Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-11
|Rhonda Fled
From First
|FilrnOffer
By Harold Heffernon
HOLLYWOOD.

| HOLLYWOOD.
Plenty Of these Hollywood date.
lined tales. we'll admit, sound like
pure fiction. That's because they
originate in the land Of tinsel, make
believe and miracles. This is an
other one hard to take, but vel
vouch right now for its 100 per cent
authenticity. Here It's. in q nut
shell:
Strange as 1t may seem, there
are several high-spotted lady screen
personalities Of today who said mo-
to first overtures made them by the
studios. Not thousand times no,
perhaps. or did they get their arms
twisted, but these select girls put
more or less Of q stubborn fight
against entering moyieland gates.
What brings the mono" situa-
ton to mind at this particular
moment is the latest hard-to-get
heroine, red-headed Rhonda Flem-
ing, who has just finished her first
big role nothing less than leading
lady to Bing Crosby In "A Con-
necticut Yankee at King Arthur's
Court" Miss Fleming definitely
did not want to become notion
picture actress. Things are different
now. She finds her Cinderella slip
pers with the celluloid soles very
comfortable fit, and is still secretly
pinching herself to make sure the
whole thing isn't q dream.
Fled Talent Scout.
Rhonda's mono" business began
when she was only Is. Let her tell
the story:
II was on my way to Beverly
Ellis High School," she recalls. II
was late, too, and didn't like the
way = man In q car kept following
me. Finally he pulled up In front
Of me and had to stop. Then he
identified himself as talent agent
and asked me II I were interested
in getting into pictures. I told him
no, that all I wanted was to get
to school. When he persisted in
talking, I finally took of my high
heeled shoes and ran the rest of the
way In my stockinged feet"
The agent was not to be rebuffed.
He obtained her name and address
from schoolmate. When Rhonda
got home that afternoon she found
him talking to her parents. He
succeeded in putting her under con-
tract for three months, but nothing
ever came of it, largely because his
young client was too busy with
school books. 1t wasn't until three
years later that Rnonda began TAX
ing the thing seriously.
What about some of the others
who tried to fight of the movie
bugs bite?
They Pied With Gail.
Well, there was Veronica Lake, for
example, who intended to go along
just for the ride when she accom-
panied q friend to an interview with
Director John Farrow. The direc-
tor offered her a part in his new
picture, but Ronnie wasn't interest
ed and only after persuasive argu-
ment agreed to give the screen a
fling.
Gail Russell practically had to
be dragged into Paramount for
test after William Meiklejohn, the
studios talent chief, had spotted the
black haired Santa Monica high
school girl and offered her tryout.
During her apprenticeship she had
to be restrained by pleading, Ca
joling and scolding from walking
out and throwing the whole btsi-
ness up. 's'.- Pig. .'-.-.. -.
Lizabeth Scott answered Producer
Hal Wallis 7telegraphed request for
an interview with a wire saying sor-
ry, but she would rather do a play
in Boston than risk her luck in Hol-
lywood. Sylvia Sidney was talked
into coming to Hollywood, but after
seeing herself on the screen the
first time she took the next train
back to New York, and it required
much talk to argue her into return
ing to the scene of her late horror.
Alice Was Scared.
Never was there a more movie-shy
character than Alice Faye. Suffer-
ing from severe inferiority COM
pick, Miss Faye used to have stage
fright every time she sang with
Rudy Vallee's orchestra in New York
night clubs.
When Rudy came to Hollywood
IL years ago to make the original
film edition of George Whites
Scandals" Alice Faye came along
with the deal. A badly scared Alice
got into town, but when the first
day of shooting arrived the blond
singer was nowhere to be found.
She had taken train to New York,
leaving note explaining her fears.
Vallee and two studio officials
finally managed to get her back.
Alice made a great success, but