davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1947-08-28

finally has succeeded In presenting
everybody in nothing.
Variety Girl" which is slapstick
set to music. does have every one on
Paramount's roster in Its cast.
These include Bing Crosby, Bob
Hope. Barbara Stanwyck, Joan
Caulheld, Barry Fitzgerald, Alan
Ladd, Dorothy Lamour and far too
many others to tabulate. This Is an
incredible collection OF talent, but
1t is not one-tenth as incredible as
the screenplay in which they sing,
dance and caper like SO many exiles
from sanity.
~ &%
The astounding thing about "va-
riety Girl" ("Astounding''- g''-Star)-
is that it sets out to be a tribute to
the well-advertised sentimental
heart Of show business. It's basic
theme is how Variety Club came
into existence. That, at least, is
what it starts out to be. Immedi-
ately thereafter, every one seems to
have gone quite starkly mad as they
probably were bound to do with
screen musicals growing larger and
daff1er year after year.
Corn at $2.20 a bushel In the
Middle West is a give-away as COM
pared with the corn in Variety
Girl"
1t may be, of course, that there
Is nothing any one can do about all
star musicals. Allow that many
high-priced entertainers to get to-
gether in single picture and you
have a situation as uncomfortable
as that which prevails at a pickle
factory's annual outing when every
one starts thinking he is Bob Hope.
Actually, after seeing Variety
Girl" which you very well may
after reading the marquee, you can
regard yourself as competent
authority on the worst features Of
company picnics.
Customers willing to brave what
they see there, will be given a COM
plete tour through Paramounts
plant In Variety Girl" plus close
ups of everyone from Crosby,
through Cecil B. DeMille, down to
the gateman.
The camera plunges into dressing
rooms of the stars, reels onto one
Of DeMille's gigantic sound stages,
darts into the area Of a reckless
screen test, and ranges away from
the studio to pick up such play
spots Of the picture set as the
Brown Derby, Cocoanut Grove and
a directors 100000 backyard
with rotisserie and swimming pool.
Life in Hollywood, you can be sure,
gets a working over that 1t well
may wish 1t had escaped.
A wild wisp OF story blows
through this spectacular setting,
occupied not merely by all Of the
Evening star., 1947-08-28

studios stars, but a fair share Of
it's directors, and actors who i'm
personate the corporations pre-
sumably sane executives.
It is the story of Catherine
Brown CMary Hatcher). She is
supposed to be the infant girl who
was found in a deserted theater
and whose adoption by four Pitts
burgh movie exhibitors started
Variety Club. Instead of worthy
representative Of so much senti-
mental solicitude by her foster
fathers in Pittsburgh, Catherine is
written as an outrageous speci-
men of deserted babyhood.
Her efforts to crack the movies
as a singer represent imbecility
raised to the 18th power - not
merely her own but that of the
Hollywood set among whom she
circulateS.
These efforts, to get them out of
the way quickly, involve her in a
running gag in which she is for
ever dumping the executive boss
Of Paramount into some nearby
body of water. There has been
nothing like it since Mack Sennett.
Everyone has his specially spot
in Variety Girl" but the material
in no case is inspired. Crosby and
Hope run through their good-na-
tured feud; Bill Bendix roughs-up
Alga San Juan, the latter as an am
bilious young actress with a vile
ego, In a screen test; DeMille gives
a specimen of the famous directoral
Evening star., 1947-08-28

were IN a tussle to see who could play
D'Artagnan last on the screen
Louis was to do 1t for Edward Small.
And Gene was the star Of '"The
Three Musketeers" for Metro. So,
first Of all, Louis called OF his
D'Artagnan; then Gene and Metro
postponed 1.-THE Three Musketeers. !"
I guess the exciting classic is too eR
pensive anyway at this time.
Donald O'Connor's next picture
at Universal international is to be
"Traditionally Yours" musical.
Don makes this one before Are You
With It?"
Joan Crawford is completely cured
of her friendship for Don Barry and
has another beau. One of these days
I'm going to ask Joan for her secret!
X X X
Irene Dunno hops of for Homo
lulu when she finishes Il Remember
Mama" in October Then she will
make another picture and, next
February, Irene and her,husband go
Evening star., 1947-08-28

