davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-28
.ARADOxICALLY

DARADOXICALLY enough,
l. shorter skirts are directing
attention downward as their hem
lines rise.
The prettiest legs in any group
of women in the world are located
right here in the United States. So.
for 1854, shoes are going to play
up this fascinating fact with all the
fashion tricks with which designers
can endow them.
Lingerie-colored smooth kids help
shoes take on a new Interpretation.
Lines are sleek, slender and de-
Evening star., 1954-05-02

kor says the studio has been
flooded with letters Of pro-
test" The picture won't be
released for months and Crosby
will be seen as his old self in
white Christmas" first.
Some see Bing's yen to dis
pense with songs as the result
of a serious dip in his record
sales. A Decca executive re-
Gently said that the kids, who
make up the bulk of record
buying public, just won't buy
Bing.
ITO the teen-agers," said
the executive. "Bing is just
Gary Crosby's father"
All Love, Few Know
Bing may be SO but he
doesn't l0ok it. With a toupee,
he still can almost pass for a
screen juvenile. Economically,
he futters the hearts of some
of Hollywood's younger set
such as Mona Freeman, Mary
Murphy and Grace Kelly.
Miss Freeman still remains
the No. l interest, although
both laugh at wedding talk.
At so, Bing is the star that
most everybody loves but few
know. Even intimates confess
that they don't know Bing yet,
he is so unpredictable.
Crosby long has been the
despair of the Hollywood press
Evening star., 1954-05-02
Miss Foot Honor
Is Won by Jeon
HOLLYWOOD.


Pretty English actress Jean
Simmons has learned she owns
the most perfect feet in Holly
wood-for publicity purposes.
anyway. The great news came
via a scroll and a golden-foot
award from the California AS
sociation of Chiropodists as
a sort of kickoff for National
Foot Health Week, May IA
to 81.
The chiropodiStS' selection
of Miss Simmons dainty size
5-B's as "Hollywood's perfect
feet" was based on four de-
Gliding factors, promulgated
exactly as follows by the de-
lighted flacks at Goth Century
Fox:
l. Her pedal bone structure
is in perfect alignment, con-
tributing to her perfect pos
ture."
2. Her tootsies are free
from blemiSheS such as cornS,
callouSes, bunionS or other
growths and abrasions"
3. Her cute kickers "evi-
dence excellent muscular de-
velopment due to her dance
training and athletic activi-
ties"
4. Her demure dogs dem
onsurate proper tootgear selec-
ton"
In conclusion, declared the
foot fellerS, Miss Simmons
glamorouS grape crushers"
were as "daintily cared for
as her hands" and equally
symmetrical in their beauty"
Evening star., 1954-05-02
After His Musicals
Crooner Finds Sod
Films a Breeze
By james Bacon
HOLLYWOOD

Bing Crosby, the caliph Of
the carefree, hits so today. The
date may go down in show
business history as the birth of
the new Crosby "a serious
non-singing actor.
Bing makes no secret Of the
fact that he's ready to turn
dead serious on us after a
lifetime Of casual banter. He
believes a switch to serious
acting now can add 10 or more
years to a career already one
of the most fabulous in enter
tainment history.
And one intimate makes this
observation:
"Bing is a smart man. He
knows his days are numbered
if he tries to compete with
Eddie Fisher and the rest of
these kids. The teen-agers
want their crooners young and
the middle-aged set wants
Liberace."
So look one of these days for
a Crosby movie without songs.
It's coming. What does Bing
think of such a project?
It's q Breeze
I'm more than willing" he
admits. "I'll take the serious
stuff any day. It's a breeze
compared with making musi-
Gals"
George Seaton, who has di-
rected Bing in his two heav-
lest movies-"Little Boy Lost"
and 1.-The Country Girl"-con-
firms the Crosby serious trend.
Bling. doesn't enthuse cas-
ily," says Seaton, "but I've
never seen him so hepped up.
Bing is an excellent actor,
much better than people real
ize."
Seaton disclosed that Bing
was all for leaving songs out
of Little Boy Lost" but Para
mount front Office mixed it on
the theory the public was not
ready for a tuneless Crosby.
"Such a radical departure
must be taken gradually"
comments Seaton. And he's
right.
Movie fans have a potent
way of telling Hollywood how
they want their favorites
played. They still want Crosby
singing just as they want
Esther Williams swimming and
Betty Cradle dancing.
Paramount already is ex-
periencing unusually heavy fan
reaction toward the casting of
Crosby as a weak, drunken &C
tor in THE Country Girl"
Board Chairman Adolph Zu-
Evening star., 1954-05-02
Whut? Real Guns
Sound Like Guns?
BY the Associated Press
HOLLYWOOD.

