The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-16

was succeeded BY another kid star,
Mickey Rooney, whose love-less afa-
ties for the next three years drew
more customers into theaeers than
the best OF his lovelorn competitors
could attract. In ioA2, Abbott and
Costello, specialists In slapstick, took
over. Betty Cradle, the only glamour
star on the list, was No. In le4S,
Since then, Bing Crosby, who dodg-
es love interest like you would q
rattlesnake, has been the king.
II were q studio head, ! think
I'd study those records and quit kid
ding myself. The magic ingredient
isn't love interest; It's simply good
entertainment,
MEMORIES THAT BLESS AND
BURN; When Frances Langford
and Jon Hail, separated for the
first time by their professional en-
gagements, tried TO forestall gossip
by solemnly signing q fidelity pact,
When one OF Barbara Lamarr's
unwanted admirers campaigned for
her smile by sending her 500 worth
Of orchids every day for weeks--afld
Miss Lamar disdainfully gave them
to the extra girls on the set Z.
When Hollywood's famous Peter
the Hermit" seeing q location worker
prepare to XII black widow spider,
interfered and dished out scathing
reprimand TO the would-be execu-
toner.
Some months ago, Jane Russell,
having finished q starring role In
Young Wldwo,"r n Somehav
Young Widow" deoided TO take q
vacation from Hollywood and join
her grid-star husband, Bob Water
field, In Cleveland where he was
quarterbacking the Rams to pro-
fessional league elite. Knowing that
Hollywood glamour girls often are
resented by non-professlonals, I
asked her the other day how she
got along With the other players
wives. wonderfully WELL" she told
me. Particularly after they had
discovered that they all wore more
expensive clothes than / do"
With the possible exception of
Adolphe Menjou, whose sartorial
elegance Is q professional trade
mark, I double that there's male in
showbusiness whose annual ward
robe bills exceed those Of Charlie
Mccarthy. Edgar Bergen has THE
Splinter's" suits tailored by Holly
woods most exclusive firm and, de-
spite their miniature size they cost
approximately $500 each. The other
day, after surveying the array Of
buds in Charles closet, remarked
TO Mrs. Bergen that most wives
might be expected to resent such
lavish expenditures on q dummy.
Not II they're smart wives" she
laughed How can Edgar complain
about my bills when he spends $500
to buy Charlie a few suit2" AS an
experienced husband, think the
lady has q point.
Speaking Of professional ward
robes, my curiosity was aroused when
/ saw, on society drama set, an
actor clad in q complete football
outfit. / asked the director "how
come, and added one more oddity
to my Hollywood collection. The
man in the grid toys Is named Hugh
Kelton, an ex-football player from
a small Eastern college. His special
ty-and it's one that pays him q
good living-is falling down flights Of
stairs, not for the cameras, but for
the sound effect. It seems that the
studio sound experts, with all their
ingenuity, have never been able to
devise apparatus to properly dupn-
cate the sound Of that particular
kind Of tumble.
An amusing bit of repartee in the
10th Century cafe. Cesar Ro-
nero. driven by curiosity, had man.
aged to "swipe" Victor Natures
much-publicized "lttle black book"
Of phone numberS-and found, to his
surprise, that 1t contained nothing
but the numbers Of business eStab-
hshments. What Of it2" countered
Mature under barrage Of Gliding.
1T don't need TO write down the
numbers Of my girls. keep them in
my head--safe from the encroach-
ments Of guys like you"