Hollywood (Jan - Oct 1934)

— Wide World Ricardo Cortes and his beautiful bride, the former Mrs. Christine Lee, are popular figures in Filmdom's social life Joan Picks June JOAN CRAWFORD wiU marry Franchot Tone some time in June. The couple held a joint celebration of their birthdays, beginning with a party on the Sadie McKee set, and continuing with dinner in Joan's Brentwood manor. Joan gave her betrothed a 10-karat star ruby ring, matching the cuff-links she presented to him earlier in their courtship. Joan Goes Arty T he Tone influence on Joan grows more noticeable with each passing day. It was Franchot who induced Joan to cut down on the amount of lip rouge and go in for more subdued attire. Now she has taken up high-brow theatricals in a big way, thus meeting Tone on a common hobby. She plans to build a little theatre in WITH THE NEWS SLEUTH -Scotty Welboitrnc Guy Kibbee is a mighty proud daddy when little Shirley Ann visits him on the set. His daughter finds picture making rather serious business her own backyard, where Franchot and she can emote to their hearts' content. Bill Buys a Home WILLIAM POWELL has purchased the Hobart Bosworth home in Bev« erly Hills, and is contracting for all sorts of alterations and additions. There's no cause for alarm among Bill's feminine admirers, however, for he is not contemplating another marriage. He plans to share the new abode with his mother and father. Mvorce in Air? The Fates Seem to be doing their best to keep Edna Best off the American screen. Perhaps you are still able to recall that time Metro brought Edna to Hollywood to play opposite John Gilbert, only to have her run away because she was so lonesome for Herbert Marshall, then on the New York stage. And now that Edna is making a second start, with The Key as the vehicle, her heart just isn't in her work. She's so busy denying divorce rumors that she has few moments for anything else! Eddy to Warble THE grand voice of Nelson Eddy, which Metro has been hiding under a bushel while using him in straight dramatic bits, will burst forth into song in Naughty Marietta, in which he will be co-starred with Jeanette MacDonald. Nelson has been straining at the leash during his build-up period at the Culver City plant A Sensational Widow With The Peace dove still hovering over The Merry Widow sets, Metro is convinced it has a smash hit, what with Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier struggling to the last breath to outdo one another. Unbiased reports are that The Merry Widow has every prospect of becoming the cinema's biggest money-maker for 1934. Maurice's Romance THERE'S love in those sparkling orbs of Maurice Chevalier as he flits hither and yon with gorgeous Kay Francis. What started out as one of those drop-in-sometime companionships, has spouted into a heart affair of the first water. HOT FROM HOLLYWOOD between Princes Serge and David M'Divani . . . Writer Harry Ruskin ran Jack Oakie a close race for sweatshirt honors until Earl Carroll arrived with his Gotham beauties, but now that Harry's gone nertz about Earl's Dorothy Daws, he's taking lessons from Adolphe Menjou on how to be a well dressed man . . . Mack Sennett, recovered from injuries suffered in the crash that killed his pal, Charlie Mack, is scampering about with Vivian Keefer, a blonde cutie from Broadway . , . Matt Moore continues to be headman in Aileen Pringle's life . . . Lola Lane's too-hot romance with Al Hall is on ice for keeps ... so Al, who has a flock of feminine admirers, is back in circulation again . . . after three years of love-making, Astrid Allwyn and Al Kingston have struck a discord . . . Associate Producer Efe Asher divides his hours between toil and Peggy Gottler . . . that affair between Tommy Brown and Anita Louise has endured for a year, so Tommy gave Anita a Scotty pup named "Wee Kirk," and Anita presented Tommy with a double cameo ring . . . rich Howard Hughes' return to the picture business faces a delay since he succumbed to the charms of Billie Grabinger down there on the Florida beaches . . . Kathryn Carver Menjou is mooning with Randy Scott and the town wonders that has become of Roland Brown. Marriages The ALTARjaunt of Maureen O'Sullivan and John Farrow suffered a temporary setback when Maureen was cast in Thin Man . . . Fox is capitalizing on the elopement of Pat Paterson and Charlie Boyer by sending them into The Royal Command . . . script on the French actor's first American picture had to be rewrit 28 HOLLYWOOD