Evening star., 1948-07-18
The New Greer Carson Is a Coincidence
After the Sorrows Adventure and "Desre Me- Actress
Hopes Julia Msbehaves" Will Re.establish Her
By SeiIoh Grohom
HOLLYWOOD

HOlIL Y WOOD.
You expect to see Betty Cradle
In tights. You expect to see Betty
Hutton Jump over a fence. But
when you see Greer Carson jump
ing over fence in tights, you have
something different. That's what
Greer does in Julia Misbehaves."
Greer has always fancied herself
good at comedy. The one time I
saw her frolic on the stage, in Noel
Coward's Private Lives" she did
well in kind OF refined, impecca-
BILE way. But the two previous
Remember" (Which she begs us
not to- and Adventure" with Clark
Gable, film that would have killed
off two less established movie stars
she wasn't very good.
But" I am assured by Everett
Riskin, who produced Julia Mis-
behaves" "the third comedy try
for Greer Is very lucky. The kids
ut the sneak prevlew laughed so
loudly it drowned out some Of the
dialogue"
Idle Year.
Greer's boss, l.. B. Mayer, after
the preview, told her, Greer. you
never looked more beautiful" To
which the long reigning queen at
Metro replied, You know why?
was happy" Well, we will see
whether the advance reports OF a
new and better Greer Carson are
studio optimism or celluloid fact.
But 1t is a fact that for the first
time since I've known Greer, she
seems to be happy. met her first
In. 1888 when Mayer, on a talent
rampage in Europe, found the gor-
seous redhead on the London stage
and sent her to Hollywood to twid-
die her thumbs in idleness for a
whole year at a salary of $1,000 a
week. The waiting to work drove
Greer into a hospital with severe
back complaint that miraculously
vanished when Mayer sent her back
to England to co-star with Robert
Donat in "Good-by, Mr.. Chips"
Greer's Mrs. Chips role started
. chain of nonstop, gracious, al
ways understanding matrons that
gave Greer an Academy Award for
playing Mrs. Miniver, put her at
the top of every box office poll and
ended by tumbling her from her
throne because movie-goers got sick
and tired of seeing her in the same
rola over and over again
Lifetime Contract.
That's when Greer made her Ca
reer-killing movie, adventure" I
saw Greer the morning after the
New York reviews of the picture
hit Hollywood. 1--WE been crying
my eyes out" said Greer frankly.
She cried some more when she
read the reviews on the equally
murdered Desire Me" The press,
which had been kept at long dis
tsnce from the lady by the wor-
shipping press agent department at
Metro, now was practically begged
to interview Greer. Greer, being
a normal woman, had enjoyed her
spot on the pedestal created for her
by her studio and her successful
pictures. Now she was given a
chance to prove that she could be
as kind and considerate as the next
movie star-and a lot more charm
ing
The next big change occurred
when Mayer, disregarding the box
Office and the decline of his favorite
star, gave Greer a lifetime contract
that calls for her to receive a big
weekly pay check as long as she
lives, even though she may decide
one day to retire as an actress,
I doubt, however, whether she will
retire. She's still one of the more
ambitious of the stars, although
she's as relaxed now as she was jit-