Evening star., 1943-07-25
NEW YORK

b. NEW YORK.
Fashions In actresses have changed
a little meandering around the radio
studios and mingling with the
voices who have an estimated all.
dience of 20O00,0oo (women) il
enough to disclose that these female
entertainers don't look or behave like
actresses, in the popular understand.
ing of the term.
q Brighter in the entertainment
field of other times were the glitter
ing, perfumeo. shimmeringly orna-
mented Lillian Russells, Lily Lang
tTy's, Anna Held's-upsetting SYM
bols to women, but matters of ecstasy
to their husbands.
Wives never overlooked these
women entirely-they always man.
aged to look them over, in dry, de-
tached, competitive way But there
never was landslide of feminine
interest until the depression pro-
duced along with the forgotten
man." the "woman's acress." by way
Of the daytime radio serial.
s known as soap operas in every
thing but paid publicity, these cheer
less dramas are unique in that they
enjoyed bonanza years during hard
times and haven't lost ground since.
.sWhen men went to see one of their
theatrical faVorites, it was part of
O fling. But this new entertainment
is deadly domestic proposition and
the female audience can derive its
melancholy pleasure in the privacy
of the parlor, Maybe it's this very
intimacy that earns for the per-
former honest affection instead of
merely awe.
{. In the good old days actresses got
fabulous chunks Of jewelry a quiv-
ering iavaliere was always good for
a carefully rehearsed robbery later,
too) from theil male admirers. But
the fans Of Lib Keller, lead on
young Dr.. Malone; Anne Elsner
CStella Dallas: Lucille Wall
tPortia Faces Life are more likely
to present nice glass of quivering
ounce jelly.
AS matter of fact, the domestic
donations are more in keeping with
the mode Of life of the radio stars.
AS opposed to the unmental, orna-
mental ladies Of another era, these
girls are reliable minded, live de-
cidedly more private than public
lives usually in Connecticut, know
how to cook hearty meal, and in
most cases couldn't be distinguished
by appearance alone, from one of
their fans. Sex appeal is no greater
drawback in the business of radio
than in any other, but it needn't be
as emphatic.
Their Feet on the Ground.
Lucille Wall says Radio has made
citizens out Of us" The security
that comes from working 50 weeks
a year, being paid anywhere from
$500 to $1,000 every one of those
weeks, and never going on the road
makes possible a normal home life
that important actresses Of the
stage, who were put up temporarily
in Fifth avenue hotels, never knew
anything about.
BY the time Marjorie Anderson
gets into CHS at 10:45 in the morn
ing to star on Big Sister" she has
done her marketing in Connecticut,
deposited her 4-year-old daughter
and ration book with a neighbor if
it's the maids day eff, and possibly
jerked few handsful Of weeds out
Of the vegetable garden Saving the
backbrcaklng chores for Weekends) .
Because Of the very seriousness of
the plot lines in daytime radio and
the almost frightening influence the
leading ladies WELD over their lis
teners, advertising agencies who cast
these shows are sticklerS for the
conduct Of their actresses.
Those who are married seem to be
the respectable and faithful part
ners Of real estate brokers, civil en-
gineers, architects zone is the spouse