Evening star., 1942-04-30

Capitol Theater by the Hollywood
Victory Caravan for Army and Navy
Relief will be far different from the
bers of the travelling company at re-
hearsals yesterday afternoon at the
Willard Hotel.
That's the safest statement ever
made in the prints. No show ever
could be quite like the widespread
rehearsal, ranging all over the large
and small bathrooms of the hotel, of
this revue headlined by more than
a score of top flight cinema stars.
The picture cannot be detailed in
ANY degree of completeness. You
will have to see the show tonight to
See what did not happen yesterday
and to wonder how 1t could have
been produced by what did happen
yesterday.
Something Like . Circus.
At one side of the ballroom was a
large table, at which sat Director
Mark Sandrich, Gene Ford Of the
Capitol Theater and others assigned
production tasks, attempting some
what frantically to plot the show
mechanically-to arrange lights,
scenery, etc.
Of in a corner were James Gag
ney, freshly but rather wearily ar
rived from New England, and Merle
Oberon, arrived from somewhere
else, rehearsing one Of the Skits for
tonight's show. In another corner
were Olivia de Havilland, Joan Ben
nett, Joan Blondell and Arleen
Whelan, rehearsing bit about
woman war workers, which, Olivia
said, was pretty funny. 1t was funny
enough when the lines could not be
heard and the rehearsers had no
costumes or props.
In another room a large and
vociferous orchestra was rehears-
ing something which was hidden
from a peeking reporter by a door
which almost shipped his nose as
it changed in his face. From the
room one or another Of the star
lets-from the group including
Elyse Knox, Juanita Stark, Fay Nc
Kenzie, Frances Clifford, Inez Coop
er, Alma Carroll and Katherine
Booth-would drift occasionally to
prop-weary feet up on leather
cushions, to sigh. and to doze. In
side the dance went on.
Puzzler for CaEney.
Back in the main ballroom, Mr.
Cagney was somewhat nonplussed
when an Army captain came up and
asked:
do people tell you that you look
like me?"
Mr.. Cagney allowed as how he
hadn't noticed that people had been
telling him that lately.
A small sigh spread through the
room. propelled by the surging OF
those feminine hearts present. The
party entering included Charles
Boyer.
Miss Claudette Colbert entered at
the same time, but reporter Is a
slave of duty. Mr.. Boyer turns out
to be quite the same sauve and
charming citizen (he is definitely
that now, too of the screen that
he has been on. He talked about
a last, sad journey on the lie de
France. He talked about a dra-
matte bit entitled The Last Glass"
which will be his major contribu-
fN ~ Ha al
mitted that he was one of those
taking part in another feature OF
the show-something called Sweat
er Boys"
Plays to Real People.
Mr.. Boyer certainly is not the
male Garbo you might have ex-
pected, frightened of cameras and
unwilling to talk. His only au-
diences for number of years have
been movie cameras, but he is look
ing forward to playing to real peo-
pile. His only worry is that the skit
he is doing may be in too low
key dramatically for some of the
10000 capacity auditoriums he is
scheduled to visit.
A different worry was that of one
of the publicity men in attendance.
A photographer set up what he
though would be a good gag pic
ture. shot of Groucho Marx leer-
ing at Miss Blondell. 1t looked good
to other photographers and there
was a rush. But the publicity man
didn't like it.
You promised not to take any gag
pictures when you came In here .