The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-06-01

Miniver," MAD.
anne Curie,
Random Har-
vest" and white
Cliffs. How's that
for a record2
Guess there can 80
be no protest s;dnov Franklin
aboutwhose shoes
Sidney Franklin is standing inl
We've been friends for so many
years / don't like to count them.
Let's settle for a quarter Of a cen
turyI So when l breezed up TO his
office | knew I'd be welcome. How
ever, knocked politely and waited.
A barking dog answered me, so l
opened the door and walked in. What
met my startled glance? Four sol
emn men were seated in a semi
circle looking intently at Sidney,
who was crawling on his hands and
knees from behind the couch, bark
ing
What gives?" says l.
Sidney rose, blushed little, and
extended his hand. 81 haven't gone
to the demnition bowwows," says
he. II was just acting out the pups
scenel"
There's Teamwork
And there you have the answer to
his success; there isn't even the
smallest role in any of his pictures
that doesn't come alive in Sidney's
office before the scenario is handed
over to the director and actors.
These men with him were writer's,
director, and art director. They filed
out soberly, as we all do when we
have just been impressed by some
ones knowledge and integrity, leav-
ing Sid and me to talk about the old
days; about those years of struggle
and all they entail. Sidney likes TO
talk about the past. So do l.
Sidney came here from San Fran
cisco 30 years ago. He was then
school boy on summer vacation,
hanging around the gates of the old
Selig studio and trying to catch a
glimpse of the mysteries beyond.
One day a husky guy was unload
ing equipment from a big van. He
saw this shy kid looking up at him
with eager eyes. "Wanta lug this
camera into the studio for me?"
GadgetS to Grease Paint
Sidney sprang into action, and
once inside those gates, they
couldn't get rid of him. There was
drive and determination in that
kid. By the time he took a Job in the
old Hobart Bosworth studio, about
year later, he had schooled himself
to do so many chores, and to do
them well, that he was nicknamed
Sid Detail. Then came that memo
rable day when an actor didn't show
up. He was scheduled to play oppo-
site growing grizzly bearl Sew
eral actors refused the role. At last
driven to desperation, the director
yelled, Where's Sid Detail?"
Around the corner came little Sid
so thin he could sit on a dime and
show the edges He looked at the
bear. The bear looked at him.
But Sid Detail was used to taking
orders, and the director was telling
him what he was to do in the
scene. An hour later, when the
cameras stopped grinding, come
dian was born. He could have taken
his place beside Harold Lloyd or
the others.
Braun and Brain
ALI of us urged him to go on act
ing. But he lacked the self-exploita-
ton actors need. Direction inter-
ested him more. In that capacity he
could express himself behind the
camera, pulling the strings, a
shadowy figure on the sidelines.
But, having the potentialities of a
fine actor, he helps his writer's to
visualize scenes, always acting out
every role until they themselves
can detect any false situations or
actions. A hard taskmaster-all per-
fectionists are. But his writer's love
him, even when he wears them to
the bone. One of them said: "Hedda,
that guy works from the heart as
well as the brain. In story confer
ences he's inspirational and untir-
ing"
smiled. I'd listened to the same
story for years, but in spite of this
grueling work in the Franklin unit
there isn't a writer who doesn't
plead for the opportunity.
Impressive Christening
I've done nothing to deserve the
honor that was bestowed on me re-
Gently, when I christened one of
Douglas CAT ambulance planes
which the company is naming Hedda
Hopper. Having one of those giant
birds of mercy bearing your name is
something to have lived for
When Asia, 'Thin Mans dog,
hears his name he banks, so line
in tsThin Man Comes Home'' about