Evening star., 1944-05-29
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN.
rHNY xxrryO0D

4ANA4AI l. FVSSos
If or when Maj. Clark Gable is
placed on the inactive list and re-
turns to films, he'll be starred Inn
meditely in a story which MGM
reportedly has had ready for some
time. 1t could deal with a hand
some. intrepid American air force
officer who flies over enemy lines
getting pictures and taking a turn
at the guns. Purely f1ctional, of
course, and purely coincidental.
Most superstitious of actors are
Abbott and Costello. Their first
feature, a hit that brought them
fame overnight, was press pre-
viewed in a suburban theater Is
miles away. A. & G. have stead
tasty insisted since then upon pre-
viewing all their pictures there,
even though the critics never travel
that far any more. Constance
Collier, on her way here from the
East, will have her greatest char
acter role as Paulette Goddard s
guardian in Kitty"
That squeak in the voice that
has made Andy Devine famous has
suddenly popped up as nuisance.
Andy is, now practicing diligently
to tone 1t down for his role of a
priest In Universal's "Bowery to
Broadway" The gravel" will stay,
but not the squeak. Deanna
Durbin's change-over to a blond
in Cant Help Singing" has
brought her heaps of protesting let
ters. She promises to go right back
to brunette after this chore Is fin-
ished.
Linda Darnell, girl friend of "T1ne
Great John L." is doing a charcoal
portrait of her boss, Bing Crosby,
who is producing the picture. It
will be auctioned of during a war
loan drive.
Either defense plants have
gobbled them all up or pretty girls
are actually taking to heart the old
admonition about staying away
from Hollywood. Probably both,
according to Nils T. Granlund, re-
nowned expert on pretty faces and
shapely figures, and famed MTG"
OF other days.
The night club impresario was
given the assignment of building
a 24-girl chorus for the Lum and
Abner picture, Going to Town."
and after putting out two general
calls received a response totaling
only SO. 1t would have been five
times that number in other DAYS,
says Granlund. Even at the new
$25-a-day rate, they're not to be
found. Another reason for the
scarcity is the action of all major
lots in putting all available show
and dancing girls under short term
contracts at $l00 a week.
The girls used to seek me out"
complains Granlund. Now I go
securing the town without results"
Judy Garland has been living in
Mary Martins house, but must va
cate it in few days. Like so many
others, stars included, she has had
no luck in finding a permanent
place to live.
The other day Judy went into
her dressing room at MGM, found
1t completely redecorated in rose
pink and turquoise, and furnished
with modernized Chinese Chippen-
dale. ".
What am worrying about?" ex-
claimed the surprised Judy. III
camp right here" And that's exactly
what she plans to do until scouts
find her an apartment.
X X
News in nibbles: When Lee and
Lyn Wilde, the cute, blond iden-
tical twins, make Double Blessed"
for MGM it will be the first STAR
ring vehicle for twins since the
days of the Mauch twins at Warmers.
Latest reports on Mickey Room
eys Army status is that he may be
permitted to make one more Hardy
picture. The latest Blonde Trou-
ble," Is a smash hit. Mono
grams Detective Kitty ODay,"
starring Jean Parker, has been SO
well received that 1t will turn into q
series. Ann Sheridan OIL for