Evening star., 1946-06-30
Anne Jeffreys
Guided by
Her Mother
By SheiIoh Grohom
HOLLYWOOD.

Anne Jeffreys lives with her
mother and 10 cats in a lonely house
on Hollywood hill. Her neighbors
are Enrol Flynn and Rudy Vallee.
Anne is blond and blue-eyed and
she sings. She first attracted the
attention Of film-goers as Lawrence
Tierney's moll in "Dillinger." And
she is now playing her first starring
role in "Riffraf." I think you will
enjoy knowing about Anne. So here
she Is.
I'm % years DID," says Anne, "and
ever since I was born-in North
Carolina-my mother has planned
that should have a career as an
actress. Don't get her wrong; she's
not a stage mother. In fact, she
hasn't been inside q studio with me
in all the four years that I've been
in pictures. But she's the push be-
hind me-" Anne means this literally.
Her mother always opens the door
to the opportunity of the moment,
then gives her a push through
and leaves her!
"As a little girl" continues Miss
Jef1reys, my mother arranged for
me to sing at banquets. And at 10
I had my own 15-minute radio show.
But had so many hours a day for
play. My mother wanted to keep
me so-called normal child. I'm
glad had all that training now. 1t
Keeps your feet on the ground later" )"
Opera Came Next.
Anne's mother, Mrs. Kate Car
michael, had decided when her
blond wonder child was little more
than an infant that she would be
an opera singer. 80" says Anne,
when I was 16, my mother took
me to New York to study and to
try for job in opera" The dream
looked like the beginning of reality
when Anne was signed to sing
stellar roles with the Municipal
Opera Company in New York. That
was jam. The bread and butter
came through her job as a Powers
model. She was 18 then and mamma
and daughter decided that q trip
to Hollywood would be nice vaca-
tion-and possible opportunity to
sing in the movies.
I'VE came here by bus" says Miss
Jeffreys. TT took us five days and
nights and it's wonderful way of
seeing America" But not so hot
as means Of becoming a Holly
wood star. Il did 80 pictures be-
fore getting a starring role" says
Anne, who soon was signed for q
part at Metro in Il Married an
Angel" with Nelson Eddy and
jeanette Macdonald. She played
one OF Nelson's dream girls. I al
most forgot to add that Anne
brought with her two female kit
tens. and two love birds. 1t must
have been just ducky for the other
passengers on the bus.
Franks First Kiss.
AS 1t must come to all beginners
in pictures-unless they strike gold
right away-westerns and heavies
at Republic Studio were on Anne's
schedule forsa year and half.
She was mostly a "heavy"-"Just
because I'm a blond I don't have to
be tough" she told them, but that
didn't help. She might still be at
Republic, but for the fact that her
boss was out Of town and the next
in-command forgot to renew her op-
ton, and by the time the lapse had
been noticed, Anne was under con-
tract to RKO. and that is where
she made Frank Sinatra's first pic
ture, step Lively"
Il gave Frank his first screen
kiss" she tells me. Il guess I'm
lucky with first players, because
I did Robert Mitchum's first pic
ture with him, and Lawrence Tier
ney's first film" That was Dill
niger" and Anne was the blond
who turned him over to the police.
In 'Riffraf1" Anne gets Pat
O'Brien for her leading man. ats
my big opportunity. I work in
night club In Panama and I'll sing"
In the early sequences she appears
to be a bad girl. But at the end"
says Anne, 1T turns out that I'm
good"
Two weeks ago Anne got to do
some real singing in opera-she ap-
peared in the first and second act
Of "Tosca" on June Is for the As