Evening star., 1945-06-24
HOLLYWOOD.

They're putting the works to lot
OF traditional cliches in Hollywood
these dayS-and it's a mighty good
sign that the movies and the boys
and girls who support them are
growing up.
For one thing, a movie doesn't
have to have happy, sugar coated
ending to get big play at the box
Office.
Hug g-and-kiss scenes aren't abso-
lutely essential.
And-you'd never believed this a
year or two ago-the fellow who
grabs off the girl in the final scene
isn't always the one who gets that
bumper crop of mail from the fans
Actually, the feminine customers are
beginning to lean toward the chap
who is done out of the lady some
where near the 5-yard line.
In sort of unconscious way this
has been going on for a long time,
but 1t took RKO to put the situa-
ton to a real test when they made
Those Endearing Young Charms. -
The producers selected for a guinea
pig in this instance a big blond and
curly haired husky named Bill Will
liams, former swimming champ and
honorably discharged from the
Army. They fitted him up with
just such part. He loses Larraine
Day to Robert Young. heretofore
one of the old standbys at clinching
the girl in the fadeout.
The Loser Was Mobbed.
Came preview time, they gathered
out in front of the theater after the
showing to hear what the crowds
said, see what happened. 1t was a
cinch. That crowd was Williams
conscious. And they mobbed the
obscure actor after the show. They
made him sign hundreds of auto
graphs, stole his hat, rif1ed button
or two and gave with other hoodlum
evidence that he had scored in his
first effort-gyped out of the lovely
Miss Day though he was. AS for
Mr.. Young-this is almost unbeliev-
able-he was allowed to slip out of
the theater with hardly more than a
couple of pushes.
Result: A star vehicle called
"Deadline at Dawn" mystery
piece carefully tailored for the new
screen hero by Clifford Odets. Susan
Hayward was borrowed from Para
mount to play opposite Williams and
Paul Lukas signed for the third big
role.
This is something new only in its
application. It's been going on acci-
dentally for long time.
Consider Alan Ladd, hotter than
a firecracker these days. He lost the
girl in all his earlier pictures such
as This Gun for Hire" The mama
| instinct in girls from to 80 was hit
hard. Presto! He's star, and right
on top as movie Romeo, with fan
mail count that exceeds all other
actors in Hollywood-win or lose the
girl.
/ Tufts Gains in Losing.
And there's Sonny Tufts. He lost
the girl on the screen in his frs,
several tries, but won flocks of then
in the audience. So did Tom Drake
in Two Girls and a Sailor" anc
quite few of the other new idols.
Just take look at Cornel Wilde
For the past five years at 20th Cen.
tury-Fox he has been winning on,
girl after another-but only in
pictures. An independent studio Dor
roWed him for big special. "A Sons
to Remember" They made him ;
most endearing character. They no
only made him lose the girl but the,
put him to death. What happens
Mr.. Wilde finds himself a great
popular star. He went back to hi
home studio and Daryl Zanuck
head of the company. actually spok,
to him and patted him on the back
Mr.. Wilde, who died as Chopin i
now in the chips. Ladies OF all age.
who saw the picture still recall il
with tear and heartache.
All this is so far from new that it {
a wonder producers did not take the
hint of public reaction before now.
Way back when Warner Bros
made Ceiling Zero" James Cagney
as the 4o-year-old flyer. loved tn
l9-year-old June Travis. But h.
died nobly, testing somebody's de
icer. The fan mail department o
Warmers was flooded by letters from
fans. most of them indignant. pro
oCotAll6 Vic Mining Ol1 Vi IdSlley
They demanded that he be made
romantic hero who gets the girl
They suggested that he play younge
men, with slightly older heroine
opposite him. Cagney took the I'll
and made it pay dividends.
Bogart Found the Fans.
Suddenly and Overwhelmingly
popularity as a romantic hero de
scended upon Humphrey Bogart a
cumulative result of girl losse
starting with The Petrifed Forest.
The public began yelling for tha
"dark-eyed, dark-haired, romantic
looking fellow to be taken out O
villain roles and put into hero parts
When at last this happened, Bogar
didn't disappoint, and lately tn
Bogie-Bacall team made screen his
tory almost as torrid as that etche,