Hollywood (1942)

paperman who waved his arms and moaned repeatedly, "I'm not happy. I'm not happy," putting into the lines all the concealed Abel frustration, the result of hamming it before countless juries and getting nowhere for the pains. Arise, My Love did the trick; it got him a Paramount contract. The Walter Abel who is currently Paramount's ungetalongwithoutable (his next three pictures are Beyond the Blue Horizon, Holiday Inn and I Married a Witch) once went for more than a year without a single role. He looks back on his career and blinks. Leisure time is so precious to him now that when Paramount recently told him that he could have that elusive vacation, he was on a plane two hours after holding sarong-clad Dorothy Lamour in his arms. Ironically enough, able Abel is doing his second stint for his present and very enthusiastic employers, who demand $7,000 a week for his services on a loanout, in order to discourage borrowers. It was Paramount that first lured him from the stage, hard on the heels of his success in the light comedy, When Ladies Meet. Arrived in Hollywood, he was assigned a role in White Woman, a melodrama of fierce love and passionate hate. Abel read the script and told Paramount they might do much better by using someone else. Charles Bickford, for instance. The studio took his advice and Bickford was perfect. Back to Broadway went Abel, where he proceeded to repair the breach in his stage career. He was going great guns when R-K-O discovered him and cocked a gilded finger at him. For quite a long time he hung around the R-K-0 lot dressed up to represent General Ulysses Simpson Grant and making tests for a picture involving the general. It seemed a bit silly walking around in that costume for nine weeks, but he said nothing. Finally the studio decided to call the picture off and asked Abel how he'd like to play the role of D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers. He said it would be okay. He was so good as a dashing hero that someone had the bright idea of making him a dashing D.A. in Portia on Trial. He was so terrific that someone else had the bright idea of making him a D.A. for life. He had done six D.A.'s, a judge, and a United States marshal when the reprieve came. "Strangely enough," Abels grins, "my father wanted me to grow up into a Philadelphia lawyer when I was a youth back in St. Paul, Minnesota. But I had other ideas, most of them having to do with going to New York, enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Art (where my classmates were William Powell, Warren William, Ian Keith and others) and eventually crashing Broadway (which I did in a hit called I Married an Actress) . My father saw every one of my D.A. pictures and thought they were wonderful, the only person I have ever encountered, before or since, who had a kind word to say about my legal stratagems." However, even Abel's pere is very happy over the rosy future which the erstwhile doomed fugitive from the law now faces.H VOOK BY SHADES SesH^ ? -"Idealize you Q^yulx AaA cheated 5 eiccitena, new \J?mvc/e,i Cr/iad&> . . CTi&to Si&veal tA& Aeal 6eautu, o/ 0oze^ now , e<tc/uAwe/w Ifi tJff?Gf/VS fACf POWDffi Much -Copied Fashion Creator now blends Powder Shades for You You have that new-style "NaturallyLovely" look when you wear this new Jergens Face Powder. Shades styled by Alix, the much-copied designer of glamorous dresses! Whatever your type, there's a ravishing Alix-styled shade created specially for you, in this new Jergens Face Powder. Your skin looks more flawless. Jergens Face Powder is velvetized, so it helps to conceal little skin faults. Clinging! Delicately fragrant! Show how pretty you really are! Change to Jergens Face Powder now! FREE! FIND YOUR ALIX-STYLED SHADE (Paste on a Penny Postcard . . . Mail Now) The Andrew Jergens Company, Box 2810, Cincinnati, Ohio (In Canada: Perth, Ontario) Please send me — free — all 5 Alix-styled shades in the new velvetized Jergens Face Powder. Now on sale at beauty counters, $1.00 a box; introductory sizes 25*i or 10^. StreetCity 43