davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Production Plunges Ahead
By Sheilah Graham .

film. "Tropicana Hazel Scott plays
WAC and does her stuff at the
piano. William Gaxton and Victor
Moore are in this. so it should be
funny as we'll as musical And for
orchestral rhythm there is Xavier
Cugat. . On an adjoining sound
stage Ted Lewis and his band are
asking the old question, rs Every
body Happy?" Nan Wynn, who used
to serve only as the voice in the Rita
HayWorth musicals, sings with the
band
The War at Metro.
At Metro there are four pictures
with war angle. "A Guy Named
joe is about American flyers in
England and stars Spencer Tracy
and Irene Dunno. The White
Cliffs of Dover" is based on the
poem by the late Alice Duer Miller,
stars Irene Dunno and Alan Mar
shal and is about an American girl
who married into the British aris-
tocracy just before the First World
War. and of her life in England up
to and including the Second World
War. For comedy, Metro has See
tSee GRAHAM, Page C-9D
Evening star., 1943-08-15
A Promising Old Favorite
By J. NJ. Kendrick.

that she has improved considerably
as an actress. She fairly carries the
play. That has the effect, at times,
of creating the impression of over
acting. In fact, she does overact in
the closing lines of the play. A good
director could take care of that and
have no doubt, as the tour con-
tinues. that If he does not, she will
She plays we'll and with confidence
That Vital Asset.
Miss Swanson is slim and beau
tlful. Naturally. she has matured
but time has added to her beauty
and charm. And, she has that great
asset, which all actors dread losing
the public, which helped make hel
as one of the highest paid motion
picture stars in those days, still
crowds to see her.
I was one of the few men at the
matinee performance, packed with
girls and housewives. It was inter-
esting to note that, just as in the
days of her motion picture career
they either liked her great deal, OF
dlsliked her very much.
On one side of me, a woman re-
marked:
How charming! A great actress. ;
But in the row ahead:
She's terrible. I wonder how she
keeps her looks"
And there was the speculation on
all sides as to her age.
I couldn't tell them her age. MY
guess, from what she has said pri-
vately and publicly, is that she is be-
tween "A and As.
Down through the years, I have
seen her at many cocktail parties
On most occasions, her glass was
barely touched. I asked about it
once.
Aside from the brains I have"
came the reply, my chief stock as
an actress Is my face and figure
and / am keeping them as long as I
can"
! After the matinee the other aftey-
noon, was telling her about the
audiences reactions. She enjoyed
them as much as she enjoys and
graciously autographs extended pads
as she enters and leaves the theater
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Charity Begins at WPB
By Jay C0rmody.

1t Is 50 seldom that charity begins
with the War Production Board.
that 1t is almost as r1ewsworthy as
the story of the man who bit the
dog. uf, of course. any man ever
bit dog except as a publicity stunt
which would nullify its news value)
However, for once at least, charity
has begun with WLB and 1t seems
worthy of meditation on a Sunday
when such a cardinal virtue should
be at It's contemplative best.
The charity in question Is that
which made possible the lavish pro-
duction OF This Is the Army" It
is one of the more conspicuous ele-
ments of the picture. one which
comes shining through the jocularity,
the melody and the other qualities
with which the enterprise is en-
dowed. This Is the Army" is noth-
Ing that could have been built 30
hugely. so ornamentally, and so
colorfully on the 5000 set-cost
limits which govern today's movies.
Patiently, it is not.
The WPB, which is not In the
movie business however much 1t
may be on it along with other nom
military enterprise, said 1t need not
be. The argument which won It
over was simple. direct and unan-
swerable IN other than afflrmative
mods.
This Is the Morale,
1t was simply that This Is the
Army is more than a motion pic
ture. 1t Is a morale builder, civilian
as well as noncivilian. It is a hypo-
dermic for whatever spirit may be
tagging, or tagging This Is the
Army is not all OF the Army by
any means, If one wants to be
challenging about 1t. AS an X-ray
of the spirit-the gayety, the cour-
age, the individualism expressed in
dozen songs and several dozen
wisecracks-of those who compose
the fighting arm Of America, 1t
transcends any other single literary
expression of it. 1t is the force be-
hind the thousands of feature stories
which have been written of Amer
lean fighting men in the past 20
months. 1t is the spirit of all
America which rides above sectional
ism, political partisanship, bigotry
and prejudice. Because it is, it
exists beyond the ordinary standards
of judgment and becomes within
itself the perfect thing of its kind.
1t has an eloquence far beyond the
force Of its words, and It's essential
merits as piece Of dramatic htera-
ture.
1t has this, too, beyond the lum-
ber, the plaster, the metals and
whatever else the WPB granted to
its lavish construction, but 1t is the
more impressive for them. They
make it possible for the Army to
look its size as well as to illustrate
its confidence-inspiring zest and
vitality. To have cramped the pro-
Evening star., 1943-08-15
HOLLYWOOD