technique; Barbara Stanwyck mar
rates few words of Variety Club
history; and Alan Ladd and Doro-
thy Lamour unite in duet in
which tough-lad Ladd displays a
throaty, baritone.
Probably the nearest thing to a
well-earned laugh is a. sequence
starring Milland. The scene is Mil
lands dressing room. He is there
alone when the phone rings. Mil
land looks about furtively, climbs
on a chair, reaches into a chande-
lier and picks up. the receiver just
as he once reached for his cached
whisky in 'Ihe Lost Week End"
Another speciality spot that comes
off reasonably well, despite being
over produced, is a solo, Tired"
sung by Pearl Bailey. Miss Bailey
is a sepia songstress with a style.
Variety Girl" is picture with
out one.
Evening star., 1947-08-28
Hollywood:
Peggy Garner
To Free.Lance
In Future
By SheiIuh Grohom
By sheiIoh Grohom

Peggy Ann Garner has called 1t
quits with Goth Century-Fox. After
DAISY Kenyon" the lass will be on
her own. She's been getting $3.50
week. But she'll do even better as
a free-lancer.
William Powell's picture, "The
Senator Was Indiscreet," gets new
title, by order of the State Depart
ment, for foreign consumption.
Abroad the title will be "Mr. Ashton
Was Indiscreet." We can't have the
foreigners thinking that Senators in
this country are indiscreet!
Gene Kelly and Louis Hayward
Evening star., 1947-08-28

to South America. At the moment
Irene Is interested in something
light and musical for her next film.
Laraine Day has Cancelled her
jannt to Paris to. make a movie.
She is staying here instead, re-
decorating her house and doing a
spot Of landscaping. On Leo Duro-
cher's advice, Laraine is having rs
trees on her estate chopped down.
It made the place too gloomy. Leo
likes sunshine and he'll get 1t, when
lie moves in with Laraine after their
Evening star., 1947-08-28
r-Drenched Variety Girl
Just Like a Company Picnic
By Joy Cormody

You can't imagine the mental collapse Of group Of screen writer's
told to produce story suitable for all the
Paramount You can't imagine it, the
startled in Variety Girl" which
postero, musical Of the is
been predicting the
Evening star., 1947-08-28

California marriage in January.
Beverly Tyler Is wondering what
will happen to her career at Metro
when she returns from her current
Evening star., 1947-08-28

VARIETY GIRL" q Paramount picture
produced by Daniel Dare. directed by
@ george MarsnaIl, original r sesesnplsy By
Welch and Monte Brice, songs by Johnny
Burke and James Van Heusen, Allen Rob-
erts and Doris Fisher. Frank Loesser,
dances BY. Billy Daniels and Bernard
Pearce. At the Palace.
The Cast.
Catherine Brown Mary Hatcher
Amber La Vonne- Olga San Juan
Bob DeForest Kelley
Barker - William Demarest
Stage Manager Frank Faylen
r. ]. OConnell-------F Ferguson
Bill Farris isG Glen Tryon
Mrs Webster r----N Nella Walker
Headwaiter, Brown Derby -Torben Meyer
Busboy Jack Norton
Cashier ...-E Elaine Riley
Asst. to Mr.. oconner ----charles Victor
Asst. to Assistant ------- Cute Taute
Mgr. Graumans Chinese Harry Hayden
First Girl Japet Thomas
Second Girl Roberta Jonay
Girl with Sheep Dog Wallace Earl
Lux 4IdLcI LiCh NCS4e
1dlrQreSSeI ----------a ahHu IoIdh
Makeup Eric Alden
Director Observation-Disclosures Frank Mayo
Special Voice Impersonator Pinto Colvig
Cop -------- Edgar Dearing
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01
Cultural Commission Now Formed

OSLO-The first organizational
meeting of the Northern Cultural
Commission recently concluded in
Oslo has resulted in an ambitious
agenda for cultural cooperation be-
tween the four northern lands.
A product of last years meeting
of the Northern Inter-Parliamen-
tary Union, the Commission plans
a broad program to facilitate Gull
tural exchange between Norway,
Sweden, Denmark and Finland. In
a recent meeting with the press,
Olav Devik of the Norwegian Min
istry of Church and Education out
lined a number of projects which
are now under preparation for the
groups next meeting.
These include an exchange of
lecturers and teachers between
universities and institutions of
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01
Norway Atom Film
Soon To Be Ready

