Evening star., 1944-09-12
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN.
HOLLYWOOD,
12OG1 VOOD.
Behind movie headlines.

| Behind movie headlines:
Sam Goldwyn's attempt to beat
the so-called exhibitor monopoly"
by hiring dance hall in Reno, New,
in which to show his up in Arms
Is probably the forerunner of a gen.
eral postwar battle on the part of
movie distributors to get their wares
shown in closed towns throughout
the country.
Odd as it may seem to the mil
lions who see all the big first-runs
promptly. there are still scores of
cities with populations of $4,000 or
more where attractions are confined
to cheap Westerns and whatever
quickies the exhibitor wishes to buy.
This condition has existed for years
so far back, in fact, that the
inhabitants have no knowledge of,
or interest in, screen personalities.
II the monopoly IN these towns Is
ever broken the industry will have
to begin at the bottom and educate
the citizens as to who's who In the
movies and why. Imagine taking
Z course on Betty Cradle or Clark
0ablet x.
Publicity preceding and during
the making Of her first picture has
made Vivian Blaine a name" star
for several months, but 1t was not
until Greenwich Village" was pre-
viewed at Hollywood theater that
Vivian received her first request for
an autograph. Let her describe the
thrill:
Il was standing in the lobby after
the showing and three marines
came, up and asked me for auto
graphss 1t gave me such start
that I could hardly write my name.
I then asked them for their names
and addresses, which I am going to
keep in my own book. They're all
coming out to the studio to lunch
with me next week"
r
Close-ups: Quietly and without
the slightest effort at publicity, Jen-
infer Jones has been turning up
every Thursday morning at the
Veterans Hospital. As a nurses aid
she does the most menial chores
around the place. Few patients
have recognized her.
Paulette Goddard must finish
Kitty" and do MY Favorite Bru.
nette" with Bob Hope before she
can leave to entertain servicemen.
George Seaton, who wrote the
screen adaptation on THE Song of
Bernadette, has written an ANUS
ing song parody on the title that is
being sung all over town. 1t starts
out with Il wasn't cured by q doctor
or vet, I was cured by the song of
Bernadette" and so on. Para
mount is looking for new title for
the Sonny ufts-Veronica Lake pic
ture, Miss Susie Slagle," from the
novel by Augusta Thacker. 1t goes
into production next week. (.
Maj. Clark Gables home studio,
MGM, will doubtless distribute the
War Activities Committee fllm which
he shot over Europe It is titled
Combat America" is In techni-
color and Gable appears in the film
and does a commentary. Ka-
tina Paxinou, brilliant Greek actress,
won an academy award for her per-
formance in For Whom the Bell
Tolls" but she hasn't worked since.
Her salary goes on every week, how
lever. Paramount claims 1t cannot
find a suitable role for her.
X \ \ X
In addition to its censorship of
scripts before they are put into pro-
duction. the Hays Office also main
tains staff of. "stills-sniperS, I"
whose duties are to see that photo
graphs used for publication or lobby
display meet all the morality re-
quirements of the code. There is
little co-ordinated effort between
the two bureaus, 1t seems, for very
often something will appear in q
movie that has been banned in the
stills.
For instance, Bette Davis wore the
top of pajama coat during many
scenes in "Old Acquaintance" and
1t was passed by the Hays censors
and yet still pictures of the same
thing were thrown out.
Warner Bros. are pretty mad