The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-01-22

<Soiiiodius the XIII VINO a0mltt
She was scatter Drained - on
purpose. She developed a voeabu-
larry that would make sailor
husband for good reason. She
vas Hollywood's leading screwball
and it paid her s400. 900 a year.
Miss Lombard had been the lush
and curvesome heroine of many q
torrid drama when. in 1886. she CO.
starred with her ex-husband, VIII
liam Powell. in My Man Godfrey. +"
This was the first of the screw
ball movies, which have emerged
from Hollywood in a never-ending
flood ever since.
The picture made a fortune for
It's producers and II made Carole
one Of the brightest stars in the
movies. Only trouble was. all the
fans figured she was the same
kind of girl she was in the pic
fure. And If that was what they
wanted, figured Miss l.. she'd give
n to EN- in double measure. Her
echeme worked for all around. She
never did have any respect for
the pompous gentlemen at the
heads of most studios and in her
new character of wild-eyed wench
she could get by with things of
which other actresses dared not
even dream. For instance:
One studio chieftain functioned
at an ornate desl. at the end Of a
room only two sizes smaller than
Grand Central terminal in New
York. He liked to glover al
trembling actors as they progress
ed across his polished floor and
finally reached his desk in a state
OF near collapse.
First time Miss Lombard entered
his sanctum, there he was, glover
ing.
"H-m-m-m," she said. look
ing slowly around the vast
room and finally at the pro-
ducer, Hello, Mussolini. l
guess I'm In the wrong Of
flee"
She walked out. The master
mind had to rush out after her,
himself on the mental defensive.
She got what she wanted from
him. Producers were the gentle
men that she didn't much like.
Way back in the early days of
picture making" she once explain
ed, they took all the money and
gave the actors nothing. Then
came the guild and bitter competi-
ton among the studios and the
performers wages went up, like
mine did, TO crazy levels.
Then the government came
In and took most Of IL In taxes
and that was all right by me.
I'D rather my money went TO
feed a hungry man any day,
than into the bank account Of
some picture maker who didn't
need IT."
This conversation led later 10
the memorable interview in which
she announced that she liked to
pay rs per cent of her salary In
income taxes. As she put it,
1T is pleasure TO ride around
the country on its fine roads, to
zee its magnificent schools and its
fine post offices. II is pleasure
70 know that ! helped pay for
them"
This was lese ma jeste in Holly
wood, where the fsvorite sport, in
door and out, was denouncing the
bureau Of internal revenue. She
was classifying her feelings. sneered
many another actor, just TO get
her name in the papers. The rest
of the country didn't think so.
She was inundated with congratu-
Iatory messages from plain citizens
who felt as she felt.
Today - thanks TO Lombard -
actors don't grouse about their
taxes.
Yet soon after Miss Lombard
told this writer about her TAX
philosophy, she was at the shop OF
an obscure printer. dickering with
him TO set up in type and make one
copy Of the standard sctor-sgent
contract, with revisions Of her own
devsing
When time came "a sign
new deal with hyron SslznIck,