Action (May 1941 - Mar 1958)

18 Action As this is the season of comings and goings-on, the Music Department is on the move. We have with us the "Have-Gones", the "A-Goin’s" and the "Goners". Among the "Have-Gones" are ALBERTA BUCHANAN and MARCY SWINDELL, who went a-fishin' — CATHERINE HALPIN, who went a-visitin' and used ALL those coupons you bet — MARY YOST, who covered so much territory she came back breathless— and MUCKEY MORGAN, who "just set around" tryin' to keep cool. The "AGoin's" include THELMA OLSON, who is "A-goin‘ huntin' " and JACK TOBIN, who is just "A-goin' ". CLARA BING is our only current "Goner". Looking for new talents to conquer, BARBARA GILL has joined those who fly thru the air on silver skates. Barbara is deeply engrossed in the art of figure skating, so we await with interest her debut. Celebrities recently in our midst Include MERLE OBERON, rehearsing a saucy Parisian dance for "THE LODGER", and BERNARD HERRMANN, composer and conductor of music for all ORSON WELLES productions, who is busy with score for "JANE EYRE". Suppose you all heard about the wellknown musical director who has started a new method of raising baby turkeys — ■ when they begin to wilt and wither, he brings out his trusty vitamin pills and fills them "Fulla wim and wlgor". Patent pending! WHAT A WORD CAN DO By ED LABARTH 'Sfunny what a word popping into a guy’s bean can do. In some respects it is like a few bars of music that filters into the brain of Irving Berlin, AL NEWMAN, or one of the gifted composers at our studio, and emerges as a haunting melody that sets jitterbugs nuts or a singing hit which becomes hypnotic under the cooing influence of a Frank Sinatra. Of course, a clumsy yokel like myself could take a musical masterpiece right hot from the center of a BETTY GRABLE Technicolor (20 CENTURY FOX) triumph and make it sound like an Eskimo funeral dirge. So it is with words. One guy drags out a book so filled with love, tragedy, tears, poor cousins, maiden aunts, heartless villains, farmer's daughters and traveling salesmen, that impressionable gals of every age in every clime will sit up nights wallowing in the gooey bunch of words, nibbling on cholocates and dabbing their pretty eyes with lace hankies. But us, we just sit down in front of a typewriter and what comes out is not our responsibility. We can't help what the darned thing does. So blame Mr. Silent Smith or Mr. Noiseless Remington. The foregoing and the following dribble all started when recently, we looked at our pitifully sick pay check. One side showed earnings of which we were proud but what we had left to cash was lamentable — in fact it was the bunk. Then there flashed into our mind the fact that in "Grammer", a metaphor was one word which became the image of another. So, we were about to ask the Payroll Department to send us, in the future, metaphors of our check with the deducts on it and for them to keep the other. All was well until we found a nine cent word with its feet on, "Metamorphosis". That did the worst to us right there. For here was a word that really was high toned and we hated like heck to let it pass. But HOW to use it and also to get in a story to the "ACTION" mag was a puzzle. From somewhere came -a small, still voice! "Why you poor, dumb egg — be like a hen. When she lays an egg, she makes a lot of noise and runs off to let some one else worry about whether it is going to hatch out a rooster or a hen." (When last heard of, we were still running.) So we thought, "What a difference there has been brought about in Studio Police Officers over the years". In the olden days. Studio Police held responsible positions and worked long and hard hours. Their training was hit or miss and often they doubled in pictures. But that was "Before Metamorphosis", B. M. to speak new dealesquely. Now very briefly a word or two of the modern Studio Police Officer and of a scant few of his responsibilities. He must first be alert and physically agile and with a keen sense of human understanding. He must have an infinite amount of patience but always have in mind the fact that Fox Twentieth Century is in the business of pro« ducing pictures and that the combined livelihoods of each depends upon the least amount of interference with the ideal of producing the best for entertainment and education. He must be versed in elementary laws, traffic regulation and control, safety inspection and regulation, application of First Aid and to be versatile enough to fit into and handle almost any situation. His work carries him to every part of our vast studio and he is expected to be capable of giving quick judgment to handling emergencies and in many cases to apply temporary methods to handle any crisis whether it is a broken gas or water main, a short circuited motor or any of the thousand and one things which feature this complex industry. He must have a sort of sixth sense enabling him to know where something is wrong when he knows nothing about the thing that has gone wrong. Often the care of thousands of dollars worth of valuable equipment depends upon his watchfulness. Just a small incident could develop into a major disaster seriously interfering with each of us. Each night when you are home safely tucked in bed, a small army of men constantly patrol studio Lot looking and prying into every corner and behind every pile to see that nothing is amiss. Things which go wrong are quickly reported to proper persons for repair or adjustment. The human element receives close attention and discipline and order are encouraged and maintained at all times. This is a big, serious business and the Studio Police Officer understands his part. Many have had years of valuable experience in public police organizations which they have brought with them to add to the experience of other splendid officers. All of which is most valuable to each and every one of us. Maybe you know some of these "old timers" only don't call them "old". Each one has been with the company since "away back when". CAPTAIN JOHN L. MUEHLHAUSEN, AL TURNEY, D. J. BERRY, CAPTAIN T. F. McADAM (W. A.) GEORGE WAYLAND, CHARLES WILSON, IRVING GIBBS, JETT R. FORE, P. FLEISCHER, (W. A.) JOHN KRANZ, FRANK POWERS, GEORGE A. BROWN, WILLIAM DUFFY, R. H. SMITH, CARL EMORY, WILLIAM STRATTON, PAT JORDAN, (W. A.) LT. DEWEY L. STOCKTON, CHARLES BURNS, CAPTAIN EDWIN KING, WILLIAM BOMB, SGT. GORDON McLEAN, PETER YOUNG, RAY HOUSE, WILLARD STEWARD, LT. ALBERT TRUSDELL, (W. A.) GEORGE TAYLOR, HENRY HARRIS, C. E. DAUM, GEORGE F. JONES, HARRY O. BROWN, ROBERT J. YOUNG, (W. A.) JOHN BUTLER, SGT. E. J. WORTMAN, REX EMERSON, SGT. J. DONALDSON, HARRY FINK, BEN WATTS, (W. A.) AL GROVES, C. L. EICHAR. A clue to the length of service is given by the fact that Captain Muehihausen has been in the employ of the studio since May, 1928. Officer Elchar started November M , 1 936. PRIVATE HERBERT SCHEIN