Evening star., 1948-04-04
Movie Actors Welcome Telephone Scenes
Many Have Leaped Sudden Prominence Merely by Dang
Number and Speaking Into a Mouhpiece

ately dialcd the police and ordered
them to arrest Hildy. "The blank
ety-blank stole my watch" he lied.
Romantic moments, and even the
kiss, can be heightened by use of
the phone. Ingrid Bergman and
Cary Grant played one of the long
est bussing scenes on record when
they made "Nortorious. During the
tender interval Cary held the lovely
Ingrid in his right arm and reached
for a phone with the other. Al
ternately and simultaneously, and
in very adept fashion, Mr.. Grant
handled both problems. Specta-
tors seemed to feel Miss Bergman
got the breaks, however.
Directory Used, Too.
5"It Happened One Night" began
its award-bound fun with reporter
Clark Gable getting fired via the
phone. Gable made the most of
bad situation and proceeded to put
over big act before his unsuspect-
ing fellow newshounds by vigorously
telling of the boss on the other
end of the line.
The phone directory got eff Had
A Million" off to hilarious start
when the eccentric Richard Bennett
announced he was choosing 10 peo-
pie at random from its pages for his
gift of 100000 each. The first
name that came up was that Of
John d. Rockefeller.
Ray Milland did several dramatic
phone scenes while earning him
self statuette as a dipsomaniac
in "The Lost Weekend" Later he
registered the biggest laugh in the
all-star variety Girl" by simple
twist Of his famous bottle hiding
trick. When bell rings, he reaches
into the chandelier and comes down
with phone instead of a rye bottle.
It's hard to imagine a gangster
movie without police or mobsters
doing pletny of heavy work over the
wire. There was the memorable
time when the detective kept Ed
ward G. Robinson talking on the
phone in Little Caesar" while the
call that led to the gang chiefs
ambush was traced. Also, the cli-
mactie moment in public Enemy
No. l" when Jimmy Cagney's family
found his lifeless body propped
against the door-following a phone
tip from the killers.
Debt is Acknowledged.
During frantic efforts to evade
the law In -Four Hours to Kill"
Richard Barthelmess hid in a phone
booth, hanging up an "Out OF order"
sign. This threw the police off
his trail. A memorable scene for
kiss of Death" began when Vic
tor Mature telephoned the district
attorneys Office that two minutes
later he was walking into the wait
ing trap of the killers.
The shady character Of Clark
Gable as the high-powered adver-
tlslng salesman was neatly planted
in opening scenes for ""The Huck-
sters." Clark is seen entering a
hotel lobby dressed in evening
clothes, but the clock registers 10
am. The phone rings as our hero
enters his room. For three minutes
he converses-the suggestive type
of chatter which indicates beyond
doubt in the spectators mind that
this fellow is rather wild playboy.
Later Mr.. G. uses booth telephone
TO express his love for Deborah
Kerr. And just before hanging ,up.
believe it or not, he smacks his
lips at her-or rather at the mouth
piece.
Hollywood hasn't been amiss in
acknowledging its debt of gratitude.
A dozen years ago the film folks paid
their respects to Alexander Graham
Bell with movie revolving around
his life. Don Ameche playing the
biographical role.
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