Evening star., 1944-10-30
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN.
HOLLYWOOD.


petty complaints from conceited
stars, but II there's one thing that
will burn them to a crisp quicker
than anything else it is for the
celebrity to ask for another take"
after the director has approved one
and ordered it printed.
The town was buzzing last week
over the feud between top director
and the lovely blond star who kept
insisting that scenes be shot until
she got one to her own personal
satisfaction. The director finally
went on strike, walked off the set
and returned late in the afternoon,
his breath smelled of cloves. Takes
are now proceeding on schedule and
to the directors fancy.
On the set of "The Big Sleep" at
Warmers, this reminded Humphrey
Bogart of his most embarrassing ex-
perience on a sound stage. He had
just arrived in Hollywood from
Broadway and had John Ford as
his director in 'Up the River" at
Goth Century Fox. Ford is famous
for his practical jokes and for his
biting sarcasm. Bogart knew little
about him.
Il had just finished my first big
scene in the picture" said Bogart,
land Ford called out, 'Okay, print
It, Now I was anxious to make
good and felt could do better. So
I told Ford I would like to do the
scene again, that I didn't think I
had quite got the feel into it.
Ford was very polite. He said it
would be a great pleasure to have
me do the scene over. So we shot 1t
again. Ford asked me how / liked
it and said thought 1t was much
better. Ford said he was very
happy that I liked it. Then he
turned to the cameraman and
yelled, Let him have it, And while
everybody on the set howled, the
cameraman opened his box, care
fully took out the roll of film and
handed it to me. Take it home
with you and screen it often said
Ford.
That taught me a lesson" con-
cluded Bogart. The director is
always right"
Lady stars can diet by the dozen
and nobody gives a care, but Just
let a big, fat male celebrity start
cutting down on his groceries and
it's news the whole course of his
campaign. Take Laird Cregar. He
was doing we'll enough but getting
no big news breaks until he an
nounced his intention of taking off
lbs pounds. For a time there the
Fox studio was almost forced to
issue daily bulletins on Cregar's
weight, Cregar stock jumped. The
more poundage he lost the bigger
the parts he received.
However, If you're still interested
in Cregar's weight here are the
facts: He weighed 339 pounds when
he started, at his doctors request,
to reduce. He is finishing Hangover
Square at neat 229. He'll take
off 20 more pounds before under
going an abdominal operation. On
leaving the hospital he plans to
gain back TO 230-and stay there.
His diet is 500 calories a day, and,
in case you'd like to know, that's the
equivalent of two slices of toast.
two slices of bacon and a cube Of
cake an inch and half square.
P. s.: Mr.. Cregar is not feeling
any too good.
Speaking of weight, Gene Tierney
Is very happy about her year-old
daughter Daria. The young lady,
who weighed pounds at birth, is
now up to 16 pounds and gaining
fast. And she's healthy in every
respect.
incidentally, Gene took time to
contradict the report that she was
unhappy about being. cast as a
blond in "A Bell for Adano" On
the other hand, she's happy and ex-
cited, she says, about such a COM
plete change. The author made it
clear in the story that the part of
Italy, which is the setting of the
tale, had many blond inhabitants.
X X
When Tallulah Bankhead smashed
a vase to the floor in "A Royal
Scandal Producer Ernst Lubitsch,
who is supposed to stay very quiet,
leaped to his feet and yelled, THAT
was great, Tallulah! I felt like /
was the vase!"
***%
M-G-M rolled out its thickest
red carpet for Bob Montgomery,
who returned after a fine record in
the Navy. He got his old dressing
room back and found everything
he had left there unchanged after
several years. although numerous
other stars had used it in the mean
time.
Montgomery, who owns one of
the largest wardrobes in Hollywood,
Is very lucky in one respect. His
civilian clothes fit him perfectly.
His weight has varied hardly an
ounce.
Joseph S. Breen,> censorship boss
at the Hays office, has fine family
OF five boys and two of them have
been seriously wounded in South
Pacific action. Tommy, 19 years old,
youngest of the five, lost a leg and
Is recuperating IN a Honolulu hos
pital
When Spencer Tracy was in Ha-
waii recently visiting the hospitals,
he had a long talk with young
Breen. When the star returned to
Hollywood the first thing he did was
rush to the Hays office and give
Breen full account of how the boy
was progressing.
incidentally, when Tracy flew to
the islands the plane was SO crowded
that he could find no seat except
a gasoline can. He sat on it for
the entire 11-hour trip. Tracy did
- X IL e