Evening star., 1944-03-19
Genevieve 7obin, Screen Star,
Volunteer Typist in Air Forces
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

star, is working hard these days in
morning tipping classes at Strayer's
Business College so that she will be
able to give better service as a VOL
unteer typist in the Army Air Forces
Emergency Relief Division
While her husband. Col. William
Keighley, formerly one of Warner
Bros top-rank movie directors, now
chief of the Motion Picture Train
ing Division, Army Air Forces. is
directing the filming of Target
Today" which will show the work of
the AAF in Britain. she is making
herself useful in the ranks on the
home front as an Army wife.
Her apprenticeship was served as
a receptioniSt at the Army Air Corps
Emergency Relief headquarters.
Then, when a need for accountants
arose, she enrolled in the accoun-
fancy class at Strayer's. She sue
cessfully completed the eight month
course there, too, although she does
admit to several acute cases of
"stagefright" in the early stages of
applying theory to everyday prac-
tice.
Volunteered for Typing.
When the shortage of typists be-
came increasingly acute, she went to
the rescue with her hunt and pick"
system. No sooner was she out of
the beginners class than she was
steadily forging ahead toward the
attainment of IS words a minute
tipping speed.
Being an Army wife to Miss Tobin
means willing volunteer service. as
skilled as she can make it, "in anv
capacity where the need is greatest"
She prefers to be known merely
as wife. She would rather talk to
you about her husbands partici-
patton in air-inspection trips over
New Delhi, Assam, Irak and Khar-
toum, and the fact that he flew
with the American bombers who
ralded the Foggia air fields.
She is proud, too, of his skill as a
director. BY a strange coincidence
our interview revealed that her hus-
band, while directing varsity" onI
the campus at Pomona College. CAL
Nornla, delighted a lonely freshman
Fasteners soul by inviting him to
come in one one of the campus
groups. The tall, blond Easterner|
proved to be our younger son, Philip
Wharton Evans, now, like Col
keighley, serving with his countrv's
armed forces.
just few weeks ago, Miss Tobin |
refused the leading part as the
mother in a dramatization of
Chicken in the Basket" She de-
clined the role because she was
afraid the play might go on the road
about the time Col. Keighley might
be coming back from his present
overseas assignment.
Father Retired Banker.
Her father is Thomas Jerome
Tobin, a retired New York banker.
whose four children have won dis
tinction on the stage. Vivian.
George, Robbie and Genevieve. they
are all mentioned by George Arliss
In his autobiography with regard to
their early accomplishments in the
Professional Childrens School
where they played the principal
parts in several scenes from Dis
reali" before Mr.. Arliss himself
Educated at the Wadleigh High
School in New York City and at
LInstitute d'Etoile, Paris, Genevieve
went directly from high school to
the stage in her first starring part.
"Palmy Days" The careful train
ing OF her girlhood still survives in
the fact that she does not smoke
and that milk is her favorite bev-
erage.
Several years ago the Wadleigh
High School authorities honored
her by inviting her back to address
Its student body of 1,500. In her in
formal talk, she urged greater care
In the correct use of words as media
of expression and more attention to
the timber of our daily speaking
voices. Julia Marlowe, Ethel Barry
more, Jane Cowl, Katheryn Cor
nell and Helen Hayes were cited as
shining examples of beautiful and
inspiring voices in their use of
spoken English by this actress whose