Evening star., 1948-08-08
An Actress Speaks Frankly of Hollywood
Beatrice Pearson Isn't Surprised It's Losing Its Adult Audience
What With All Those Limitations
By SheiIoh Groho,n
HOLLYWOOD.

HOLLYWOOD.
Beatrice Pearson, John Garfield.
leading lady in "The Numbers
Racket" is q most unusual gal, ir
addition to being very pretty and
an excellent actress.
For instance, she actually didn't
like it when David Selznick paid
her $4,000 q week for one complete
year, because In all that time she
didn't make a movie for him. Selz-
nick was furious when she refused
to resign.
I've paid you more than Ingrid
Bergman received at the end of her
whole contract with me-" exploded
David. miss Bergman received
81 500 on the last lap Of her Selz-
nick deaD. Beatrice yawned, said,
Really" in her best stage drawing
room manner and then signed with
Garfield and Enterprise.
Accent on Beauty.
They say says Bee, "that Holly
wood has lost its audience Of people
over 80, and I'm not at all sur
prised. It's because Of the barriers
placed on the subject matter. You
can't say this; you can't do that
Why, do you realize that there isn't
one classical book that could be
produced today without cutting
most of the meat out of it?
Then there's Hollywood's way o1
portraying love. All of the accent
is on the physical beauty-and its
always young love. Take the late
Raimu, the rather paunchy and
bald French actor. Hollywood
never would have portrayed him as
a romantic figure. Yet in his pic
lures, though middle-aged, he had
a certain type sex appeal and a
beauty of spirit which made one for
get that he wasn't ,18 with build
like a member of the Yale crew.
Some people call me dificult
because 1 have my own ideas of
story values, what my still pictures
should be like and how much make
up I should wear. It's because
movie actresses haven't insisted on
some say-so of their own that good
many look like they came of an
assembly line-and act like 1t, too.
Loafed for Metro.
Beatrice started on the stage in
"Liliom." She played two bits. In
one she walked on stage and was
smacked by Burgess Meredith. In
the other she wore a hood and at
tended Meredith's funeral. After
this great" experience, she Joined
the Life With Father" troupe star
ring Louis Calhern and Dorothy
Gish. She played the maid.
When she had her first lead role
with James Barton in Free and
Equal" Goth Century-Fox signed
her, then promptly sold her contract
to Metro. They set the pattern to
be followed by Selznick by not Civ
ing her any pictures to make. FL
nally, with the great role of Sally
in THE Voice of the Turtle" Bea-
trice received and accepted that
s2,OO0-a-week offer from Selznick,
with the clause of returning to
Broadway when she got good play
offer.
John Garfield and I both agree, .
says Beatrice, that the best thing
for any performer is to alternate
between the screen and the stage.
It's funny. If you've done well on
the stage, Hollywood welcomes you
with open arms.
Means More Money.
do you want me to be frank?" l
do. "Okay, one of my reasons for
doing pictures is to make more money
both in Hollywood and on Broad
way. Now that I've starred opposite
John Garfield, I can get unlimited
backing for play. 1t wasn't so
long ago that couldn't even get
bit roles because my clothes were
threadbare and I was too skinny.
"If I'd been working in Hollywood
in no more important roles than I'd
been getting on Broadway, I'd have
been eating regularly and buying
dresses instead of trying to make
them myself"
I'll make q bet now that If Miss
Pearson's movie turns out as well
as think it will, she'll forget the
acting -on Broadway bug-for few
years anyway. They always do.
Released by North American Newspaper
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