One of radio and television's
greatest sound bugaboos long
has been the sound of gun
shot.
Too often in the past a
gripping climax has turned in
to an unscheduled laugh when
a As caliber pistol shot sound
ed like the pop of a kids cap
gun.
Everything in the sound
mans suitcase was tried to
capture the real sound. Fin
ally, CHS assigned two veteran
soundmen to the job, Ray
Kemper and Tom Hanley.
Know how they licked it?
They used real guns. Taking
a small arsenal, they went in
to a canyon annd spent two
days recording gunshots.
Now when script like John
ny Dollar" requires a ricochet-
ing .38, the sound is taken
from their recordings.
Evening star., 1954-05-02
4 PoweII's New Job
Has Its PeriIs
HOLLYWOOD.


Dick Powell and wife, June
Allyson, are rehearsing nee
essary adjustments in home
life and schedules. The word
is that Powell. under the new
sole-ownership regime of How
ard Hughes at RKO, will be-
come general production su-
pervisor of the plant.
That means Dick will be
on constap call, "a hours a
day. An, as so many of
Hughes trusted associates
have lef rned to their insom-
nia-prf soking discomfort. the
boss las cultivated an un-
breakable habit of transact
Ing his most important buSi-
ness over the telephone-and
between midnight and dawn.
Dick, however, has directed
several pictures for Hughes
and has had some trial runs
that should stand him in good
stead. He's also setting out
this week on his own big
project, titled, "The Conquer
or" co-starring John Wayne
and Susan Hayward.
AS an interesting aftermath
of the fabulous deal in which
he acquired complete control
of the studio by writing a
personal check for more than
$23 million, Hughes visited the
RKO lot in the dead of one
rainy night and, after close
inspection, ordered only one
change new roof on the
administration building. 1t
leaked.
(Released by NANA.)
Evening star., 1954-05-02
Bing, 50 To-day, May Turn Now to Serious Roles
Record Sales Slump
Factor in Change
In Crosby's Pace

department. just chalked it up
to Bing's pixy sense of humor.
Still Feois TV
What about some other
Crosby plans for the future?
Television, for instance.
He believes that a weekly
television show would kill him
off.
II don't want people to say,
oh, no-not him again."
He'll do television periodic
ally but not regularly.
ITO reduce it to arith-
metic." says Bing. 'I get 5000,
600 for a movie that takes
about nine weeks to make. If
I made nine TV films they
would also take nine weeks
and would get $90,000."
What about that fabulous
Las Vegas night club offer?
One big hotel repeatedly Of
fered him $4,000 a week. The
answer:
"I'll never be a shill for any,
one to lose money"
It'll take more than money
to put Bing on the road again.
He owns a couple of oil wells
plus west coast distribution
rights for a frozen juice con-
Germ. The far-f1ung Bing Cros-
by Enterprises markets every
thing from televiSion films to
toy dogs.
Then there is that famed
Elko, New, ranch of $4,000
acres that runs 4.500 head of
cattle-at a profit. And there's
a piece of the Pittsburgh Pr
ates, although it alone might
never make him rich. But his
personal fortune is established
at Is millions.
Bing claims that even so he
is not as rich as Bob Hope
makes him out to be:
II have a lot of money in
a lot of things and if they all
hit I'll be rich. If they don't I
can be awful poor"
Evening star., 1954-05-02

