Evening star., 1945-11-11
HOLLYWOOD.

EOLL1 WOOD.
I have written a lot in these COL
umns about the difficulty of re-
adjustment between husbands and
wives who have been separated by
the war. But that seems to be
nothing compared with the adjust
ments man who has been in the
service, fighting for his country, has
to make when he returns to movie
acting in Hollywood.
Van Hef1in. for example, after
three years in the Air Corps, where
he saw active service in the battle
for Germany, is back in Hollywood
as a civilian, making his first post
war picture and finding life a little
strange and little unreal.
while you're in the Army" Var
tells me, you think about what you
will do when you are out. You gel
little worried. Mel worried about
losing the public who used to like
my pictures. I worried about the
type of pictures I'd be asked to make
when I came back"
To settle both worries-I think
that Van still has his public. Anc
he is happy with his role in Love
Lies Bleeding" for Hal Wallis anc
Paramount, with Lizabeth Scott
Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Doug.
las.
No Animals or Children.
What was all that I heard about
you turning down 16 scripts al
Metro?" ask Van. Every producer
at Metro wanted Van for a picture
and they threw scripts at him, none
of which he wanted to do. They're
okay at Metro" says Van "If yot
don't like the story, they don't put
you on suspension" But he die
have to make a compromise in ordel
to get the Hal Wallis picture. Wher
it is finished he returns to Metro
to star in Bridget" with Margare
O'Brien.
Il don't like to make picture
with singers, animals or children,
Van tells me. IF it's a singing pic
ture, everything is subservient t.
the singing-and the same goes TO
animals. And when you are in ;
movie with cute child, you nigh
just as well stay home!" Van ha
a cute child of his own at home
2-year-old Vana, and he says tina
unfortunately she is like him ant
not like her beautiful red-heat
mother, the former Frances Neal
But to get back to the return o
the soldier to Hollywood.
T am inclined to be littl
bitter" says Van. Most of th
people one works with have beer
home all during the war. And the,
just don't seem to understand wha
has been going on. Sometimes a
lush parties, my mind does a quicl
fiashback to the boys I knew in thu
war. and some Of them are still il
uniform, and here is every on,
eating, drinking, laughing and hav
ing good time" Hefin served a
a lieutenant. Il had been a Reserv,
officer, so I was made a lieutenan
right away"
Won 1941 Award.
In three years the all-over pictur,
at Metro has changed quite a bit
When left" says Van, Van John
son had only just arrived. 1 me
him through June Havoc. She uset
to call him the Swede' Rober
Walker, who is now a big star OF
the lot, hadn't even arrived" Jun
Allyson was only just beginning
and Kathryn Grayson was more o
less under Metro wraps. The gen
tleman known as Gregory Peck nov
starring for Metro in The Year
ling" had not yet come to Holly
wood. You feel a little lost with j
all" says Van.
Hef1in's best-known picture
Johnny Eager" for which he wol
the 1941 award for the best sup
porting role of the year. And h
now tells me something I didn
know about the part. L got
through Robert Taylor, the star G
the picture Bob said, You'll stea
the picture from me, you son-of-a
gun. but hope you get it 1t wa
that sort Of part; it made any on
Z T,laUinu il - caUc Won