The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-05
JIM HE FIDLER M HoUyuood
Distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Ina.

sa&:aX N ss2s:::%Ss$3
 HOLLYWOOD, July S-About
 a year ago, when I began report ing that women's clubs, social well fare organizations and various re-
 hglous groups were quietly getting ready campaign for tighter cen- sorshlp of movies, Hollywood called me 8 scare-monger. At least half- a-dozen studio heads informed me
 that l was making mountains out of molehille. One or two insinuated
 that I was making up" the letters
 l reported receiving from reform groups.
 I wonder what the same gentle men think today?
 If my tally is correct, there are now-as the direct result of the pub lie indignation that Hollywood re-
 fused to recognize-43 bills before the United States House and various
 state legislatures, demanding that firm restraints be put on the pro-
 duction fo pictures. If half of
 those bills become law, Hollywood is going to find itself fettered more
 closely that 1t has ever been before in screen history.
 Here in Filrnville, there is a gen.
 eral inclination to blame most of the threatened censorship on "The Outlaw" Unquestionably that film, plus the methods used to sell it, has given added impetus to the demands for house-cleaning, but the MP A members are kidding themselves if they try to escape their own re- sponsibility. There isn't one studio in the business that hasn't been guilty during the pest few years of violating the rules of good taste. Howard Hughes picture wasn't even released year ago, when in- dividual criticisms began to be translated into definite group action.
 Memories That Bless And Burn: When Lupe Velez, after boasting of her craftsmanship with a six-gun, challenged the cowboys on the To- cation to a shooting match and fell victim to most humiliating prac- tical joke. The cowboys slipped her a gun loaded with blanks. When Billie Dove, self-concious about voluptuous contours that today would be one of her greatest as- sets, stalked indignantly off War her Brothers set because the di- rector insisted on photographing her in profile, and refused to return until he had abjectly apologized .. When Jack Oakie, then under con- tract to Paramount bestowed playful in-the-pants to a set visitor, thinging that his victim was a local newspaper man, and stared aghast at he-who-got kicked proved to be the big boss, Adolph Zukor.
 He's one of your favorite matinee idols tWho shall be nameless here), and Hollywood regards him as it's pol1test man. The niceties of social behavior are his off-screen religion: he'd no more think of violating a gentlemanly convention than he would of frying babies in oil. Hence. you can understand my surprise yesterday when I encountered him in a department store elevator with his hat firmly pulled down to ear level despite the fact that seven of eight ladies, all of whom recog- nlzed him, were our fellow passen- gers. AS we ascended, I saw several of the ladies cast questioning glan- ces in his direction and I noted the back of his neck turned a fiery crimsone Both he and I got off on the ninth floor and went to the children's toy department and there, in secluded corner, with nary a femme in sight, I learned the answer to the puzzle when he finally removed his hat and wiped a very bald plate. He'd come out without his toupee.
 On the Katie For Congress" To- cation, a few weeks ago, Loretta Young who, despite her many years In pictures, has never become good horseWoman, had to spend an entire day in the saddle. By the time that the last shot was filmed. she walked off with a limp that drew shouts of laughter from the rest of the troupe, and the man who gulf taWed the loudest was her co-star, Joseph Gotten. Yesterday, in the studio, Loretta enjoyed the last laugh when the script called for her 70 give Gotten a Swedish massage. After takes and re-takes that con Sumed little more than five hours, her victim, grooming with every step, went to the studio gymnasium 70 get real massage to undo the effects of her pummeling.
 Between scenes on the Beat the | Band" set at RKO the other day, chatted with Frances Langford md gleaned couple of interesting facts. First, she's planning a tour of American army posts in the China-Burma-India theater, the | only front that she didn't visit dur ng the war. Second, she's actively shopping for musical comedy lead | on the New York stage, a venture she frankly admits she wouldn't