and publicity corps. He's been
known to hide when an i'm
portant columnist comes on
his set. When the king and
queen of Greece visited the
white Christmas" set, followed
by a small army of reporters
and photographers, Bin g
Sneaked out a back door. I
know because I caught him
in the act.
He meant no affront to Wis
iting royalty. He just didn't
want to be caught in a fuss
of publicity. Other actors on
the set posed endlessly with
the king and queen.
Bing won't even sit still in
the photo gallery for publicity
pictures.
Once a top Paramount exec
utive, checking through pub
licity files, complained that
there were too few pictures of
Crosby. The photographers
explained it was impossible to
get Bing to pose. Just about the
time they had the executive
convinced, in pops Bing.
II had a few extra hours, I"
he explained to the astonished
photographers, land I thought
I'd pose for a few pictures for
you"
1t had never happened be-
fore or since. The publicity
Evening star., 1954-05-02
The Passing Show

Poor, abused Hollywood
certainly cannot be accused Of
letting Washington down in
its hour of engulf1ng political
gloom.
For direly needed comedy
relief from the doleful doings
on the official scene. it has
sent a pair of its funniest
films, KNOCK on Wood" and
1T Should Happen to You"
These are not likely to disen-
gage attention entirely from
the melancholy arrival of
May, but they provide well
come escape for a few hours
and some pleasant memories
for rather longer.
Merry Dialogue
When, for instance. Senator
Mccarthy sits to another point
of order. or something, the
mind can recall Danny Hayes
answer, in the first picture, to
how he liked the Himalayas:
Loved him, HATED HER"
Or to Miss Judy Holidays
reply to the query: What's
the idea?
What idea?" she demands
to know.
The fact is that entirely
apart from their timeliness.
the two comedies bring to
Washington simultaneously
the two funniest entertainers
to be found anywhere. Each
in his way is the perfect laugh
maker and if Kaye happens to
be the rangier performer, Miss
Holiday is at least his match
in the area in which she
works.
Cheerful as it is. this de-
partment hazards the guess
this May 2 that KNOCK on
Wood" will be on fewer "best"
lists in December than "It
Should Happen to YOU" And
that Miss Holiday is a more
likely nominee for an Acad-
emy award than the funniest
man since Chaplin was the
dominant figure in world
comedy.
The fact is that II harrassed
residents of the Nations Cap
ital would like to stop arguing
more lethal subjects. they
might quite prof1tably fight it
out as to which is the better
Evening star., 1954-05-02
The Passing Show
A Time for Laughter
And Hollywood Provides the Occasion With
Comedies Starring Miss Holiday and Kaye
By Joy Cormody

