The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-29
JIMMIE FIDLER M HoHytUood
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HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 29-At ieast once Q week, the editor of @ cer. tain movie trade paper mounts his editorial soap box and denounces Federal, State and City officials be- cause they aren't doing enough. iii his opinion, to make American movies an important force in warld affairs. This great industry of ours" says Ee in effect, mus. be called to the atention of the world It's up to our government officials to give 1t greater support"
 It seems to me that the gentle man is putting the cart before the horse. The movie industry, or any other industry for that matter, is very much like Humpty-D -Dumpty If it's awkward enough to fall and splatter, all the kings horses and all the kings men can't repair the damage.
 There's only one way for the Am- erican movie industry to become an international force"--and that's to make pictures so good that they can't be overlooked. If Hollywood will do that, it inevitably will get all the recognition that it could ask. It doesn't need plugs from the Secretary of State or from anyone else in high offlce-it just needs outstanding, vital, inspirational pic- lures.
 I'd like to call the attention of the trade paper editor to some re- marks made the other day before a press club by It. Commander Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.--a man who certainly has no grudge against motion pictures. Said he: Holly wood is in bad with the rest of the world because of the type of pie ture it has been turning out" It seems to me that Youngdou0 sum- med lp the matter perfectly.
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 I'm interested by the announce ment that Deanna Durbin, in her next picture, will return to the same type of light musical comedy that carried her to top-f1ight star dom. Evidently, Miss Durbin is now convinced that her great campaign to become a serious dramatic act- ress was ill-advised; presumably she now is ready to defer to her producers and admit that they, per- haps know best. She's lost ground at the boX-offlce in the past two years, but not irreparably. I'll pre- dict that if she forfets her dramatic ambitions now, and is content to make the most of her one great voice-sfe will be back on top within a year;
 Speaking of stars who have been in a decline, I'm reminded of Mae West, who, despite her stage ap- pearance in Catherine Was Great" is rapidly being forgotten by fans. That I hate to see, for Diamond Lil" has an exclusive claim on a brand of comedy taat Is needed on the screen. Personally. I'd like to see her shelve her de- termination to be the whole show and resign herself to playing fea- tured comedy roles in pictures starring someone else. I suppose it's asking a lot of any lady to sug- gest that she recognize the sad fact that she's too old to be believable as a femme fatale.
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 Rudy Vallee has always had Che reputation of being exceedingly penurious where money is con. cerned. Perhaps he is, but in harp. Ing on that trait. Hollywood has consistently overlooked a notable virtue that more than offsets it He is certainly one of the most generous stars in the history If show business when 1t comes to giving of his time and effort. Fo. Last week a group of young men with whom he had served in the Navy opened a le~ the Club Moderne, in Long Beach. Vallee, knowing .na they were operating on short cash. immediately came to the front and volunteered to do two shows a night, for two weeks, freel That king of generosity is a lot rarer. here in Hollywood, than the kIud hats measured in terms of money
 Eflippo del Guidice, managing 6i-