Detroit evening times., 1943-01-11

n most agree
able snake In f(s2
the grass.
BY lucky
chance, he is
in Detroit in - s
"Springt ime Mh' fichLhiso
for Henry" at the Wilson, so
we arranged 10 go over 10 the
Fox together 10 see him do his
dirty work at the crossroads in
Nightmare"
In "Springtime," he plays a
comedy role.
Its odd how I rot the part"
he said. About Is years ago /
played the role ~ Laura Tay-
lor's son In one ~ Noel Coward's
PLAYS, "Hay Fever"
Dwight Taylor--I.aura Tay-
lor's son-produced this picture,
and he remembered me when
ne was casting. Sure, you were
IN "Hay Fever" he said He
remembered II from Is years
before"
Condolences pop into Muir's
life, two of them in Detroit. In
"Springtime." Muir falls in love
with pretty girl who is in
volved in bus wreck. So when
Muir found a horse named Bus
Girl, he figured II was a natural.
II was. Bus Girl came in second
and paid $50.
Likewise on the stage, he
introduces himself under the
phony name Of MIR. Brown" A
few days ago. with a tooth
bothering him, he went in search
OF a dentist. A highly ethical
young lady running an elevator
In the Eaton Tower refused 10
recommend any dentists, but
waved her hand AZ list of them
m the office directory.
When he found a DR.. Chaig-
ron Brown. he decided that
ought % be the man. He turned
out 10 be good dentist Muir
says.
IAN this. Of course. makes
Muir sound like an entertain
ing gent, and not at all sinister.
Well, he can he sinister. In line
ef duty, he can he n downright
stinkeY.
TN Nightmare" he tried TO
imagine how he'd feel N he
really were = spy. That's how he
can swing 60 nimbly from com
edv To villainy. He's been in
films for n number OF years. and
was . villain In Charley Chan
NJ the Race Track" His next
will he another dirty-work role,
n Nazi officer In "Hitier's Chill
dren," the film being made from
the hook, Education for Death"
Muir isn't big enough 10 he n
brute force villain, and he has
pleasant. decent face. so he
can't use the Beery or Karloff
technique.
Instead, he does II by being
suave and politely thinking
H." he calls IL.
That is. he keeps thinking OF
the dirty deeds that he is about
10 do. and the evil communicates
itself 10 him someway or other.
AS long rs he's in front of the
camera, he isn't just acting the
part of a spy in his mind. he
is spy. You detest every hair
on his head.
1T WAS a funny feeling, sit
ting In the theater, n villain on
The screen, and n friendly chap
who has toothaches and plays
lunches sitting beside me. I was
tempted To tap the young lady
sitting In front Of him and say:
Look, do you recognize this
man sitting behind you:"
! didn't-but maybe should
have.
In the film. he plays Abbing-
ton, a Scottish nobleman who
Is a German spy. It's explained.
though, by Diana Barrymore,
that he isn't Scottish. He Is
German. but was adopted when
he was 70"
The. British have officers in
all the studios when pictures
with British locale are made.
10 see that nothing gets into
the film that will hurt morale
when the film gets TO England.
In this one. they q. KID the
story except that they drew the
line al letting Villain Arlington
wear kits. Felt tha the High
landers would resent IL. Muir
is a Glasgow Scott
There's really only one thing
that Muir doesn't like about
being a villain. It's an excellent
Job. and II calls for the highest
kind Of acting skill, but II ran
kles. he SAYS, 10 wind up In the
disgrace always reserved for
villains.
''The trouble is," he said.
"that you never, never get q
good exit line"