Shooting of final scenes for the
French Norwegian film THE Bat
tie for Heavy Water" is now I'M
der way in Rjukan, Norway. 1t
was here in February of 1943 that
a detail of skilled Norwegian sab
oteurs succeeded in destroying the
heavy-water apparatus at the
huge Rjukan electrolytic plant,
then the Nazi's chief source of
heavy water for atomic research.
Later, when the atomic bomb
was revealed to the world, VIM
ston Churchill paid tribute to those
saboteurs and the part they played
in keeping the bomb secret from
the Germans until u. S. scientists
were ready for Hiroshima. Jean
Marin, the French scenario writ
ter has announced that he hopes
to persuade Winston Churchill to
appear in the film, taking the
same role he played in real life
during the historic race for atomic
supremacy.
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01

higher learning, study of meth
DDS of instruction and examina-
ton in the several countries in
the interest of bringing them more
into line, and a system Whereby
reference books may be exchanged
between scientists and specialists
in the four lands.
Particular attention was paid to
plans for an expanded exchange of
literature, cultural exhibits and
theater groups as well as closer
cooperation in the study and devel-
opment of adult education pro-
grams. Representatives lent par
ticular stress to the Importance of
the study circle plan, and a fur
Their exchange of information On
this subject was requested for the
groups next meeting in October.
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01
Denmark Resumes
Greenland Work

COPENHAGEN. - Mapping of
Greenland, begun in 1927 and in
terrupted by the war, was re-
sumed in June by an expedition
of some 20 persons working I'M
der the Danish Geodetic Institute.
The expedition has at its dis
posal the most modern means of
map-making, including two Cata-
lima flying boats bought in the
United States to help in the huge
task of accurately reproducing
Greenland's lengthy coastline.
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01

Lund University in 1924 at the
age of 80. His books are known to
theologians around the world.
Will Help just Peace
LUND, Sweden, July 5.-The
Lutheran World Federation said in
a statement closing its confer
ence today that it recognizes its
responsibility in collaborating for
a just world peace.
The conference empowered an
executive commission to establish
such connections as may be suit
able for commission of church
es in international affairs"
Federation delegates, including
those from the United States,
leave for home Monday
Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1947-07-01
World Lutheran
Group Formed

LUND, Sweden, July 3.-Luth-
eran church leaders of the world
signed a new constitution uniting
the churches more closely in a
Lutheran World Federation in a
solemn ceremony today.
The new document was adopted
unanimously by federation dele
gates from 80 nations Tuesday.
A spokesman said the new con-
stitution "Unites Luthe err n
Churches into a free association
for common detectives" and pro
vides for a paid secretariat to be
opened Immediately at Geneva,
Switzerland"
Hitherto, he said, common action
by the churches was possible only
through infrequent assemblies.
Earlier, delegates to the fedora
ton session here heard a special
study commission urge the church
es to give spiritual support to
any structural changes in the
United Nations which would make
it better instrument of peace.
The comnission-com of
European and Asiatic delegates
assigned to report on facing
problems in a troubled world
declared that reconciliation in
wolves partial surrender of nation
al sovereignty by all
Farley Elects
LUND, Sweden, July 4-The
Lutheran World Federation today
elected DR.. Anders Nygren of
Lund University president for five
years.
DR.. Nygren succeeds Swedish
Archbishop Erling Eden, who de-
clined reelection because of lack
of time and strength.
DR.. Nygren was appointed pro-
fessor of systematic theology at
Evening star., 1947-05-03
Black Skinner

