Evening star., 1946-06-23
HOLLYWOOD.

HOLLYWOOD.
Serial pictures and serial char
acters never will die, If you check
the boXof1ice charts, because fans
everywhere become SO infatuated
with the individual interpreters of a
fascinating story that they up and
demand more-and more.
That's why the Hardy Family has
lasted so long, halted by the war
time disappearance of its ringleader,
Mickey Rooney, and now about to
be resumed.
And that's why the Father O'Mal-
ley character created by Bing Crosby
in Going My Way" had to be re-
peated in THE Bells of ST. Mary's." "
Bing probably never will live down
that priest and will be forced to
revive him from time to time.
So it goes. on and on. Fans, it
seems, are the ones who actually do
the tipping. Right now, Edward
Everett Horton and James Gleason
are answering requests by thousands
of fans who have been writing Co
lumbia over the past five years ask
ing that the comedians again ap-
pear as Messenger 7013" and Max
Corkle," the characters they played
with such success in the comedy hit
of 1941, Here Comes Mr.. Jordan" !"
Don Hartman, the writer-pro-
ducer had the idea for a fantasy
in color about Terpsichore, the
glamor goddess of classic Greece
which he thought ideal as vehicle
for Rita Hayworth. Columbia
agreed with Hartman, and when he
started to develop the story OF
Down to Earth" it was suggested
that Messenger 7013" and Corkle
be included to please the fans, ever
though the story is in no way q
sequel to Jordan"
Sequel was Necessary.
Most of the popular series films
were planned as single stories
When MGM made a picture called
a Family Affair" nine years back
nosody had an idea of how the folks
would welcome the Hardy clan to its
heart.
Lionel Barrymore played Judge
Hardy in the original, but it was a
youngster named Rooney who stole
the picture as his mischievous sor
Andy. When Andy's popularity
made a sequel necessary, You're
Only Young Once" was chosen
Mickey was set to play his origina,
rcle, but Lewis Stone was cast as
the judge and most of the support
ing cast was changed. Now thai
Mickey is out of uniform he is re-
turning to the screen as his most
popular character in a new Hardy
saga, Uncle Andy Hardy"
The Blonde" pictures have theil
own large public, too. Penny Sin
) gleton is still the heroine, Arthur
Lake is Dagwood and Larry Simms
is their oldest youngster. This trio
has made 18 of the. family picture:
since their inception in 1888. Ane
don't forget the canine star, Daisy
and her pups.
The Boston Blackie" picture.
also are highly popular, and though
Chester Morris takes time out tt
play different roles in other type!
of stories, his fans insist that III
! make several of the "Blackie" film.
!, a year.
/ Leon Enrol inaugurated the Lore
!. Epping character in RKO's spit.
fire" pictures with the late Lup.
Velez. But even before Miss Velez!
tragic death put an end to tn,
series, Errol's character became
sufficiently applauded for him tt
deserve individual pictures of hi
, own.
Started in 1917.
}, Tarzan, the jungle man of Edga
!, Rice Burroughs invention, has
: film career that dates back to 1917
when Elmo Lincoln first played hin
on the screen and Enid Markey wa
: his mate. Herman Brix and severa
other actors played him afterwaro
out it was really Johnny Weismul
ler who swung him to big time tree
top movie fame, with pretty Mau
reen O'Sullivan as his mate, a
: MGM. When Johnny moved to Sc
Lesser's he took the character witt
| him, but Maureen bowed out of tn
!, series. In the most recent chapter
"TarZan and the Leopard Woman,
] Brenda Joyce is Johnny's mat