Evening star., 1943-07-11
Charleton Tufts
Is the Name
He Won't Use
HOLLYWQOp.

AkSAIAI = VvN<>~A~s
II was the editor of the Yale
Record" says Sonny Tufts, Holly
woods newest male star and now
co-starring with Olivia DE-. Havil-
land In Government Girl" my
father always wanted me to write.
He was banker and naturally
very conservative coming from
Boston. When told him wanted
to be an actor, he liked the angle.
but said: For heavens sake be
good!'"
Sonny obeyed his dad implicitly.
He Is so good in $50 Proudly We
Hail" he is the player you remember
easiest in a cast that includes Claud-
ette Colbert and Paulette God
dard. And his performance caused
Director Dudley Nichols, who went
to Paramount to borrow Fred Mac
Murray for Government Girl" to
grab Mr.. Tufts instead.
"I've always been known as SON.
n.y." he says. II even sign my checks
Sonny, and at Yale, when 1t came
my turn to receive my diploma from
the president Of the university, he
unconsciously shouted: Sonny
Tufts OF course, every one roared!"
His real name? Mr.. Tufts whis-
pers. Bowen charleton Tufts the
Third"
Sonny's career as an actor was
founded at Yale, where he was q
member of the Wiffenpoofs, a group
of singing men, eight from each
class, chosen not. only for their
voices but for their mixing with
men ability. He was a tenor in those
carefree days. He is now a baritone
He sang with the college band and
made IL trips to Europe.
Sonny as OthelIo?
"It was during a stopover in Ma
Piles when I was urged to study for
opera. I got the opera bug and
studied six months in Paris and
three years in this country. I had
an addition at the Metropolitan. But
my friends kept saying. Why don't
you do popular stuff like you used
to at Yale?' AL of a sudden I be-
came commercially minded. / had
a part offered me in Who's Who on
Broadway. The temptation was too
great to resist. I also was in Sing
for Your Supper I then sang in
night clubs and hotels. All very
swank places and much more remu-
nerative than opera"
The idea of coming to Hollywood
was first implanted in Sonny's mind
by his friend, Alexis Thompson. a
millionaire sportsman. HE made q
contract with me whereby we'd both
go to Hollywood for a few months.
He paid me a salary and I was to
pay him percentage Of everything
I earned. Lex was a year behind
me at Yale" Sonny says.
II was signed by Paramount in an
odd way. II regular agent had
tried to sell me. probably would
still be trying to get in. But another
friend of mine, a hotel manager,
Jack Donnelly, went with me to
Paramount and said to Joe Egli, the
casting director, This is my friend,
Sonny Tufts. He'd like to be in
movies Joe replied, Would he
now?' But it worked.
For my screen test I was given q
love scene that Charles Boyer had
done in Love Affair 1t was funny
because 1t was not my style at all. I
gagged it all the way through, and
then was given the part Of the ma
rine Kansas in 80 Proudly We
Hail."
1t Is conjectural what Great
great-uncle Charlie Tufts, who
founded Tufts College in Boston.
and the other Tufts who first came
to this country from England in 1888
would say about their handsome de-
scendant working in pictures.
(Released by the North American Nevspa-
Der Association, Inc)