There was q time when the black
skimmers were common along the
northern coast, but now they add
interest to the coastline from New
Jersey southwark. When Cham
plain explored Cape Cod in 1905 he
wrote: I'VE saw also a bird with
a black beak, the upper part slightly
aquiline, four inches long and in
the form of a lancet; namely, the
lower part representing the handle
and the upper part the blade, which
is thin, sharp on both sides, and
shorter by a third than the other,
which circumstance is a matter of
astonishment to many persons, who
cannot comprehend how it is posi-
BILE for the bird to eat with such
a beak. 1t is of the size of a pigeon,
the wings being very long in pro-
portion to the body, the tail short,
as also the legs which are red; the
feet being small and fiat. The plum
age on the upper part is gray-brown,
and on the underparts pure white.
They go always in fiocks along the
seashore, like the pigeons with U.S."
No question but Rynchops nigra
nigra is a peculiar fellow. His folk
lore names, cut-water, scissor-bill
and shear-water, give clue to the
way he captures his food. With his
powerful wings spread to four-foot
width, his forked tail serving as a
rudder, he skins along close above
the water. When he sees food he
keeps flying but lowers the bill into
the water. Occasionally in the shall
lows he miscalculates the depth and
his red, black tipped mandible snags
on the bottom and fip-hops the
SKINNER into a grotesque tumbling
act. Rynchops and his mate are
very casual in their homemaking.
The eggs are deposited In the open
sands. He is an interesting fellow
to watch on a summers day and his
peculiarly nasal barking yelps add
an off ff-tune medley to the music OF
breaking rollers.
Evening star., 1947-05-03

event Of war, the new base would be
well situated for the launching of
counter measures against attackers.
Considered as part Of network, IT
could be a key point in our system
of aerial defense and offense.
The War Department estimates
that the project will cost in the
neighborhood Of SIS, ,ooo, 900. In the
opinion of the Maine congressional
delegation, it will cost twice that
sum. In either case, however, the
investment will be sound. The air
age has made such developments a
security essential. In effect, by
building this powerful superbomber
base at its northeastern tip, the
Nation will be adding to its life
insurance.
Evening star., 1947-05-03
Hoover Library

Perhaps the Library on War
Revolution and Peace established
by Herbert Hoover at Stanford
University, California, should be
sheltered in Washington. There
must be many friends of the fermer
President who will agree that his
vast collection of documents re-
lating to the modern "age of con-
fusion" would have been valuable
and useful adjunct to the Library
of Congress. But the ease and speed
of air travel serves to make neigh
bors of the two great institutions,
even though they stand on opposite
sides of the continent. Scholars
may Jump from one repository to
the other in a few hours and at
relatively minor expense.
Meanwhile, the country at large
must be increasingly grateful to Mr..
Hooyer for having preserved the
mass of written material which came
to him in connection with his work
outside the presidency. The tempta-
ton to discard accumulated papers
when they have ceased to be of
immediate significance is natural in
the experience of scores of busy nfen.
Lack of facilities for storing data
frequently leads to their premature
destruction. The Federal Govern
ment long ago discovered that not
even the National Archives Building,
deliberately planned to house i'm
portant documentary property for at
least a century. was big enough to
hold everything worth saving.
What Mr.. Hoover has done has
been to concentrate on finding and
keeping books, pamphlets, news
papers, press releases, correspond
ence relating to the issues which
Evening star., 1947-05-03

culing a person, some one is going to
get mad. Allen had the air over
which TO do his smart talking" but the
executives Of MIC had to just sit there
and take it, and the public began to
think that all vice presidents are q
bunch of dopes. Every man is entitled
to respect and our bright comedians,
just to get laugh, would embarTass or
ridicule man of the cloth II. they
thought they could get away with 1t.
Let's be fair. B. g. DE TIEVY.
In Defense Of Commercials
To the Editor OF The Star:
Since your paper apparently makes
It policy TO play open house to both
sides OF an issue, you may be interested
In an advertising mans answer to re-
cent criticisms of radio commercials.
I. Is the public at large fed up with
commercials The nonpartisan Nation
al Opinion Research Center's recent
study shows that 50 per cent Of the
listening public prefers programs with
rather than without advertising, and
that tWo-thirds is satisfied with radio
advertising as 1t is.
Q. Do commercials falsify? According
to the latest Federal Trade Commission
report, only 1.23 per cent of the thou
sands of commercials reviewed In l946
Evening star., 1947-05-03

have developed ii his own time
between nations. races. classes, or
ganized groups Of people the differ
ences which have caused armed
strife and the efforts which in
evitably were made to adjust or
correct those differences. The
library at Palo Alto grew day by
day from 1914 onward; 1t continues
to grow. A dispatch to the Christian
Science Monitor a few days ago
announced the receipt OF fty-seyen
crates of data relating to the Franco
regime in Spain and to the under
ground resistance to it since 1899.
Obviously, shelf space, processing,
cataloguing, systematic care are
needed for every item added to the
original deposit. Mr.. Hoover and
his friends are providing those facil-
tiles with a generosity which should
be appreciated by the whole public.
Evening star., 1947-05-03
Air Base in Maine

