Evening star., 1943-09-02
Praise Without Reservation

troupers that they're taken for
granted" said Pat. He had just
finished a long scene with the
actress in a Russian cafe. one in
which she climaxed some difficult
dialogue by getting up from their
table and singing song in Russian.
1t was all done in one take
IF she continues at this pace,
she's certain to be recognized as
one of the outstanding actresses of
the screen" Pat went on She re-
minds me much of Helen Hayes.
she has many of her mannerisms,
too.
'One highly important factor in
Deanna's makeup is her ability to
show interest in what the other fell
low is saying The art of being
good listener is just as important
in the movies as it Is in real life.
Watch Deanna next time on the
screen Notice how her face lights
up when another person in the cast
begins talking and how her eyes
go straight to that persons eyes.
1t may seem a tiny trick, but it's
mighty important
You don't know how disconcert-
ing it is to have an actor stare at
the top of your head when you're
giving out with your dialogue. I do.
I slugged ham one night back
stage for doing that to me in
play"
One more in the long procession
of strange Hollywood success stories
is that of John Kodiak, Gable-like
newcomer who popped out of no
where to win the male lead opposite
Tallulah Bankhead in ''Lifeboat"
at Goth Century-Fox.
Hodiak's story is no saga of star
vation and struggle, of forcing the
breaks by sheer persistence. He
merely waited, confident that movies
would beckon at the proper time.
I've always been a firm believer
in the fates," said John seriously.
I've always sat back and waited
for things to happen. I've always
felt that if I were the guy TO do
something, Id be sought out to
do it."
A year ago, turned down by the
Army, he was sitting around Chi
cago, waiting for something to hap
pen. Meanwhile, he was earning a
pretty fair living as radio actor,
having originated the character Of
Lii Abner" on the air. Then come -,
thing did happen. He was suddenly
summoned to New York to test for
herman role in Merchant. Marine
film. For shipmate in the test,
he had Canada Lee, the young Negro
actor who had just won the drama
critics award in Native Son" AS
result of the test, John was signed
by MGM.
When Director Alfred Hitchcock
sought an actor to play Joe, the
Negro steward who is one of the
"Lifeboat" survivors, he saw the test
Canada Lee had made and signed
him. Later, in seeking a hero to
take command of the boat, Hitch
cock remembered Kodiak, rescreened
the test and borrowed him from
MGM.
X X
Cecil B. De Mile doesn't know II
yet, but he's in fair way to be
psychoanalyzed while he works.
Wherever he goes on the set of
The Story of DR.. Wassell," the pro-
| ducer- director has man follow
with hand microphone, over which
he can address the whole company
whenever he feels like it.
The mans name, we found out,
is Thor Balkarly. He is licensed
public address operator. getting
$3.50 a; week But he also hap
pens to be a licensed psychiatrist,
with card and everything. Busi-
ness being in slight slump these
days, DR.. Balkany works for De Mile
by day, and for a Glendale sana-
torium by night.
He says it's toss-up which IS
the more fertile field for a psy-
chologist-a sanatorium or De
Mile set.
(Released by the North American