Evening star., 1943-03-28
Purge Of Lidice
To Be Recounted
In MGM Film
Choice of a Title
Is Almost Sure,
For Good Reason
By Ted Gill.
HOLLYWOOD.

AAoAl4A VooDs
An independent company. operat-
ing with the usual limited funds
but with the unlimited enthusiasm
of poverty row filmed the story OF
the martyred little Bohemian viii
lage of Lidice, which Hitler ordered
washed from the map with the
blood of it's own humble people.
When some one at MGM, which
has lots of money but no corner on
talent, saw the inexpensively made
picture the inevitable happened; !;
MGM bought it outright, and now
is putting in added-and bigger
scenes-to strengthen the story Emil
Ludwig wrote.
The same director, Douglas Sirk,
. Dane, Is doing the new scenes. He
was one OF Europe's leading film
makers before the Germans chased
him and his actress wife, Hildegard
eJary, a Jewess, to America. This is
his flrst American-made picture.
The role of Reinhard Heydrich,
Hitler's hangman who directed the
purge of Lidice, is played by John
Carradine. A sculptor, John de-
signed his own makeup, using a
bust of Heydrich which he nodded
from photographs of the assassi-
mated Nazi killer.
The picture was and still is known
as The Hangman,' but it may be
shown under another title: "Hitlers
Hangman." Why so? Well, "Hitlers
Children" which uses the No. l
Nazi's name in movie title for the
f1rst time. Is doing sensationally un-
expected business.
Scenery Deglamoured.
Short snort: Those famous high,
black curtains Greta Garbo used to
Insist on placing around sound
stages when she wanted to be alone
In her acting, have been brought
out Of the mothballs. They're now
being used to keep a little 5-year-
old youngsters, Jack (Butch) Jen-
kins, from gazing distractedly off
stage at the camera crew when he's
supposed to be acting.
Silly sally: Studios not only have
started padlocking their clothing
supplies, but the other day when a
wardrobe man passed out so pair
Of shoes to as many chorines, he
ordered that none of the gals wear
the shoes when not actually dane
ing!
Orphaned oddity: Misty Shot,
former 6-furlong plug which never
won race, has turned actor, and,
like lot of other newcomers, he has
caught on to scene-stealing In a
hurry. In his first picture he was
to trot up to John Wayne, who then
ordered him to 90 over to fence
and stand there.
This the ex-bangtail obligingly
did, but the moment he reached the
fence. and Wayne started talking
to a glanmer gal, the gee-gee looked
around and stared straight into the
camera.
When this happened for six con-
secutive times. the director decided
to leave it in and write a special line
of dialogue, figuring 1t will get a
laugh. But the horse-laugh really
isn't on Misty Shot. He draws 5000
q week!
Win in Walk.
Daffy dilly: The Joneses may have
the Nations most popular name, but
the Walkers have backed them right
of the cinematic map. Whereas
players named Jones are as scarce
around FINLAND as a fllet mignon,
you'll find Robert Walker, Mary
Walker. Pax Walker. Nancy Walker.
Cheryl Walker. Helen Walker, Basil
Walker. Ray Walker. June Walker
and Nella Walker. But with Robert
Walker. it's $3.50 . . his wife is
Jennifer Jones.
Chitter chatter: Probably the only
actor in Hollywood unconcerned over
shoe rationing is Johnny Weissmul-
Ter, who for eight years has tromped
hootless through the Tarzan series.
Jane Withers has her home hallway
completely covered with auto
graphed photos. One panel contains
those of her current boy friends, so
arranged that she can slide her cur
rent favorite into the No. spot
without too much trouble.