Evening star., 1948-12-19
HOLLYWOOD

When 1t comes to Christmas,
Hollywood actors believe in shooting
the works. Keeping pace with the
expensive baubles exchanged be-
tween mere acquaintance in the
film business, the players take par
ticular pride in the lavish preten-
tiousness of their greeting cards.
This year, the mailmen around
film village are groaning under
cardboard burdens heavier than at
any time since prewar days. Even
in the face of widespread retrench-
ments, Hollywood is gift and card
minded in big way this year.
Significant in the merry exchange
of 1948 is the large number of per-
sonalitieS who have fashioned their
own little tokens. Several dozen
actors became painters during the
past year and some developed such
talent they decided to show off to
their friends via Yuletide reproduc-
tionS.
Among those new devotees of the
brush and palette who said Merry
Christmas" that way are Van john
son, Van Hef1in, Frank Sinatra,
Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Robert
Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck and
Anne Baxter.
Delinquents there are, as usual,
in any such summarization involv-
ing casual screen people, but today
We are able to pass along descrip-
tive roundup on those selected by
most of the celluloid headliners.
Hopes Gag Is Funny.
Bob Hope, playing true to form,
comes out with the funniest greet
ing and, once again, the theme Is
based on the stars wanderlust. It's
a multicolored art job showing Bob,
tied and gagged, sprawled on the
floor in front Of his fireplace. Sit
ting atop his trunks and golf bags
are Mrs. Hope and the four chill
dren. The two family dogs grin
happily and the inscription reads:
Merry Christmas. Dear-It's nice
you decided to stay home this year"
AS for the Yule card painters:
Frank Sinatra's are copies of. one
of Franks prize-winning oils-a
bust of a sad-faced cloWn-and in
side is the greeting. Best wishes
from the Sinatras, Nancy, Frank
Nancy Sandra, Christina and Frank
jr" Van Hefin, one of the most
enthusiastic of the lobbyists, went
overheard. with portrait of his
wife and two children, superimposed
on a shot of their Beverly Hills
home. adorned by, of all things,
snow
Van johnson is dispatching 800
plain white cards carrying sample
of one of the stars water colors-a
shot of the New England country
side near his birthplace, Newport,
R. I. Elizabeth Taylor, now work.
ing in England, has already sent her
friends a card Of her own brush
design, a winter scene in London.
Also in the I'VE do our own paint
ing" galaxy are the Taylors, Bob
and Barbara. They've sent out at
tractive folders high lighted by a
snowy landscape in Nebraska (Bob's
native State), and since both are
horse-lovers, they've superimposed
pictures of their own two fine riding
horses.
Bette's Mate Paints.
The Gregory Pecks' is also a
home-color job-a caricature of a
rag doll, with a red background
and Merry Christmas" in black
across the bottom. Bette Davis
turned to her artist husband, Will
liam Grant Sherry-a professional
artist, no less-to do the Christmas
work. Sherry came up with a
wintry New England countryside
that proves one of the most attrac-
tive of all the 1948 cards. Legend
reads: From Bette, Barbara and
Sherry" Clifton Webb also got
some expert paint help ON his