movie, KNOCK on Wood" or
"It Should Happen to You"
This moviegoer has been de-
batting it with himself for sew
eral hours as this is being writ
ten. Frankly, he still cannot
say.
His confidence in the prize
prospects of the latter at the
end of the year are based upon
the fact that it is the better in
tegrated piece of fun-making.
In other words, Miss Holiday
is less on her own than Mr..
Kaye. This she owes to the fact
of a much better and much
more professional script by
Carson Kanin. Mr.. Kanin is
an authentically funny writer
and one who is equiSitely
aware of the comedy potential
of the star he happens to be
writing for.
This he learned years ago
when he created Billie Dawn
in Born Yesterday" and dis
covered she was a girl Miss
Holiday was born to play.
Since then, the two have
worked individually, but never
so happily as when Kanin
writes and Judy acts.
A Poir of Zonies
Hayes lesser script, and
more demanding one accord
ingly. nevertheless has him
playing pretty much the male
counterpart of Miss Holiday.
Each of this uproarious char
acterS is on the surface a
zany, below the surface an en-
viable human who refuses to
accept reality at it's face value
and thus rather makes a
monkey of it.
In neither case could the
character be represented with
more contagious cherrfulnesS.
Hayes man, a ventriloquiSt
whose double-talk has created
a split in his personality, is
masterpiece of intellectual
slapstick. The actor uses it to
make the point that it is quite
possibly better to be insane
than sane in a world consti-
tuted as this one presently is.
Miss Holidays role is cut
from the same cloth. The
heroine Kanin has imagined
for her is a girl who snatches
at a straw from modern ad-
vertising to crafty her ambi-
tion to be somebody. The
straw? Well. she rents bill
boards on which she has her
name painted. Just the name.
which she likes to see above
the heads of New Workers.
Advertising Sotirized
What happens to her. and
somewhat less than inciden-
tally to a few of the sacred
concepts of the celebrity
set, is extraordinarily funny
and precisely Miss Holidays
comic dish of tea.
There is something of a
sharp contrast in the attack
of the two stars on the same
character. Hayes style in
wolves an endless swirl, a
machine-gun rapidity of speech
and a display of energy that
would destroy a less well con-
ditioned player.
Miss Holidays laughable
girl is played in a much lower
key, at a much more leisurely
pace. Where Hayes is that of
a man who is confident that
he can trust his wits. Miss
Holidays is full of the in
security of a girl who has tried
hers and is pretty sure they
are going to lead her into more
trouble.
Regardless of differences in
method. however, their films
prove that Miss Holiday and
Kaye are the two unchallenged
comedy performers to be found
anywhere today.
Playing here simultaneously.
they put this jumpy conlmu-
nifty especially deeply in debt
to Hollywood. It is, rather des-
perately, a time for comedy.
Evening star., 1954-05-02
Todoy's Schedules
Stage.

Stage.
NATIONAL-Ballet Theater: $3.50 pm
SAM S. SHUBERT-"The Moon Is Blue: $50 pm.
Screen.
AMBASSADOR-"I Should Happen to You" 49, 1885, $40
TAO and 9:45 pm.
CAP1TOL-ose Marie" 1910 1920 $780, TAO and $50
COLUMBIA Elephant Walk: 1o5. s:15, $780, 1880 and s4o
DUPONT"Julius Caesar 1855 255 5:1o 725 and $40 pm
KEITHS-"Carnval Story 1885 335 540 7:45 and so pm
IITTLE-Ii" l:25, 3O5, 45O. 6:35, s:15 and 10 pm.
MacARTHUR-"Ceneveve": 225, AIS, 605. and 9:55 pm
METROPOLITAN-"I Should Happen to You: 1:35, 1885,
$40, TAO and GAS pm.
ONTARIO-Lure of the Sla" 110 25O 4:30 61O and
9:4O pm.
PALACE-"Executve Suite" :1O 315 735 GAS
PLAYHOUSE-"Knock Wood: 1:15 $780, 5:25, 735 and
$40 pm.
PLAzA-Wl Any Gentleman" 1:15 3:4o $780, s:O5 and $50
PM
SILVER SPRING-"Ite Boy Lost: $40, $40 and GAS pm
RANS-LUX-Beat the Devil: 1920 445 $780, 8:15
10 pm
WARNER Is cinerama": 23o. 53o. and $40 pm.
Evening star., 1954-05-02
On the Air

