Hollywood (1941)

I : M I W/l«I4 »■ : 1 47tt tl =1 3 4 By I ItSKIM JOHNSON When the Basil Rathbones, Hollywood's most famous hosts, give a party, you can be sure it will be star-studded throughout. Topping all their previous parties was the R.A.F. British War Relief Ball, which the Rathbones sponsored. Among the famous faces were Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Colman (Benita Hume), Charles Boyer and Myrna Loy, with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and his wife at the far left ■ When Ginger Rogers purchased a ranch on the Rogue River in Oregon, she announced that she would spend her vacation there. But the ranch home is more than just a vacation retreat. It's a private sanitarium for Ginger, whose doctors are still worried about her health. She's been advised to stay away from movietown as much as possible, and will try to win back her health on the secluded ranch. The star hasn't been well since the first days of shooting on Tom, Dick and Harry. ■ The humor in Charley's Aunt is pretty broad but there's one scene you didn't see. The film was practically on its way to the theater for the premiere when the Hays office censored a scene of Jack Benny lacing himself into a corset. ■ Glamour Girl No. 1 — Hedy Lamarr — checked in at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles just before starting her latest picture but not because she was ill. She was just overweight and took a scientific diet to lose poundage without a relapse following her illness. ■ Hollywood has been snubbed by a little lady named Gloria Vanderbilt. M-G-M offered the New York socialite a juicy acting contract but she declined and explained: "I don't need the money and I don't want to take the job away from someone who might need it." ■ Martha Raye's legs are much more photogenic than her mouth — but she doesn't want them photographed. Universal tried to get her to pose for some leg art but Martha said no. "I don't want a glamour build-up," she said. "I got my break by being loud and funny. Let the other gals take the sexy pictures. I'll take the laughs." This isn't the Martha Raye Hollywood knew, and temporarily forgot, two years ago when she insisted that her legs and not her mouth be photographed. ■ A big limousine bearing the official seal of Mexico pulled up in front of Arline Judge's house the other day and several important-looking people stepped out. Arline was all aflutter, but her excitement died down when they informed her they wished to visit with her maid, Lupe Ortega, who happens to be a cousin of ex-president Cardenas of Mexico. Arline, a gal with a real sense of humor, made them stay to tea and installed the maid as guest of honor. B The Man Who Came to Dinner, about to be released by Warner Brothers, called for Monty Woolley, who plays the name part, to spend all of his time in a wheel chair. An inventor sent the studio his latest model — a chair equipped with radio, book racks, ice tray, cocktail set, dishes and all the comforts of home. But the studio turned it down. The producer was afraid the wheel chair would walk off with the picture. ■ Producer Sam Goldwyn, preparing to film the life story of baseball's iron man, Lou Gehrig, asked Mrs. Eleanor Gehrig, the ball player's widow, if she'd like to make a screen test for the role of Mrs. Gehrig. Mrs. Gehrig turned it down, saying: "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm the type!" ■ It's beginning to look like Betty Grable and George Raft will never get to live their real life romance on the screen. They want to play together in a picture. Recently Raft was offered the male lead in a picture titled Hot Spot. He turned it down. Then Miss Grable was cast as the feminine lead and Vic Mature took the role Raft turned down. George Raft is gnashing his teeth. [Continued on page 8] One of Marlene Dietrich's "million dollar legs" was injured when the actress suffered a fall on the set of Columbia's The Lady Is Willing. Marlene tripped over a top while carrying a baby in a scene. She twisted her body so that the infant would fall on her, instead of beneath her, but in so doing, she wrenched her back and fractured an ankle bone. The baby, uninjured, is shown visiting her in the hospital