Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1943)

mP & lurV& jtj^A "The Romance of Bewildered Brian and Willful Marjorie" is what their best friends call it. And there's a baby and a headwaiter, just to make it more delightfully confusing THIS is a love story. It is still a love story, even though the hero and heroine have been married seven years now and just became the parents of their first child. Only five people have known this story until now — four of them being Robert Preston, William Holden, Lloyd Nolan and George Tobias, because they're the couple's best friends. The fifth is a i headwaiter . . . and 1 without him the story i would never have hap I pened at all! These five call it "The Romance of Bewildered Brian and Willful Marjorie"— which refers to Mr. and Mrs. Brian Donlevy — and they like to i tell it to anyone who I enjoys a gay and jaunty 1 love story which hap I pens to be true. So we thought we'd tell it to you. Their marriage is what | you might expect when ', two people of complete ! ly opposite types fall in love. Confusing is an i excellent word for it. Now, take the 1 new baby, for instance — whose godfather is that headwaiter! Bewildered Brian didn't want the baby at all in the beginning. But Willful Marjorie did — and you can see what happened. Now, of course, they argue over who loves their offspring the most, which doesn't surprise the five friends in the least. By this time they know that the Donlevy pair never agree on anything at all — and as a result are the happiest couple in Hollywood! Just to cite a few disagreements: Marjorie is simple in her tastes, practical and thrifty. Brian tosses money around like wastepaper — on collections of flasks and beer mugs for himself, on lovely negligees and fur coats for photoplay combined with movte mirror, july, 1943 Brian says he'll get the baby a cow. Marjorie says indeed! Wee Judith Ann maintains a dignified silence BY ELEANOR HARRIS her, on tungsten mines for scientific interest and on motorcycles for fun, not to mention generous contributions to Uncle Sam. Marjorie likes to sit up late at night over bridge, and does; Brian likes to go to bed at ten, and does. She likes an orchestra table at a night club; he prefers not to enter a night club at all. She likes to stay cosily at home on week ends; he likes to go on long dirty jaunts into the mining country, dressed in blue jeans and wreathed in tobacco smoke. He likes to boast of his writing efforts to his friends — and she likes to squelch him by saying that as a writer he's a remarkable plumber. And what does all this discord add up to? The most harmonious marriage west of the Rockies! The Friendly Five's favorite story on the contrary Donlevys occurred when they had been married about a year. Marjorie abruptly decided they lived in far too big a house. She immediately located a smaller one, and moved into it. However, she made all these decisions while her ever loving husband was away on a six weeks' location trip with "Billy The Kid." Only she forgot to notify him of her activities in his absence. So when he came back from location late one evening and drove humming happily to the home he'd left behind him, he found it bleak, dark and deserted. Naturally he rushed frantically to the nearest drugstore and dialed his old number. Marjorie's familiar voice answered. "Where," he roared angrily, "have you gone to? Where are we living now?" "Oh," said she apologetically, "did I forget to let you know? We've moved to a more practical place for us. You'll love it. Come right over." She hung up. Counting ten, Mr. Donlevy rang the number again. "And just what," said he frigidly, "is our new address? Or would you rather have me guess?" Mrs. Donlevy obligingly gave it to him and Brian started out. He found his new home in Brentwood, about fifteen miles from their former twentyroom love nest. This one was about eight rooms, he decided, as he felt his way up to the front door. It seemed to be brick, {Continued on page 78) 47