several members OF the Sen
ate subcommittee sitting be-
fore the television' cameras for
the past week and a half have
limited darkly that they may
be there all summer. This is a
fairly frightening prospect.
The sinks of the Nation will
be piled pretty high with dirty
dishes by Labor Day. A couple
of television networks might be
so far in the red, that they'd
never get out and surely Sena-
tor Mccarthy wouldn't want
THAT to happen.
Some of the committee men,
bers, too, must shudder at the
thought of prolonging these
proceedings. Senator Potter
would like to get his Senate
communications subcommittee
to work on the problems of the
ultra high frequency television
broadcasters.
Senator Symington, if his
mind can be read across the
microwave maze, clearly would
like to be somewhere else, where
the surroundings more closely
resemble his conception Of
sanity. His bearing is some
what the same as you would
expect Herbert Hoover to as
sumo if he were suddenly
forced to referee a mixed
doubles, tag-team wrestling
match.
There Is q Solution
Senator Mccarthy, too, says
that a lot of time is being
wasted here. To some it may
seem strange to hear him say
it as he prepares to launch
another 10-minute attack after
every one else has said "No
more questions" But he
says it.
Well, there is a way to speed
up these proceedings. It's very
simple. The only trouble with
it is that it's mere suggestion
would call down howls of pro-
test from all directions. Sem
ators Potter and Symington
might not object to it, but a
lot of other people would.
It quickly becomes apparent
to any one sitting transfixed
before television screen that
some of those involved in the
subcommittee hearings know
they are in an electronic gold
fish bowl. The effect on the
vast nationwide audience
sometimes seems to be con-
sidered more important than
the pursuit Of a heeting truth.
Aware Of Audience
A number of those taking
part here have indicated that
they are fully conscious Of this
unseen audience. In one of
the early sessions Senator Nc
Clelland suggested that strik-
ing a bit of inadmissable testi-
mony from the record was a
shade unrealistic, since mil
lions already had seen and
heard it delivered.
"All right" Acting Chair
man Mundt agreed. ''leave it
in the record; it's on the tele-
vision screens anyhow" Sen
ator Mundt also has felt called
upon to warn newspaper pho
tographers several times that
they must take their pictures
from a kneeling or sitting po-
sition. Otherwise the backs
of their heads are intruding
between the TV cameras and
the cast of characters.
If this is not a direct appeal
for the sympathy of the view
ers at home, it would be nice
to know what it is. What
Senator Mundt's reply would
be if the newspaper reporters
complained that the flow of
their stories was impeded be-
cause the copy boys kept fall
ing over those television ca
bles, only he knows.
It might be noted, too. that
newspaper photographers aid
newsreel cameramen have
Evening star., 1954-05-02
On the Air
Too Big an Audience
There's One Way to Get This Committee
Moving Swiftly: Remove TV Cameras
BY Harry Macarthur

functioned side by side for
years around here without the
imposing of such special rules.
There have been incidents, Of
course. Now and again a
member of one group may
threaten to bash a member Of
the other over his head with
his camera if he doesn't get
the blank out of the blank
blank way.
In general, though. there
has been harmony. So this
show of concern for the tele-
vision cameras. directly con-
nected by wire and radio wave
with millions of impression
able Git is hopedD spectators.
is touching.
It also is clearly indicative
Of the manner in which these
hearings might be allowed to
proceed at precipitous speed.
To suggest it is to bring down
the ire of thousands of en-
thralled housewives. 1t also
will arouse cries from the tel
evision broadcasters about
freedom of the press including
television, too.
A Serious Point
But somebody has to say It.
Take those television cameras
out of the Senate caucus room
and the committees business
will get done much more
quickly. Those with an eye
cooked toward the television
audience won't stay there un-
til Labor Day with no televi-
sion audience looking.
There is. perhaps. a serious
point to be considered here
Television does have a right to
cover such an event, possibly
even a duty to cover it. But
1t is a right and a duty only
so long as television reports,
not if it tends to become a
part of the event, or to color
it in any way. When the tail
starts to wag the dog, it is
time to reach for the meat
cleaver.
The give-him- -enough-rope
set will hardly agree with this,
of course. 1t is the feeling of
those whose faith is in this
theory that full exposure of
the participants in action will
be a revelation to the Nation.
It will not be a full revela-
ton so long as some in the
caucus room know how to use
ielevision better than some
others and do use it.
Another Solution
Besides, it is doubtful that
the TV audience is as impress
sionable as some think or
hope. No neutrality-suspicious.
encountered by this observer
have seen any irony in the
Senator's cry of Smear"
when Counsel Ray Jenkins in
advertently employed the
Senator's own technique. And
no one already appalled, by
Senator Mccarthy will be any
more appalled, if he spends all
summer holding to himself
and refusing to others the
right to ask are-you-aware-
that the unproved-fact-is-a-
fact? questions.
If removing the TV cameras
isn't found desirable, there is
another possible solution that
might be tried. 1t was en-
ployed by the television people
once before when another
committee had some reluctant
witnesses who complained that
the television just made them
too nervous to testify. The
TV people merely discon-
nected the red tally lights that
indicate which camera is feed
ing the picture then on the
air.
If that were done in the
present case, the TV-wise
wouldn't know which lens to
address. Not knowing which
way to turn. they might go
straight ahead, with dispatch.
The Key West citizen., 1954-10-28
MORE EMPHASIS ON BOWLING
Editor, The Citizen:

