Browning chief., 1945-03-16

ueT SCTeeIl CTeQlI
in this one although the boys
who wrote the textbooks gave her
wider latitude.
"Catherine might be said to rep
resent the wish dreams of all wom-
en-, especially the very repressed
and quiet ones," said Lubitsch with
that merry, naughty twinkle which
is as much part of his trademark
as his big black cigar or his trick
of making box office hits.
That Bankhead Touch
"Of course, Hedda, Bankhead
makes Catherine little more at
tractive than any other actress could
possibly make her. Because the
Bankhead influence is highly con-
tagious thing, either on the stage or
in films, every woman comes out
of the theater colored by the Bank
head influence"
Since this is day of action for
women, with more females active
outside the home than at any time
in American history, l can see
where the Catherine type is singu-
larly timely, and I'll agree with that.
We've had spate of saints and sci
entists, from Jennifer Jones in 1.-The
Song of Bernadette" to Greer Gar
son in MADAME Curie." We've had
cozy Mrs. Miniver and noble. strong
hearted wives like Claudette Colbert
in "Since You Went Away" We've
had Maria Veronica in 1.-THE Keys of
the Kingdom" and Irene Dunne's
two characterizations of admirable
women in 1.-THE White Cliffs of
Dover" and "a Guy Named Joe."
And as the motion picture industry
seldom stands still sufficiently long
to allow moss to grow on the pave
ment before the box office window,
can see where a radical change will
be good all the way around.
Since Twentieth Century Fox is
swapping up all the best sellers
they now own list of 20 or more
and since the trend of current
literature is toward meatier heroes
and heroines, Daryl Zanuck will be
the first to inaugurate the new
vogue on the screen.
Little, but o, My!
Gene Tierney will draw one of the
outstanding examples of this new
type in the role of Ellen in Leave
Her to Heaven" Ellen is a girl
with a will of reinforced concrete.
She has no scruples whatsoever,
even when it comes to showing a
little lad out of a boat when he
interferes with her share of her hus-
bands time and attention. Make no
mistake, there are such women
If Forever Amber" can be
scripted in way to skirt possible
Hays office objections this will be a
role to end all roles of the type.
Practically any star you want to
name in Hollywood would give her
eye teeth to get a crack at it. Hung
in the bawdy setting of the court
of Charles II-an utterly amoral
era-Amber flaunts her beauty, con-
spires for power, matches her wits
with some Of England's best
brains. Saving grace for the films
chance is the fact that the book at
finish points a clear moral-you
don't get to enjoy what you want
when you go about getting it in the
wrong way
1t looks as if Greer Carson, too,
will get her chance at a bad girl
role. It's the star part in "Drivin'
Woman" character that. moral
ly irreproachable, gives the effect
of ruthless beauty without shred
of scruple.
Come to think of it, most great
acting roles center around red
blooded women. And bad girls GER
tainly have something.
Alluring Lobbyist
| don't know any other Hollywood
lobbyist in Washington who's had
the Vice President play his or her
accompaniment. Lauren Bacall did.
AS she walked to the piano, one
higher up was heard to whisper to
another, why, that gals hips wink
at you'll" The latest independent
quartet, going right ahead making
,I,oe SC DouIetfo (sOddard RurvaSS