Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-18
This Is Such a Pretty Dream
ToNewcomer Shirley Jones
'OkIuhomu!' Stul
Also Gets Lead
In 'CurouseI'
BY sHEILAH GRAHAM

HOLLYWOOD. Sept. IT,
please don't pinch me or
talk loud to me. I still think
this is all q dream. and it =
such q pretty dream that I
don't want to wake up" Pretty
Shirley Jones, youngest and
newest star In Hollywood,
closed her eyes and. sighed
blissfully.
I had Just come away from
seeing Oklahoma !"-the great
Rodgers and Hammerstein
musicals a movie at Metro.
It's gorgeous. And in the lead
is Miss Jones. Originally. I
had hoped that Florence Hen
derson. who played Laurie In
the touring "Oklahomal"
would land the part in the
movie. But I just don't see
now how she could have bet
tered Shirley's performance.
Not content with grabbing
the Laurie plum. Shirley now
has the equally fabulous part
Of Julie In "Carousel." And.
sitting In. her star dressing
room Shirley told me: Ever
since I was two years old I was
always singing. I would walk
behind the coal miners In
Pennsylvania and sing to
them. There was no fear Of
me ever getting lost because
Smithton. my home town.
wasn't that big. When ! was
five, / was q movie fan, and
thought Lana Turner q god
dess. I had a room papered
with her pictures. ! got to
meet Lana just two weeks ago.
and my mouth dropped open.
just couldn't say a word. I
was really dunfounded.
Miss Pittsburgh
II tried out for all the high
school plays and got the lead
in q few. I was planning to
60 to college for two years and
enrolled. But, as q joke, !
entered a beauty contest for
Miss Pittsburgh, preliminary to
the Miss America contest. BY
luck, I won." Then Shirley
won q scholarship to the Pitts
burgh Playhouse. plus voice
lessons for one year.
This was good training. but
It wasn't fun. It was all hard
work, and many . day ! felt
like quitting and settling down
to being a housewife. and cur.
failing my singing to the bath
tub. We studied all day and
we worked all night putting
on plays"
Seeing as how Shirley has
1t made, ! asked her what adj
vice she could offer to young
girls starting out for q career
in movies. Here it is: TT Is
not enough to just work and
study and have talent, IF you
don't put It to work every day."
After a year Of this strenu-
Gus study. Shirley went to New
York for a vacation. The day
before leaving Manhattan.
Shirley-"for fun"-went to
see Agent Gus Shirmer. After
singing for him. he wanted to
sign me but I thought he was
one Of those men that mother
told me 500 I refused to
sign and returned to Pitts
burgh and school. ! still had
a free year to go. But Gus
called me and begged me to
come back to New York.
$50 I returned. and after 10
days in the big city, I was
given an addition to sing for
Rodgers and Hammerstein.
They hold additions every
Thursday morning, but If you
60 in with an agent you get
to 60 on flrst-or earlier, I
should say. These two (R&H)
are always looking for new tall
emit and they have better files
of singing talent than any
studio. I sang two numbers
and the director said, viii you
wait a minute, Miss Jones. Mr..
Rodgers is across the street
rehearsing an orchestra and
I'll get him to come over to
hear you When the fellow
went out the door, my knees
ratified together--I was SO
scared.
She Sang Scared
IT sang the same two songs
for Mr.. Rodgers and told him
I didn't have any professional
experience. He said very po-