It's a gift. Actors are born, not
made.
There's fiat statement on a con-
troversial question that has ragged
in the world of the theater ever
since the first caveman was inspired
to impersonate the Queen of the
May.
Acting is bigger thing than ii
seems on the surface. No part ever
has been written that did not re-
quire concentrated study for a good
performance. And every part that
an actor plays makes some contri-
button to the accumulation of ex-
perience that Is called technique.
Always the tendency is to overdo a
part, scene, a line. The born actor
will uI1derdo almost everything, al
ways feeling much more than he
expresses. 4
This tendency to overdo is in
evitably fatal on the screen. 1t Is
not so serious on the stage. AL
though many people do not realize it
there is tremendous difference be-
tween the stage and the screen 50
far as acting itself is concerned
The close-ups make the difference
principally.
The closer the camera gets to you
the less you have to do, the more
you must feel.
I remember when I was playing
in Mr.. Pitt" stage play, years
ago. One of the high spots of the
piece was the scene in which I re-
turned, after an absence of 20 years,
to find the son that I had left at
the age Of ! grown into a fine. stall
Evening star., 1943-08-15
TOday's Film Schedules

CAPITOL-Above Suspicion, hega through Germany
4:30, 7:15 and 10 Stage M
COLUMBIA-Coney Island the with
7:30 and 9:35 pm.
EARLEThis Is the Army the almosta 40
Land $40 pm Stage shows: 1:l0 $50 $50 and 91o
kE1THS-'Hers Hold"
$3.50, 5:35, TBS and GAO pm
Senbecks story: 3:05 73o
and Gas pm.
METROPOLITAN" amour:
l. 355 655 and $50 pm
PALACEDixie" Bng Crosby 31o $685. 735 and
$50 pm.
P1xYou Can't Take 1t With You" that family AIS
6:45 and $40 pm
TRANS -LUx-Nevs and shorts: Continuous pm
Evening star., 1943-08-15
HOLLYWOOD.


AS of last week, there were Sd
feature films on the sound stages in
Hollywood. Fifteen were mammoth
musicals. Fifteen were about the
war in various phases. The other
"a were divided about equally be-
tween westerns. thrillers and pic
lures that have little to do with life
as most of us have known it.
The musicals are really shooting
the works in the matter of money,
color and casts. Columbia has three
big ones in production that will con-
sumo at least four of the studios
millions of dollars Heading them is
Cover Girl" with beautiful girls
dressed in beautiful clothes. Rita
HayWorth has so many lovely dresses
in this one that she barely has time
to wear them. JinX Falkenburg
lends her looks to this movie. So do
gorgeous Anita Colby and the Is
cover girls The men in this haven't
much chance to do more than sup
port. Gene Kelly is the boy who
loves and finally gets Rita-but not
until they have done several dances
together.
Smaller In budget is the Mae West
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Heaven Gives to Actors
BY alter Huston.

