Evening star., 1945-01-21
|LeOG. Carroll
Doesn't Like
Being Himself
BY Villa Marfin.

NEW MINI
Leo G. Carroll, whose portrayal Of
the chief Beacon street blueblood in
'The Late George Apley" may win
him the critics citation for the
years best performance, insists that
he acts because he doesn't like being
himself.
tits not so bad when I'm alone or
with friends" he explains. But in
a crowd or at party, don't like
being Leo G. Carroll. When you are
yourself, people expect you to do
typical things"
The actor, who was a Scotland
Yard detective for two wears in
angel Street" has given this mat
ter serious thought.
I'm accused of being typicallv
English. Well, when some one say;
OF course, you'd think that because
you are English / drop a small.
bomb into the conversation by say
ing, No, Irish
Its fun to hear them trying to
reconcile typical Englishman with
typical Irishman."
Carroll admits he Is Judging a bit
on this: his parents were Irish and
the &c" stands for an Irish patriot,
Grattan, but he was born in Eng
land.
Type Labels Annoying.
He finds it just as annoying to be
labeled typical father. That IS
harder to ignore" he says, "as I
sometimes catch myself being very
parental"
Carroll's wife and son lived in
California while he commuted be-
tween Hollywood and Broadway un-
til he struck Angel Street" Thir-
|teen-year-old Michael, eager to
stand on his own merits, kept silent
on his fathers movie career until
few years ago while he was at
camp in Canada. One of his friends
saw Carroll film, the news got out,
and Michael's popularity skyrock-
eted. Now he sends suggestions
from school about his fathers work
and wants to know all about each
role.
Carroll, f1attered, is more inter-
ested In bringing up Michael to be
true internationalist who doesn't feel
foreign in any English-speaking
country. The father recalls how,
when he was young actor fresh
from the London stage, he came to
America and was driven home
within a year and half by home
sickness. Only when he came back
and discovered through summer
stock the hedge-rowed village life of
IStockbridge, Mass, did he get rid of
nostalgia.
(! That was nearly 20 years ago, when
he made his debut in Noel Cowards
THE Vortex" then played in The
Green Bay Tree" and other plays
along the trail to Hollywood
| Carroll is one of Hollywood's few
| inhabitants who doesn't know the
names of all the big companies ex-
ecutives and this years starlets
| Thus, when he's cast with such stars
as Greer Carson or Ingrid Bergman
| with whom he made "Spenbound"
just before coming East for "Apley'D,
he meets them as pleasant strangers.
Afterward, he speaks of the leading
ladies he likes as "darlings" and
never mentions the others.
Opposed to Publicity.
| OF all mistakes actors make, he
says, none is bigger than bidding for
publicity. Around 20 years ago, he
contends, very average and nice peo-
pie became heroes in the public eye
because their private lives were mys-
terious to their fans.
| Few today recognize Carroll with
out the mustache or makeup of
man older than his 40-odd years
which many of his roles call for.
Carroll finds it easy to make himself
look like other persons. But that
his "Mr. Apley" is remindful of
Playwright John Marquand grew out
of an accident.
When Marquand saw Carroll in
makeup at dress rehearsal, he
wasn't happy at the result. The
color and hair line especially both
cred him. The next night Carroll,
trying to please the playwright, dis
covered 1t would take only few
changes, like pulling a lock of hair
over his forehead, to make him re-
semble Marquand.
He tried it. After the final cur
tain the author told him: You
know, I like that makeup much
better. By the way. an odd thing
happened few minutes ago. Some
young ladies thought l was Mr..
Apley and asked me for my auto
graph"
! Marquand obviously was pleased
and Carroll was happy, too. He
wasn't playing himself.
| / Constitution HAIL. Sat. Eve. Feb. 5. $50
| EnMous Star sf SeresB md Rndtef L