Detroit evening times., 1945-08-12

CHAP
IN 1943, $4,000 marriage licenses were issued
L and 2SO00 divorces granted In Los Angeles
When l was in Paris during World War l, l met
Count de Polignac, whose champagne was fa-
nous throughout the world. One day he drove
a party of us out to his wineries. After con-
ducting US through the establishment, he said /:
Nov If you wish, will take you down to
the cellars where the watts are, but warn you
that the fumes are so powerful that unless
one has a very strong head he is apt TO become
as intoxicated as II he had drunk three bottles
of champagne one right after the other"
concluded to stay upstairs, and when the
others emerged they certainly did look woozy,
and one or two staggered.
was reminded of this incident more than
once several years later when spent nine
months in Hollywood.
Nowhere else on all this broad earth is
there such an agglomeration of youth and
beauty in one small area, for nowhere else in
the world are youth and beauty appraised at so
high figure in cold cash.
From the cities of the East, from Keokuk
and Kalamazoo, girls with or without talent
for the stage, but yearning for adventure, fame,
notoriety and fortune flock to Hollywood, and
many are chosen. They swarm on the streets,
fold and exhibit them to the best advantage.
They create heady atmosphere, compar-
able only to the vats of NJ. de Polignac-and
with orchids to Hollywood.
And often fatal.
I HAD known for several years a devoted
Il couple still on the hither side of As. The
wife, although passe-owing partly to an in
artistic makeup-was fine woman, intelligent
and companionable; the man was writer of
popular fiction, manly, genial person, admired
and liked by all who knew him.
They lived in New York and were fond of
society, but were inseparable; one was rarely
seen without the other. New York is full of
pretty women, but he was insensible to their
charms as he was to the changes time had
wrought in his beloved wife. But alas,
He received an offer from a Hollywood
studio too handsome to ignore. She also liked
the idea of a change, but would have gone as
willingly if she had not. His happiness and
welfare were hers.
They went. At first he was preoccuped
with his new job but not for long. That CLAM
orous sea engulfed him, beat upon his senses
made him feel young again. Young and ardent
and eager for LIFE. His wife looked old and
battered to his now discriminating eye. At first
she was merely amused. Men were men. And
he was man of sound good sense; he would
soon get used to that multitude of pretty
vacuous faces (for as such she saw them, and
remember their 20 years of quiet happiness.
But humor soon turned to dismay, then to des-
pair, to terror. Finally he told her that ne no
longer loved her, he loved the most exquisite
creature on earth and wanted to marry her.
She must give him a divorce. He demanded
that she go TO Reno at once.
Tears of pleading were of no avail. He
told her that he hated her. But she refused to
divorce him, believing that he would come to his
senses in time. She left Hollywood and travelled
in Europe for a year seeking distraction, but
pursued by his letters. Finally she gave him
his freedom, but not via Reno. She took an
overdose of veronal.
He married the starlet No doubt he has
been remarked and divorced several times since,
but have lost sight of him.
lANE night in New York Charles Hanson
~ Towne took me behind the scenes in thea
ter to meet young actor friend Of his who
was having a great success in fine play. The
man was not only handsome but unusually at
Itractive; he had distinction breeding, charming