Wart young man. As the father, ]
failed to measure up to the dreams
that the young fellow had built
around his wandering dad. He was
ashamed of his father and the IA
ther knew it. So did the audience.
Feel With the Audience.
This particular night that I am
recalling spotted a. little old man
in the front row. We barely got
into the scene when I discovered
that this spectator was tremen-
dously affected. Tears were cours-
ing down his cheeks.
Never in my life have l done any
scene so we'll as I did that one then
Partly that was due to the factor
of audience reaction, the absence OF
which is Sc poignantly deplored by
stage players newly recruited to the
screen. But the chief ingredient of
my best performance was this:
did that scene well because ]
was sorry for the guy In the front
row. And there lies the real key to
good acting. The best advice ever
given any actor is this: AN actor
must never feel sorry for himself
only for humanity"
Simplicity and sincerity and un-
derstanding of the role are the prin-
cipal elements of a good perform
ance. These are implemented by
technique, but they cannot be ac-
quired and are, on the contrary,
God-given gifts.
Technique can, of course, be
learned. But technique alone, with
out the instinct, the depth of feel
ing, is never enough. The master
craftsman is one who has developed
a f1awless technique-and then hides
it. He can't hide it If he has moth
ing but technique.
Drama schools never made an
actor nor an actress. But they do
serve useful purpose, both to the
candidate for stage and screen and
to the producers and directors.
Other Requisites, Too.
went to a dramatic school for
two or three months. 1t was useful,
but l didn't learn anything much
about acting there. I did, however,
acquire the patter of the profession,
and I learned definitions and terms
used in the theater. Also, I came to
feel at home on the stage and back
stage. That helped, perhaps, most
of all. 1t helped overcome the self
consciousness that even the most
See HUSTON, Page C-9D
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Simplicity Lies Under Those Headdresses

since I come to the United States.
Something happen when we look at
each other in the eyes. He is hand
some, he has blue eyes, he is tall
and he has some romantic gray hair
above his ears little and a nice
mustache. He is 81 years old.
He told me he knows me for four
years, because when I first came to
New York he saw all the photo
graphers at the ship taking pictures
OF me, and he ask them who I am.
Then he went to see me in my
shows.
Then, after I meet him on nv
set, I go to the picture show, I 60
in and sit down. 1t is very dark.
but when the lights come up, there
Is my new friend beside me! Don't
you theenk that mean something,
when we meet like that by acci-
dent?"
How is this going to come out?
Which man wins?" we asked.
The Wait for Life.
Il sit and let my luck work. I
never rush into things. I wait till
life brings good or bad. If good, I
am happy, If bad, time to worry
when 1t comes. My American, he
calls me on the telephone, we 90
out sometimes together. He Is
charming" she smiled.
At this poh,t her English tutor
brought three pieces of hot toast,
thickly buttered Carmen went to
work on them with keen enjoyment.
I like a good theeck steak" she
said languishingly.
English, for her, she says, Is best
learned by going to picture shows.
When she is not working, she some
times sees two double features in a
day. Tutors teach such formal Eng
lish, she says, glancing at the young
man. She prefers colloquial speech,
and doesn't think it good idea to
lose her accent entirely.
1t all sounds simple. AS Carmen
fitted her sleek head into a bunch
of bananas hung with huge in
candeScent strawberries stuck with
gold pins, and a black shimmering
gown sewn over with more of same
was draped over her tiny form,
there was a CLINT in her eye
! looked at her publicity man, a
personable fellow. He Is about 81,
tall, with blue eyes. gray at the
temples. and . neat mustache.
Evening star., 1943-08-15
By Rosaiind Shafer.
HOLLYWOOD.

The most hunted, haunted and
harried man in Hollywood is not
an actor. Nor is he a director, a
casting agent or producer
He's story agent and his name
Is H. N Swanson.
Swanson, young. curly-haired and
handsome, gave up the luxury Of
having a phone in his home long
ago. IT'S too rough he says.
Walters, actors, cowboys. bellhops,
violin players, society women, taxi
drivers, all approach him with a
confidential air. slip him manu-
script and murmur the words that
at once are the key to his success
and the bane of his life. They are:
"Here's story I wish you'd look at
Some one once said that every
one has at least one good story in
him. That started something" says
Swanson ruefully. Il think writer's
should be warned away from Holly
wood, just the way starry-eyed girls
are advised to stay home. This
place has six writer's to every actor.
"A grip. a cowboy, waiter, an
extra, worker in a war plant, all
of them are getting material They
want to write for pictures. They
read about the enormous prices
paid for film stories andthey want
to get in on the jackpot. They
don't know that that kind of money
goes only to the successful writer's
who have made the grade.
Writing is an exact science. like
weaving a Panama hat. If you
don't do 1t right, it won't turn out
right. If you want to write for
pictures. get hot in your own racket
first," Swanson advises would-be
writer's.
Remember the Magazines.
eff you think you can write, keep
ct it, right where you are, and write
about the things YOU know, until
you're good enough to sell some
thing TO the magazines. They're
seeking new writers.
my agency handles only success
full writer's. We return unsolicited
manuscripts unopened. There ought
TO be some one to teach people how
to write for the screen, but we
haven't time.
Studios do a great injustice to
college kids whom they sign and
bring here as junior writers. No
one teaches them, they don't know
what screen writing is all about, and
after three or four months they're
zombies sitting around the studio
lunchroom. Now. II they'd let these
kids alone, they'll work hard and
eventually sell to magazines or turn
out novel or radio show. Later,
they'll be ripe for Aims.
with actors and actresses, the
studio has. talent coaches. and with
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Coming Attractions