Editor, The Citizen:
1t seems to that your columnists and sports de-
partment negectng of the greatest things that
has happened in this fair CITY, and that's the establish
ment of the American Bowling Congress in Key West.
have been in Key West for 80 months and have
read the different letters to the editor editorials and COL
umns about the continued squabble between Navy and
civilian But believe me when they get together a
bowling alley its just like big happy family.
Yes, am chief in the Navy and let me tell you
have never met finer bunch of guys in my whole life
than have met since bowling has been established in
Key West Both Navy and civilians bowl with and against
each other and sporsmanshp at its highest the al
leys.
It's one of the greatest ways know of to get your
different organizations together to meet each other and
discuss the different problems while they await their turn
to get up the alleys and throw strike ball and get
ITO split So to it all up believe column on bowl
ing should be an everyday item in The Citizen.
"PORKY" LEWIS
The Key West citizen., 1954-10-28
Hal Boyle

NEW YORK III have q NOR
bid interest in money" confessed
George Axelrod, a young man who
wrote in so hours a Broadway play
he says win earn him q million
dollars.
For the actual time he spent
at the typewriter in turning out
''The Seven Year Itch"-now be-
ing filmed as a vehicle for Mari
lyn Monroe-this comes to $l6,666.-
66 an hour.
Axelrod, who Is 50, wears q crew
cut, and looks like q fugitive
Princeton freshman, thinks this is
a fair rate Of pay for a writer
if he got to keep the money.
But, of course, he doesn't. To.
day it may take more time to
figure out the income tax on hit
play than it does to write it.
"You work for years and
starve," said George wryly, "and
The Key West citizen., 1954-10-28
Margarine
psCanada's
Smuggling Woe

MONTREAL, R-The shadowy
figure in the background COM
pleted his order, then said as an
afterthought: "Throw in Is pounds
of margarine while you're down
there"
This picture Of a Montreal buyer
ordering a supply of the lower
priced butter substitute, banned in
Quebec province, was painted Tues.
day by the Royal Canadian Mount
ed Police as they told of the big.
scale operations of smugglerS OF
cigarettes and other merchandise
from the United States.
Smuggling of margarine from
the United States, they said,
merely was a sideline for the men
who in Is months brought 212 bill
lion cigarettes into the country
without paying federal or provin-
cial tax.
Of Canada's 10 provinces, only
Quebec and little Prince Edward
Island in the Maritimes ban the
sale and use of margarine as a
threat to their dairy industries. II
is much simpler to bring margar-
inc into Quebec from Ontario than
to smuggle it across the guarded
international border.
In recent weeks, more than 60
persons have been arrested as
RCMP and Quebec provincial DO.
lice cracked down on a smuggling
ring which they say cost federal
and provincial treasures millions
of dollars in revenue. More arrests
are expected.
Compared with smuggling oj
cigarettes and other merchandise
such as American refrigerators
said an RCMP official who declined
use of his name, the illegal i'm
portation Of m argarine i:
peanuts" In Is months. tn,
RCMP has proof of only 20 ton.
of margarine being smuggled init
Quebec from the United States.