Evening star., 1945-03-31
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN.
HOLLYWOOD

IlSILI WSoo.
After IL years absence from the
screen, former star comedian Glenn
Tryon is back before the cameras.
Please don't say that I am max
ing comeback, however" he
pleads. II have no intention of be-
coming an actor again"
Although the 45-year- Tryon
hasn't been seen by the public since
he put his makeup kit aside in 1882
after having starred in more than
100Stwo-reel comedies and features,
he has been active in Hollywood as
writer. director and producer.
His current donning Of the grease
paint is being done as a favor to
executive friends at RKO, where he
wrote and directed films few years
ago.
George Whites Scandals of 1945'
was about to go into production and
White decided that he'd rather have
some one other than himself por-
tray him in the film.
THE studio thought I looked
something like White" Tryon ex-
plains, land asked me if l would
play him in Scandals Perhaps the
fact that I had been a producer
might have something to do with it
although I like to think I was urged
to play the role because they
thought I could still act"
Now that he is acting in the pic
ture, Tryon admits that last may be
just optimistic thinking.
Il thought nothing could ever
floor me again after taking pies in
the face until I was 'pie-happy'
during my two-reel comedy days,
he says. But I was little rusty In
my technique even if Director Felix
Feist said I didn't creak."
The lush boX-office days of the
present, when million dollar pic
lures bring back several millions In
return. don't make Tryon a bit en-
vious In the days when he was the
star and producer of his own pic
lures at Universal he got an even
better return for his money, he
states.
Take one fthem-'Painting the
Town for example" says Glen
We made that one for total cost
OF S45,000 and for one week alone
at the Roxy Theater in New York
it brought back Sc, 900. 1t was moth
ing in those days for a picture cost
ing less than $4,000 to gross $780,
600 or $500. .000-and we had prac-
tically no income tax then, eitherl'
y y X
Tryon thinks that motion pic
lures are the most unpredictable
busines sin the world.
Everything about it is partly
guesswork," he says. Take the
case of Martha Holiday, for ex-
ample" referring to the attractive
newcomer who gets her first big
chance in Scandals" opposite Phil
lip Terry. Il have been asked sew
eral times If I think she has a
chance to become star.
MY only answer Is, time alone
call tell / learned from expert
ence that no individual can"
Back in the early 20s, party OF
visitors showed up on the Hal
Roach lot. One of them was a tall
iaAihy yodei iiOui luOtitdild VIII
bashfully confided to Glenn that
he wanted to be a movie actor
II took one look at him and told
him to go back home and finish
school. Then, if he still wanted
to act, he could come back and see
me-" Glenn said.
"A year later he returned. I had
forgotten him but he hadn't for
gotten my promise In order to
get rid of him. I got him job as
an extra ana proceeded to forget
him again.
About a year after that went
to see preview of The Winning
of Barbara Worth and there was
my young friend in the leading
male role. His name, as you may
have guessed, is Gary Cooper"
4 + Y
Tryon has experienced one thrill
out Of returning to acting. how
ever. Back in his days of stardom
he had one extremely loyal fan
"a woman who started writing him
fan letters Is years ago when Glenn
at 10, was playing the juvenile role
in a road company of Mary Roberts