Modern Screen (Dec 1949 - Nov 1950)

LOUELLA PARSONS' GOOD NEWS Olivia de Havilland and husband Marcus Goodrich be earn on their new son, Benjamin. FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS! WeVe got a little scheme to help you start the New Year right. All you have to do is read all the stories and features in this issue, fill out this questionnaire, and send it back to us — in a hurry. If you are one of the first 500 people who return it, you'll win a free three-month subscription to Modern Screen. Just let us know which stories vou like best and which stars you'd like to read about in future issues. Remember — the February, March, and April issues will be yours, and for free!! QUESTIONNAIRE Which stories and features did you enjoy NUMBERS I, 2, and 3 AT THE RIGHT Is Bette Davis Afraid of Love? □ Valiant Lady (June Haver) □ Why Shirley's Marriage Failed! (Temple-Agar) □ The Private Life of Burt Lancaster fj You Know Me, Ally son! (June Ally son) fj Mistakes They Never Confess (Hutton, Peck, Turner) by Hedda Hopper □ ". . . To Susie From Alan" (Alan Ladd) □ My Prayer Was Answered (Robert Stack) □ Which of the above did you like LEAST?. What 3 MALE stars would you lite to read 3, in order of preference most in our January issue? Write the OF YOUR 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices You're Acting Like A Child! (Williams, Parks, V 'era-Ellen ) . . □ This Love of Ours (Baxter Hodiak) □ The Beautiful Rebel (Pat Neal) □ Hollywood's Loveliest Christmas Story (Audie Murphy) □ Anybody Here Seen Stanwyck? (Barbara Stanwyck) . . . □ My Little Girl (Lana Turner) □ The Man Behind the Riddle (Lew Ayres) . Q Hollywood Pictorial fj Modern Screen Fashions □ Louella Parsons' Good News about in future issues? List them, I, 2, What 3 FEMALE stars would you like to read about in future issues? List them, I, 2, 3, in order of preference What MALE star do you like least? What FEMALE star do you like least? My name is My address is City Zone State I am years old ADDRESS THIS TO: POLL DEPT.. MODERN SCREEN BOX 125. MURRAY HILL STATION. NEW YORK 16. N. Y. Now, wouldn't that really be somethin' to see? Ada tc Hollywood's own peculiar distinctions: The tact that two of Hollywood's most attractive, unattached men have the custody oi their sons, and spend most of their time bringing them up. Meaning Robert Walker and Kirk Douglas. Bob is a changed boy since he came back from the Menninger Clinic. His charm has deepened and his lite obviously centers around his two sons. As for Kirk, while his most frequent date is Evelyn Keyes, he spends more evenings than you would believe with his two small boys, Joel and Michael. Jennifer Jones, of course, has married David Selznick, but Kirk's wife, Diana Douglas, is appearing in a play in the East and she and Kirk are still legally one. * * * By actual count, 1821 requests came to 20th Century-Fox for dog adoptions when the news broke that Gregory Peck's white Alsatian had presented the world with a litter of 13 pups. So I can't imagine what will happen when I tell you there are nine new pups at the John Derek residence in the San Fernando Valley! These are collie puppies — but don't start writing in for any. John would glr dly give up eight of them — Patti Derek, his wife, feels differently. She loves the whole kit and kaboodle so intensely that John swears they have to get a dog-sitter in the evenings when they go out to see a movie. Incidentally, I don't know of any young couple that lives more sensibly than the Dereks. Patti does all her own housework and cooking. John does all their gardening. I hear from Columbia that the way John looks in Technicolor will send his stock zooming. * * * You may or may not believe it, but as we go to press, the beautiful British actress, Jean Simmons, is blushing over sweet nothings whispered in her ear by the dashing Orson Welles. With similar chatter, several years ago, Orson persuaded Rita Hayworth to marry him. So don't be surprised if he and Jean elope. Maybe it will happen before you read this. » * * Betty Lynn is going along smartly at 20th Century-Fox, and you-all will see how persuasive her charm is when I tell you this story. Betty was a candidate for the part of a Southern belle in Cheaper by the Dozen, but producer Walter Wanger just couldn't go for her accent. "U only you could catch the inflections Una Merkel has." he said. That evening, Betty ran into Una in the ladies' room of a Santa Monica little theater. Betty introduced herself, told Una what Wanger had said and asked her if she'd have coffee with her afterwards. "If I could just listen to you talk for a while, maybe I could imitate you and get the job." The happy ending is that Una is now coaching Betty — as a labor of love. Nice, isn't it? * * * The majority of your letters this month were from a shocked nation who just couldn't accept Shirley Temple's divorce from John Agar. It was as if a beloved child had met with disaster. Your letters also indicate that you are interested in Robert Mitchum's plan to make a picture to try to improve prison conditions. Bob's radio interview with me seems to have given him a new stature in your eyes. And there were hundreds of letters from fat ladies who, having heard that Spike Jones was looking for a buxom lass to sing with his band, wanted to get the job. Keep the letters coming. I love to hear from you. Let me know what interests you most about Hollywood. That's all for now. See you next month!