CAP1TOL"Sving Shift Maisie" James
Craig: Thursday
COLUMBIA-"Victory Through
exander de Seversky narrating; starting Thursday.
EARLE-'Wach the Rhine" with
KEITH HS-Saudos Amigos DsneyS
Thursday.
LIT1LE-My FaVorie Wife" with Grant
revival starting Wednesday.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of with and
Teresa Wright; revival starting Friday
PALACE-Heaven Can Wait with Don Ameche Terney
starting Thursday.
P1xThe Leopard Man. with Margo starting
Wednesday. 80
Evening star., 1943-08-15
By the Associated Press.
81
HOLLYWOOD

HOLLYWOOD.
Proximity of war industries. with
their lavish pay checks, and the de-
mands OF the draft have made the
maintenance of Hollywood's ele-
CANT Establishments difficult and in
some cases impossible. However,
some wise women have survived the
general confusion and continue to
run serene and smoothly working
establishments in spite of the de-
mands of a career on their time and
energy.
Merle Oberon Is among these. A
Sunday afternoon caller at her hill
top Georgian home will find immac-
ulate sweeps Of lawn, neat flower
beds and tidy terraces about the
pool. Within, the delicate furnish
ings show an enviable prewar state
of care. Tea beside the pool indi-
Gates that the cuisine has not suf-
fered
Merle's formula Is all-feminine
help. including a chauffeuret, and
consideration for employees.
I'm not the only one" says
Merle. Joan Bennett has kept her
household intact, and I could name
others. It's not matter of money
A little consideration for help and
their problems as human beings
pays dividends, that's all.
A Girl Named Van.
Il first decided to employ all fem
inine help when I had three chauf-
feurs whisked out of the drivers
seat by the draft. There are women
taxi drivers. Why not chauffeurs?
I picked one carefully. She is a
vivid blond named Van, who at first
glance wouldn't give the idea that
dependability is her outstanding
characteristic. In fact. I'm just watt
ing for my husbands return from
England and the gossip that will
Evening star., 1943-08-15

duction would not have been fair 70
people whose Army IL Ii.
WPB was travelling, OF course. In
one Of the most generous companies
that ever collaborated on the pro-
duction of q piece of entertainment
when 1t gave the go-ahead to This
Is the Army
The Contributing Hands.
Devised as q show TO raise funds
for Army Emergency Relief, the pro-
duction has exquisitely escaped the
flavor Of commercialism, or indeed
the barest touch of 1t. Every one
involved In its presentation donated
his services, including the service
mems cast, which did not escape
training during the pictures maxi
ing. Irving Berlin wrote the music
and the basic show at the request
Of the Army. Kate Smith. Frances
Langford, George Murphy, Joan
Leslie, Alan Hale and all the others
who sing 1t, dance 1t, not only drew
no salaries, but paid their own
expenses during the production.
Michael Curtiz, the director, cper-
ated on precisely the same agree
ment. They regarded themselves as
working for Army Relief. and Army
Relief pays only the needy families
Of servicemen.
The most striking single gesture
involved in the production was that
Of Warner Bros. the producing
studio. It's original agreement with
The Army, when 1t paid $25o000 for
for the film rights of the stage
show, was that it would take so per
cent of the profits. Before the pic
ture actually began the studio vol-
unfairly changed the agreement.
The rewritten contract simply called
for the return Of production costs
to the studio, the additional sum-
likely to run far into the millions
to go directly to- the Army Relief
Fund.
Pretensions Nonexistent.
The WPB. along with every one
else involved, could afford to be
charitable. And no one In Holly
wood will regard the charity as set
ting precedent. for the project has
nothing but well-wishers among the
industry. which splits the good will.
If not the profits. of highly spe-
cial piece of entertainment.
This Is the Army" Is a nice mon
ument to an all-pervading spirit Of
good will.
One aspect of this affection for
the picture which is unusual Is the
unanimous critical reception 1t has
received. Critics have accepted 1t
for what 1t is-a completely un-
affected piece Of drama in its senti-
ment. Its ribaldry. its vitality. its
irreverence. and even in its brief
interlude of mawkish reverence.
They have found themselves hap
pily beyond the need to defend
themselves for becoming rhapsodic,
no matter how rare or alien the ex-
perience to their individual critical
creeds and standards.
Evening star., 1943-08-15
Hail the Return of Bergner
By Lasorence Perry.

