, or need lights and cameras
and scenery TO go with II. She acted all the
time, anywhere, even when brushing her teeth.
The poobahs OF pretense were caught off
guard by a performance that Just went on and
on. like a Chinese play. And before they got
hep TO the fact that it was a performance
they found they'd signed Meta TO a seven
year contract.
However, they aren't worrying much
because Meta is not debit in anybody's
books. Any way you look at her. she
is strictly oomph. ping and o. K.
An actors agent named Charles
Feldman was one of the first victims OF
her charms. When he discovered that n
she not only looked the way she obvious -
ly did look, but also had foreign &C
cent and background, wild horses
couldn't keep him from carrying the tidings
TO producer Walter Wanger.
Walter" he cried bursting in upon the
latter's meditations a few weeks ago. I've
found something you won't believe until you
see It. But ravishing! You know what
mean? Dark, sultry, explosive. colossal!
Fresh out Of VeneZuela-that's in South Amer
lea - via the Powers agency-thats in New
York. She is a find, Walter! You got TO see
this baby! She is The Good Neghbor Policy
but in dream walking
So Mr.. Wanger, of Universal Studios. told
Mr.. Feldman to bring his Good Neighbor
Policy incarnate around some day.
Not being one to let 1907 get away from
him. Mr.. Feldman squirrel his find to Univer-
sal first thing next morning.
Mr.. Wanger studied her from distance
Then he came closer. just to confirm his i'm
preston that here was one case in which an
agent might be guilty of understatement
She was something all right Dark, sutry
explosive, colossal 49, and very good looking
$50 you're from Venezuela" he unused.
Yes" she said with the accent that had
cut such ice with the impressionable Mr.. Field
man. Il do not speak English very we'll"
1T won't matter much in this first pic
ture" the producer assured her.
i Will learn as faSt as can, she promised.
And she did remarkably well, too. After
a few days she could say, contract" and
Thousand dollars a week." and "see my
agent" just like everybody else.
But there was one word that gave her a
lot of trouble. That was passport
She ran into it in a peculiarly difficult
form about a week after Mr.. Wanger had
signed her up.
You'll have to join the Screen Actors
Guild" she was told. N.
Screen Actors Guild? What Is that ?"
"A union. Everybodys got to belong to
IT, Just go around TO their office and tell
them who you are and so on and everything
will be o. K"
AS a stranger in a strange land, Meta was
eager to conform TO local customs. She visited
the Screen Actors Guild, answered routine
questions, signed cards. Then one Of the of.
ficials said: