Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1963)

see something affecting my son. my future children, or my husband, there must be a stop. The baby didn’t ask to be brought here. He’s here; he’s living a life which is different from other kids. And Bobby must work; it’s not a question of who’s going to give up what. He is head of the family; he must work. I don’t; I don’t have ■to. But I won't give up my career easily. I couldn’t just do it, so to speak, like cutting something off, a thread. It will be a long, hard thing for me to do. What I can say is, either the husband must be a bigger star, or the husband and wife must be equal. Now, I’ve been fortunate in motion pictures. There is a tally — whatever you call it, a “box-office”— and I’ve been fortunate enough for the past three years to be in the top ten. The only other woman I’ve known of in it is Doris Day. I’m in good company. Bobby, to me, is number one in the night club world. I am about as well known in a night club, as, you know, Jane Smith across the street. • •/«* Star system He is now starting motion pictures. He has done six pictures; he’s gotten a nomination as the Best Actor of the Year by the foreign press — I never even had that. 1 must say that I don’t think that that will ever be a problem in our house. Fortunately, because I don’t think that a marriage can survive when the wife is the head of the house, so to speak; and she must be, if she is the star of the house. Unfortunately, I think that this business is a great farce; it’s a great makebelieve, and you know you’re only as good, really, as the last picture you’ve done. That’s been said; it sounds corny. But it’s true. You’re only good as long as you can bring money in, and make money for a studio. It doesn’t matter, really, if you can bring millions of dollars in the box office, if you spend more than the millions you’re bringing in working. I guess one of the major things in this business is to have responsibility. Evidently a lot of girls don’t. I think maybe they never mature. It’s hard. And I find it hard also at my age, because I am taken care of by the studio. My makeup is done, my hair is done, and my clothes are done. If I need anything, they’re there to give it to me. It’s a great shock when that day — when it starts slipping. And yet, I haven’t come to it yet; I’m only twenty. But maybe by the time I’m thirty, it will happen. Now if you’re constantly having people doing things for you, and all of a sudden you find yourself not as popular, not as in demand, it’s a large shock. Because it isn’t a minority that — it’s not like most people have a mother that does this for them, and a father, and they get married and they learn. This is like live hundred people you work with — and I’ve grown up at Universal. I know them like I know my family. And when the day comes that I don’t bring money in, and I’m — let’s say “fired,” so to speak, it’s going to be a hard thing to take. I only hope I’m large enough — a large enough person — inside — to be able to accept it. I do know that nobody else is going to believe that you’re good if you don’t believe it. If I can’t believe I’m a good actress, how can I ever sell me? You can't sell toothpaste unless you really believe in the toothpaste. It’s funny. You can’t sell it believably. If you don’t believe in yourself, and have confidence in you, you’re not going to make anyone else have confidence in you. And that is the basis of this business; this business is selling the talent you have, the face you have if you’re modeling, or the figure if you’re doing fashions. It’s selling yourself. And you must have confidence in that person. Divorce and children You know, if I were unhappy, I would certainly get a divorce. I’m not saying I’ll never be divorced, because I can’t say it. I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. I don’t know how I’m going to change, or Bobby, or the whole world. I can never say this. Of course, divorce is : very hard on children. But it’s worse to live in a house of discontent, of fighting, of quarrels and of bickering, yes. So you get a divorce, and you think it’s better for the baby. Take Lana Turner. I know her well; I’ve worked on two pictures with her, and I’ve had a ball with her. I absolutely worship this woman as an idol of mine. She has been since the time I saw “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” and when I worked with her I was tongue-tied the first day. She loves her daughter Cheryl like anyone else in this world loves their children. The kid had a beautiful mother; she had to grow up with it. Unfortunately, the mother had one divorce, then two. The first is the hardest; it’s not her fault. The first is the hardest and unfortunately it’s very hard in this business, because they make a big to-do about it. Do you know how many fathers this little girl's had? Through no one’s fault. I’m from a broken home myself. It was much better for me, because I can remember quarrels. Fortunately, I had a wonderful mother, and she married a wonderful man. He was beautiful to me; he is my father. I don’t even know my real father, actually. My stepfather died. My mother has never remarried. I was fortunate in that respect, that I only had one father whom I really remembered; and I was very young. But this kid’s had five, and it’s pretty hard. And especially the way the whole thing came out, with Cheryl and the accident that happened. I hope my son would do it for me; if someone was hurting me, I hope he’d stick up for me, as this kid did. I must say, I'm so proud of him, my son. When I’m on a picture, I bring him to the studio; that I have to do during the day, because it’s impossible — I can’t go twelve hours without seeing him. When I’m on tour like this, I see him in and out, like now. I’ve only been gone since 11 this morning and he was with me. I had such an easy time carrying him. And I was such a happy person then. I was with Bobby all the time, and I knew my baby was going to be born soon. It was lovely. It was easy carrying him, and it’s lovely now. I have everything I love: my career — I do love it. I do love my husband more, and then I love my son. — The End Sandra and Bobby appear together in U-I’s “If A Man Answers.” Sandra’s next will be “Tammy and the Doctor,” for U-I. You can hear the writer, Fred Robbins, with the stars on “Assignment Hollywood.” Vote Today— A Gift Is Waiting For You! We'll put your name on one of 400 prizes — and all you have to do is fill out and mail this ballot. This month the prize — for the first 400 ballots we receive— is “Princess Margaret,” the first complete biography of Britain’s beguiling Princess Meg. Also included are many intimate pictures of the Royal Family. Be sure to mail your ballot today to win this appealing book. Paste this ballot on a postcard and send it to Reader s Poll , Box 1374, Grand Central Station, New York 17, New York. MY FAVORITES ARE: MALE STAR: 1. 2. 3. FEMALE STAR: 1. 2. 3. FAVORITE STORY IN THIS ISSUE: 1, 2. 3. THE NEWCOMER I'D LIKE MOST TO READ ABOUT: THE FAMOUS PERSON, NOT IN SHOW BUSINESS, I'D LIKE TO READ ABOUT: _____ Nome Age Address 2-63 80