The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-03-20
HOLLYWOOD
NOTES
BY bon THOMAS

~ BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD R-Whether you
want an Academy award-worthy
performance or legal opinion,
Leo Gem is your man.
Gem, who could walk off with
an Oscar tonight for his role in
"Quo Vadis," is a fellow who is
as much at home with copy Of
Blackstone as with movie script.
AS far as anybody knows. he is
the only notable actor who is also
lawyer.
Which came first?
THE law" replied the polished
Englishman. II certainly never
had any intention of becoming an
actor when l was young. The only
acting | ever did was when we
put on the annual show at Cam
bridge. / put on a skirt and wig
and played a female. But you
could hardly call that acting ex-
perience,"
Then how did he succumb to
! acting?
"AS with most happenings, a
woman was at the bottom of il, =
he remarked. ~ had been practic.
ing law for year when lady /
knew called me up and asked if
! would like to appear in an anna
teur theatrical. ] said Why not?'
l tried it and was amused by the
experience. Since men are hard
to find for such enterprises, was
asked to do more"
Gems amateur efforts led to an
addition before one of the top pro-
ducers in England. After shifting
the appointment--an unheard of
thing for a, budding actor-he APP
peared before the producer; and
was offered job. Gem didn't
take the offer seriously. But the
producer made it more inviting
by. volunteering TO instruct Gem
in all phases Of the business. In
return, Gem would have TO look
after the company's contracts. He
accepted.
When l. discovered liked the
business, I informed the bar c.
my activities" he said. "You sec,
tradition Of centuries prohibits
practicing lawyers from indulging
in most other activities, such as
business or government. But for
some reason, they allowed me to
clltinuc acting. That was unusual,
since another ruling Of the bar is
that lawyers must do no advertis-
ing"
Because OF his stage appearance
cs, Gem soon found himself with
more law business than he could
handle. AS his acting career flow
cred, he gradually discontinued his
law pursuits. During the war, he
tried TO steer clear Of law assign
mcnts in the Army. He served as
a colo. ,cl ID the artillery.
But at the end Of the war. his
previous experience was recog.
pized. He was placed on the in.
vestigation team Of the infamous
Nnxfsseonee ration. camp 1t Bel
sen. III was the most horrible cx-
pericnce Of my life. " said Gem,
who helped assemble evidence for
the first war crime trials.
Back in civilian life. Gem be-
came famc.is as an actDr on both
sides Of the Atlantic. His accent
IS So flexible that he was able 10
appear as 1 Southerner in "An-
other Part Of the Forest on
Broadway and a Yankee in
Mourning Becomes Electra" on
the screen. He is here now to por-
tray &C.,. Bradford Of the Pilgrim
fathers in The Plymouth Advcn
ttirc.''
| asked him il he thought there
was any alliance between acting
and the law.
Every definitely he answered
There is the obvious factor Of
histrionics which one uses in court,
Also. yesl deal with middlcmcn In
both professions. In England, the
barristcr, who pleads a case, can,
not deal directly with tho public;
business Is referred to him by
solicitors. In acting, you deal with
producers through agents.
While nc no longer practices,
Gem Is often asked ftr legal opin-
ions. He explained;
1.-THE requests come from two
kinds Of people: Friends who are
| getting divorces. This is very EN-.
barrassing. And people who wan,
me TO look al their contracts.
have lawyer tC look al minc!!''
Rhfuncnr~xcnC ha.,r a s.nrscS :, ~ :, !,