The Screen Guilds’ Magazine (1934-10)

October, 1934 15 Drawn by Raymond Sisley Pert Kelton The three screen stars on this page glimmered first in vaudeville. Pert Kelton, luminary upon whom the tele¬ scope is now being focused, danced into the theatrical heavens at the age of four in darkest Africa. She was born in darker Montana—on her Grandma’s ranch. With her parents, Ed and Susan Kel¬ ton, vaudeville troupers, Pert sailed the seven seas, with a wardrobe trunk as her cradle. Later, in London, New York and Boston, she learned readin’, writin’ and ’rithmetic. A coast-to-coast vaudeville favorite at the age of fourteen, she was signed up by C. B. Dillingham for a spot in ‘ ‘ Son¬ ny.” On the opening night she came on the stage at 11:45, the zero hour when commuters reach for their hats, climb over their neighbors and trample each other in the aisles in their wild rush to catch the last before the milk train to points in Westchester, Jersey and Long Island. Nothing can stop them. But, ac¬ cording to rumor, Pert Kelton did. The next day her name went up in lights— on Broadway. After two and a half years in “Son¬ ny” she captured a feature role in “5 o’Clock Girl” and, on a visit to Holly¬ wood, purchased a half-interest in a hotel—retitled the “Warner-Kelton”—- where she now lives in her own pent¬ house. In fact, one of her best roles is off screen and off stage—that of business woman. Nor has she a husband on either side of the ledger. To conclude—she made her screen debut in “Sally” with Marilyn Miller. Chester Morris No one was home, so I just sat on the steps, thinking about things in general. As, for instance, I thought: “In every woman are all the women of all the ages. Men are not so complex. Yet this fellow Morris has at least two natures. He’s an actor and a good one. He sketches and is something of a musician. On the other hand, he totes a tremendous wallop in both fists—likes boxing, likes all forms of a+Uetics. swimming, golf, tennis. . . .” When still in high school at Mt. Ver¬ non, he did his first flicker role after pedaling to the Tanhauser Company in New Rochelle. Shortly thereafter he ap¬ peared in vaudeville with his family, and after touring the country for four years, played stock engagements in Providence, Boston and Washington. Then to New York in “Crime,” “Yellow,” “Home Towners,” “Turn to the Right,” and “So This Is London.” Chester Morris made his debut on the screen in “Alibi.” Since then he has appeared in “The Miracle Man,” “The Bat Whispers,” “The Big House.” “Sinners in the Sun,” “Red Headed Woman,” “Breach of Promise, ” “ Tomorrow at Seven, ’ ’ ‘Infernal Machine,” “Blondie John¬ son,” “Corsair,” “Cock o’ the Air,” “Golden Harvest,” and “Kid Gloves.” Back of him is the stage tradition, bred in the bone. His father, William Morris, was a stage favorite, and his mother, Etta Hawkins, an outstanding comedienne in the Charles Frohman era. Those were the days when the stage wore the comedy mask when it thought of the screen. . . . .. . Stars Joan Blondell Each of her first seven birthdays was spent in a different country. Each of the second seven was spent in a different State of these U.S.A. Each of the third seven was spent in a different city. Those, if any, since then, have been spent in Hollywood. Joan Blondell first appeared in vaude¬ ville when she was just able to walk. She trouped with her father, Eddie Blondell, and other members of the fam¬ ily—off and on—until she was twenty. When she was off the stage, she was going to school. In Denton, Texas, while going to college, she majored in fads and fashions—ran a smart dress shop for col¬ legians. She prepared herself for this work by taking the shortest course on record in a New York department store. She matriculated, punched the clock, went to her counter, waited on one cus¬ tomer, took the elevator to the fourth floor, and resigned. Time, 15 minutes Leaving the family vaudeville, she ap¬ peared on Broadway in “Penny Ar¬ cade.” The Brothers Warner purchased the play and brought Joan and another young genius to the Coast, and when the screen version of “Penny Arcade” was released, under the title “Sinner’s Holi¬ day,” the motion picture astronomers got their first glimpse of two embryonic stars—Joan Blondell and James Cagney. Joan first reached stellar heights in “Miss Pinkerton.” Then came “Three On a Match” and “Big City Blues.” She likes the screen better than the stage—Hollywood better than any place else on earth—is ambitious to be a cellu¬ loid combination of Ruth Chatterton and Helen Hayes. Her favorite actor is George Arliss, her favorite playwright is George Kelly, her favorite composer is George Gershwin. She married George Barnes.