as vampish beauty, Vera Allen as
wife No. i. Philip Tonge as the
family physician, Michellet Burani
as the aging French maid of all
work and Stiano Braggioti as FAM
lily friend, all lend fawless support.
AIS Nice Guy.
At the very outset of the season
A. H. Woods, whom every one likes
and wishes we'll, provides additional
explanation why unproduced play
wrights abandon their fruitless
craft and turn to the marts of trade,
or plumbing, or something of like
practically, to which some, but by
no means all, of them are better
suited.
Why, in view of thousands OF
scripts currently available for man
ayers, Al Woods selected a farce
comedy by Sheldon Davis, entitled
TRY and Get It." with which to
open the theatrical season of 1884
may be ascribed to the effects of
summer consistently hot and thus
mentally debilitating. Either that,
or else certain access of nostalgia
sentiment leading the producer to
believe there still remained in the
public heart warm place for
pieces of the genre of Getting
Gertie's Carter" up in Mabels
Room and other expressions of
mildly pornographic drama which
used to delight our fathers and
older brothers.
1t may be there are enough
theatergoers hereabouts sufficiently
dated In this respect to carry along
the Sheldon farce-comedy for
awhile. For AL Woods sake, If not
for the sake of art, I hope so, sin
cerely.
(Released by North American Newspaper
Alliance, 1nc)
Evening star., 1943-08-15

| NEW 1o1th.
Not so many years ago, when
Gloria Swanson quit appearing in
motion pictures, she became very
much the business woman. She
established an agency for develop
| ign inventions and, among other
successful ventures, company
which manufactured a new type OF
hard metal.
After about two years of this.
talked with her about going on the
stage. I even handed her a script
to read. Nothing doing
She was tired Of grease paint and
everything that went with motion
pictures. She had never appeared in
serious play or a musical on the
stage and would not attempt a
Broadway production unless she had
been through sufficient experience in
out-of town theaters. Besides, she
was too interested in business and
the more normal life it provided.
Well about three months later,
Miss Swanson was on her way to
Hollywood to make another picture
And was not in the least surprised
about two years ago when the phone
rang, and. on the other end, Gloria
Swanson was announcing calmly she
was going into what is known as the
legitimate theater.
But not on Broadway" she ex-
planned. Il am going to do Re
fected Glory on a tour of Eastern
cities. If things go we'll, I'll tackle
Broadway later"
l went to see Reflected Glory"
1t was. of course, an outdated We
hicle. Miss Swanson was good, but
had much to learn as stage actress.
The experiment was financial sue
cess.
Next, she did Three Curtains" )"
which included Shaw's rMan of Des-
tiny" Sir James M. Barrie's The
Old Lady Shows Her Medals and
Pinero's THE Playgoers." I cannot
give you first-hand information, but
in her tour about the country she
received good reviews and, again,
she made money for herself and
hackers.
Developing Apace.
The other afternoon, I rode with
her to one of New York's outlying
theaters to watch her performance
in Rachel Crother's comedy, Let
Us Be Gay" which was first pro-
duced by John Golden many years
ago. After playing around New
York, the show will go to other
cities, and this fall she hopes to
open in new play on Broadway.
Let Us Be Gay" you may recol-
lect, concerns the antics of a gay
young widow. of the grass variety.
who has been invited by crafty
and wealthy old hostess to the lat
ter's country estate home to entice
a lover from a pretty granddaughter,
whose engagement to a youngster
In keeping with her age, was about
to be broken by the new infatua-
ton.
Kitty Brown, the widow, finds the
lover is none other than her for
mer husband. There are, of course,
many complications and situations,
which back in the 1920s were anus
ing enough to laugh number of
dollars from the pockets of New
York playgoers.
Now, we find the play mostly out
dated, but thanks to Miss Swanson
and a good cast many laughs still
remain. 1t is pleasant to report