Evening star., 1946-03-24
HOLLYWOOD.


Dennis Morgan, a 1.-THE young
man, who draws pay check oi
$4,000 or more each week without
too much bodily exertion, wore 9
plaintive look as he scanned ths
sports pages at lunch. He was read.
ing news from the baseball training
camps in the South.
boy, wouldn't it be great to b.
playing first base for one of thoss
clubs!" speculated Mr.. Morgan. "I'e
even settle for a chance to sit or
the bench understanding the regular
first sacker."
Morgan is one of many frustrated
Hollywood stars who confess they
would much rather be earning theil
livings in the sports arenas. II
Morgan's case, he worked out twt
training seasons with the Chicag'
White Sox and had high hopes o.
being a professional ball player
coming to Hollywood only when al
efforts along that line failed.
Actually, with sports minded film
stars in the van of the current
drive to make Los Angeles the ath.
letic mecca Of the Nation, screen
stories and box office ratings aren't
getting all the attention they die
only short time back. The rugged
heroes Of movieland are now getting
almost as many notices in the sports
columns as on the drama pages
And not only as fans, but also as
participants and promoters.
Crosby Denies a Rumor.
Most ambitious current venture
is sponsorship of the All-America
Conference, new professional foot
ball league. by Hollywood group
headed by Don Ameche. Pro grid.
ders in the loop are already being
referred to as Ail-Ameches, and il
the project proves nothing else il
may at least do away with the in
escapable and well-worn Ameche
telephone Jokes.
Most publicized angle of Bling
Crosby's recent stay in the East
was not his movie or radio plans
but the recurrent rumor that he
is interested In purchasing the Pitts.
burgh Pirates. Bing took time ou
to hazard the statement that he
hasn't the cash to swing a majol
league baseball franchise. An in
side glimpse of the Crosby bank ac-
count, however, might prove such q
statement ridiculous.
II Bing managed to edge his way
into baseball-and the diamond
sport is fussy about allowing race
track owners to break into thei1
charmed circle-he would be by fal
the busiest actor in the business
Right now his screen, radio, music
publishing, recording and real estat,
interests occupy the attention of hi.
entire family staff. On top of that
he and Pat O'Brien split ownership
and operation of the Del Mar race
track, along with his gag-stackec
stable of horses.
Pat Knowles a Fencer.
1oAlAi6 dIoO ONCQPiCo SitSUy az
tention. He stages an annual tour.
nament at Rancho Santa Fe, Calf
and it is generally agreed among
the top names of the game that botl
Bing and his constant links part.
ner, Bob Hope, would rank right
up with the leaders If they had suf.
ficient time to devote to the game
Participation in all types of sports
indoor and outdoor, sometimes fits
stars for special screen assignments
When sword play was required OF
Patric Knowles for his romantic
lead in Monsieur Beaucaire," Pat
readily stepped into the groove
Fred Cavens, veteran fencing mas
ter of the stars, rates Knowles with
Enrol Flynn, Cornell Wilde and
Basil Rathbone as the top fencers
of Hollywood. And Cavens, former
Belgian champ, further states that
this group will stand up in a foils
tournament on any level.
Best-publicized sports activity in
FINLAND at the moment is horse
racing, with entries of studio per-
sonalities dominating the Western