Evening star., 1943-01-17
Three Stars Who
Find Meaning
In a Title
Lauehton, O'Hara
And Renoir Warm
To Land Is Nine
HOLLYWOOD.

HULL WoOD.
Motion picture titles drive Holly
wood publicity men nuts-meaning
of course, those who were not sum-
moned into this peculiar calling be-
cause they were already nuttier than
q bushy-tailed rodent.
Producer Daniel Doakes announces
proudly that he intends to make a
uper-dooper feature film, Birds of
a Feather" Immediately thereafter
writers in the studios publicity de-
partment get busy and for weeks on
end grind out personality stories
about the stars, feature stories,
short items-always being careful to
see that the title, Birds of a
Feather" finds a good place in every
yarn.
Many of these stories get good
breaks" in newspapers and maga-
zines all over the Nation. The pub
licity men are happy.
| Then, about week before the
picture is ready for release, Pro-
ducer Doakes sends to the publicity
director brief memo, reading:
"The final title for Birds of a
Feather will be The Last Night She
Saw Him."
Half dozen publicists, Democrats
and Republicans about equally di-
vided, promptly go out and join the
Communist party.
Inspired Title at Last.
But now, at long last, the perfect
title has been found. 1t was selected
before the pictures cast was as
signed and it will be the title, most
definitely, when the picture is re-
leased by RKO-Radio.
This Land Is Mine" is the title.
Charles Laughton and Maureen
OHara are the stars. Jean Renoir
is the director. The title Is perfect
because:
English-born Laughton, the fame
haired Dublin colleen O'Hara and
Renoir, whose native France now is
overrun by Nazi hordes, will be
American citizens before their pic
ture reaches the screens of the Ma
tion's theaters. They are making
this land their land. Each day they
work before the cameras they grow
prouder of that title-"This Land Is
Mine"
This is our home" Laughton puts
it simply in speaking for himself
and his wife, Elsa Manchester, land
we expect to make it our home for
the rest of our lives. One should
be a part of the country where he
works and earns. All our interests
have become centered here, and
while we still love the land of our
birth we are going to become citi-
zens of the United States as rapidly
as the law permits"
Laughton took out his first papers
early last spring and Immediately
afterward left Hollywood on a
lengthy bond selling tour in the East
for the Treasury Department. On
his return he went at once into the
cast of This Land Is Mine"
Gratitude Voiced.
Maureen O'Hara is protege Of
Laughton, who discovered her in the
Abbey Theater School in Ireland
and brought her to America. When
| Maureen's mother returned to Dub
| lin after the outbreak of the cur
rent war the young actress decided
that America was her land, and &C
cordingly applied for citizenship.
| Just year ago she became the bride
of young American picture direc-
tor, Will Price. Discovering that
through marriage her citizenship
might be speeded she Withdrew her
original application and now is be-
coming an American through the
shorter route applying to foreign
born wives of United States citizens.
"Ill love ireland always" Is Maui
reen's explanation, "but America
is my land and my home. 1t has
been kind to me. I'm going to be
awfully proud TO call myself an
American.
The third member of the This
Land Is Mine" trio is big bear of a
man with a personality that domi-
mates every one around him. He has
been described as "the kindest, most
considerate, temperamental person
In Hollywood" Jean Renoir did not
come to this country on an impulse
He had made proud name for him.
self in France. Veteran of the First
World War (as is also Laughton)
Renoir walks with slight limp, the
result of machine gun bullets and
forced landing when he was shot
down over Germany. His son Alain
now 10, is somewhere in the South
Pacific fighting with the American
forces.