The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-08
JIMMIE .FIDLER
In Hollywood

continuity writing, which demands
mechanical knowledge Of screen
technique rather than a flair for
connecting original plots. could be
done as well-or better-by someone
else.
MEMORIES THAT BLESS AND
BURN: When Marlene Dietrich,
then publicized as Hollywoods finest
cook. sent one OF her famous home
made" cakes to q visiting dignitary
and forgot to remove the bakery's
price tag When Tom Mix fiat.
" refused $4,000 offered for his en-
dorsement OF a popular cigaret, be-
cause it might disillusion and influ-
ence his kid fans When Doug
las Fairbanks, Jr., as a practical
Joke. bribed set electricians to wire
the directors chair and the director,
overhearing the plot, switched chairs
with him When Lee Tracy. en-
route TO Honolulu in his sailing
yacht, worked out his position for the
first time and discovered that ne
was approximately so miles east OF
Minneapolis.
When anyone asks me why David
o. Selmick's pictures are usually
outstanding, like to tell this very
significant story. One day about
year ago, while set-visiting in the
Selznick Studios. / suddenly reTnem-
bered an important engagement. Be-
ing without a watch. stepped into
one OF the executive offices to look
at clock that hangs there. and
found to my surprise that its face
had been entirely covered with
piece Of cardboard on which the title,
Duel in the SUM-" was printed in
letters a couple of inches high. I
tried the next Office, and found the
clock there masked in the same way.
How Gomez" / asked one Of the Sec
retaries. Its Mr.. Selznick's idea"
she explained. When We start a new
picture, he covers the faces of all the
clocks in the executive offices in
that fashion to impress on everyone
the fact that time means nothing
compared to the quality Of the pic
ture!"
On a set at Columbia, Marguerite
Chapman, Lee Bowman and I were
killing time by recalling our child
hood ambitions. Bowman said that
when he was a kid he wanted to be
a writer. The director interrupted
with a statement that he had
planned to be an engineer. and I
confessed that had yearned to be
an explorer. Finally it came Miss
Chapman,s turn. I'm younger and
therefore more modern than you old
timers" said she. Il just wanted to
grow up-and be whistled att"
Speaking of ambitions, Margaret
O'Brien. CARRIED in a white bunny
fur coat for her current role at
MGM, suddenly went into a fit OF
sneezing yesterday. Il was afraid of
that" said her mother. ruefully.
Margaret has always been allergic
to rabbit fur" GOSH" murmured
one Of the extra girls standing near
by. Wouldn't it be a tragedy IL she
grew up to be alergie TO MINK"
Driving past June StOrey's new
ranch house in the hinterlands of
the San Fernando Valley. stopped
in for a look-see and a chat. AS we
were talking. a bell-something like
the bells that used to summon us TO
school when We were kids-began 70
clang in the house OF her nearest
neighbor. fully 500 yards away. "Ex-
cuse me-" gasped June, and sped
across fields like an Olympic sprint
er. Returning good fifteen minutes
later. size offered an explanation.
Unable to get a telephone OF her
own, she arranged with the neighbor
TO take her calls and summon her
via the school bell. I'm for whom
the bell tolls" said she.