Evening star., 1943-12-21
Willy Is a Star
Who Doesn't Need
Starring Roles
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN.
HOLLYWOOD

The No. glamour boy to all Holly
wood folks this Christmas season is
tall, smiling fellow named Willy
De Mond. You've never seen him on
the screen. You perhaps never will.
Willy doesn't need the screen. He
owns 1000 dozen pairs of nylon
stockings!
That figure represents the aver
age allotment of hosiery Willy keeps
on hand to supply the studios. Due
to an OPA arrangement, he can no
longer deal with the individual, but
only with the studios. Every item
ne sends to the moviemakers car
ries a big stamp, For production
use only-not for resale"
Nevertheless, the stars continue to
torture him with pleas for nylons
for their personal use. They all
feel that Willy must have a few
dozen pairs cached away somewhere
that he can slip them on the sly.
And with Christmas coming on
they're making his life miserable.
They can't seem to understand that
he's out of business so far as they're
concerned.
I've been in the business 20 wears
this month"; said Willy, land GER
talnly never dreamed a stocking
salesman could be so popular. Dur
ing the past three months I have
been forced to change my residence
telephone number seven times. Stars
and directors keep calling my house
at all hours Of the day and night
It's tough to be buttonholed at
every turn, but a lot tougher to be
forced to turn down so many old
friends"
One Of the towns biggest pro-
ducers cornered Willy the other dav
with a proposition to let him have
so dozen pairs OF nylons. to be
handed out as Christmas gifts. Willv
explained that he was a law-abid-
Ing man and that the deal couldn't
be worked out.
Ridiculous" said the producer.
You simply slip me the so dozen,
III pay you the ceiling price and
then go up to your house and buv
an antique from you. Certainly YOU
must have an old lamp or something
that's worth $2.5OO."
In WHY'S mail are passes to thea
ters, invitations to previews with
notations to bring as many people
as he wishes, tickets for football
games and other events. Night club
managers whom he's never met !
phone to urge him and the family |
to come down, with Everything on
the house. An important director
with a fine stock of liquor boldly
suggested a deal based on several
cases of excellent Scotch.
The only actresses who have nv
Ions for personal use these days, ac-
'ording to Willy. are those who don't
play fair with the studios. For each
days work before the camera, the
wardrobe department Is permitted |
to deal out to each actress one pair
OF nylon stockings. The understand
Ing is that they are to be turned
back after the days work. However.
many wear them home at night
and few wardrobe mistresses will
argue with a star.
The average major studio, with a
full production schedule, buys an
average of 80 dozen pairs a month.
Willy says. 4
A swanky Beverly Hills store has
Santa Claus who hears the usual
requests from children, then hands
them stamped envelope, addressed
to Santa Claus, in care of the store
That's so they can mail in their
requests.
Hedy Lamar took her son. Jamie.
who Is ~, to see Santa there. He
told Santa everything he wanted.
As they left, Santa called out: "Oh.
Miss LAMAR"
Hedy went back to see what he
What did he say?" Jamie asked
when she rejoined him.
He asked me to sign nv arfto-
graph on one of his letters" the
star replied.
Huh. the DOPE" was Jamie's only
comment.
(Released by the North American News