Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-04-19
Jack Pickering
Here
and
Now

Inere are tlfneS WHcn you
! ish a boy would be a brat.
Take Roddy McDowall, b.
year-old movie star of Pied
Piper" "How Green Was My
Valley" My Friend Flicka."
and so on.
At 10 he acts like an adult.
both in his thoughts and his
bearing. He has more poise than
most OF the celluloid prima
donnas who have come barn.
storming through Detroit.
In fact. he is so doggone we'll
behaved that you begin 10 think
there must be something wrong
with him. 1t just isn't natural
for a boy OF ID not 10 have at
least a few ornery streaks in
him.
II made me feel much better
when / learned, by doing some
shopping around, that Roddy re-
lakes and even goes in for some
brattishnesS, Of a mild but hu-
man sort, when he's through
with his public appearances for
the day.
On his tour he Ii accompanied
by his mother; his private tutor,
Mrs. Nelson who In called Nellie;
Dick Owen, manager Of the
tour. one other publicity man.
Jay Frank IL the extra one who
is on the Midwest part of the
tour.
In private, Roddy has taken 10
running up behind Frank and
booting him with his knee.
Every boy does this in school
Fairgrounds. and as far as I'm
concerned. it's good thing for
Roddy 10 do il, as long as Frank
doesn't mind.
Frank admits that he was
somewhat tender when he sat
down after the first day of il.
Nut since then he has been boot
Ting Roddy back again and they
get along fine. Hes about a
dozen ahead OF me though"
Frank said.
Roddy has to 60 tn school Ave
days n week. three hours a day,
and II he misses q day, Nellie
makes him catch up later. In
the three weeks OF his tour, he
has accumulated nine hours To
make mp. He's In the ninth
grade which Is better than par
for his age.
He likes rhummy mot gin
mummy but doesn't play for
money. Nellie disapproves Of
cards. so IL he wants TO annoy
her he pulls a deck Of cards out
OF his pocket. He also calls her
Baby Face" which she doesn't
mind. and she says ne is the best
pupil she has had-for years she
has tutored movie children Of
Roddy's age II he gets TOO flip
pant, she gets even with him by
giving him three straight hours
Of arithmetic. which he hates.
While he was here he went To
Windsor for an interview at
CKLW with some other British
youngsters who. like Roddy,
were sent to America to escape
the blitx OF l940.
Roddy lived In London. 10
miles from Croydon. Bombs
smashed the windows. blew In
the door and knocked some holes
In the roof Of his house. hut
Roddy said that "you soon get
bored with II. II becomes a nuis-
ance. that's ALL"
The Windsor youngsters were
Robert Paterson. 10. and his sis
ter. Jean. IL, from Glasgow. who
live with their uncle and aunt.
>fr. and Mrs. w. ID. Hudson OF
t76 Pelissier; and Alec Gray,
rs, and Ian and Kenneth Gray,
I3 and twins. from Edinburgh.
who live with their aunt and
uncle. Mr.. and Mrs. David Seggie
Of 1888 Parent. All came over In
the summer Of 1910. Roddy's
ship. the Scythia, IL the only one
of six ships In his convoy that Is
still aHoat
Trading notes. the kids learned
that Roddys father. formerly in
the trucking business, is now in
the British merchant marine.
Roddy doesn't know where he is
now but saw his father once or
twice when his ship touched
Pacific Coast points.
The father OF Jean and Robert
II a street car man In Glasgow.
hut IL In the hospital now. Driv-
ing a tram night after night In
a total blackoU. was too much
strain.
OF all Of these youngsters. and
all have been through plenty of
air raids. none shows any fear
except Robert. and he doesn't
any longer. When he first ar
rived in Windsor. whenever
plane flew over the CITY he
would dive under the kitchen
table.
To get back to Roddy, he
works enormously hard, hut he
loves II. He IL the least tenn
peramental Of the party. Mama