Announcement of plans for a great
new air base in Maine indicates that
the United States has abandoned the
idea of developing superbomber
facilities in Newfoundland. There
has been no official explanation of
this, but a number of factors could
account for the decision. For one
thing, Newfoundland is not part of
our country and international
considerations may have weighed
against it. Further, the projected
site, which is in the same general
region, may we'll be strategically as
good and more economical.
Scheduled for completion some
time next year, the new base will
be the nearest to Europe in the con-
tinental United States. Four miles
west of the Canadian border and
about thirty miles northeast of the
Army Air Forces Presque Isle field,
it will be equipped to accommodate
our "very heavy bombers"-not only
improved versions of the B-29
Super Fortress but also the giant
B-36, which dwarfs the B-29. Accord
ing to AAF spokesmen, any effort to
reconstruct the Presque Isle facilities
for such aircraft would cost more
and take longer-a point that prob
ably holds true for the Newfound-
land facilities as well.
In relation to Europe, the pro-
3ected Maine base will place our air
power within nonstop, round-trip
flying distance of all key points. It
will be about 5000 miles from Lon
don, $500 from Berlin, and not much
more than 1000 from Moscow and
the Dardanelles. Our B-36 has a
range OF at least 10000 miles. The
figures speak for themselves. In the
Evening star., 1947-05-03

be milder than the House version but
stronger than the Senate,
Predictions that the President will
veto the bill-particularly If it is any
stronger than the bill reported out OF
the Senate Labor Comrnitte-hy like
hailstones in spring storm. If Mr..
Truman follows the advice of some of
his New Deal friends and labor leaders.
he will veto the bill in whatever shape
1t reaches him
Chance to Win Labor Vote Seen
The argument advanced for a veto
is that 1t viii make Truman solid with
the labor vote in the 1948 presidential
election. Maybe it will and maybe It
won't. The President has stepped on
the toes-and properly so-of some labor
leaders and the unions they represent
in the past among them John L. Lewis
and the coal miners and some of the
railroad unions, when the latter threat
ened a Nationwide strike. Not small
part OF the increased personal prestige
and popularity Of Mr.. Truman grew out
of his firm stand in these cases. What
will happen to his prestige and popular
ity If he turns down all labor legisla-
tion remains to be seen.
There is a lot of extravagant, tifalutin'
language being used today by the OPP
ponents of labor legislation House
and Senate bills more specifically. To
listen to these critics, the working man
would be deprived of all his rights and
would be little better than slave If one
Of these measures should become law.
AL of which is tonmyrot. The labor
unions have been relieved, by series
of laws, from many responsibilities and
from obeying some of the laws. They
have under this lawless situation become
a great monopoly which thinks no more
of the rights and welfare OF the great
American public-or even of the right Of
the individual members Of labor unions
themselves than the railroad execu-
tive OF the past whose slogan was aall
the traffic will bear" or 4the public be
damned
Il took a long time to educate Ameri-
can businessmen that the public and
also their employees have certain rights
The education was expensive and over
the protest Of many business leaders
It Is time now that the same kind oi
education be extended to labor leaders
and the unions themselves.
Evening star., 1947-05-03
Recruiting Communists

heCfulIn8 communists
To the Editor Of The Star.
In the current debate on American
foreign policy, one Of the arguments
most often advanced is that poverty
breeds communism, and usually with.
the air of uttering self-evident truth.
The point will repay examination, and I
propose to consider first a Representa-
tive group Of Communists and Com
munist dupes, then to examine those
states and areas which have become
Communist, since this Is our only evi-
dence one way or another. No study, SO
far as know, has been made Of the
social origins OF American Communists;
however, the Canadian spy trials give
us group, all of whom betrayed their
nation on behalf of the Soviet Union,
and whose origins should be OF interest.
AS Of late 1916, II members of the ring
had been convicted, and SO may be taken
as being Communists TO the satisfaction
OF a jury. We find them to be: A n1em-
Der OF the Canadian Parliament; an In
Observation-Disclosures scientist: an OPP
tometrist: q doctor; three engineers;
Journalist lno poor scribbler. but a cap-
tain IN the Canadian army, and three