Hollywood (1942)

Then came Hollywood. An R-K-0 executive saw him in Australia and cabled the studio his advice to "sign up this country's outstanding star," neglecting to mention any personal details. The studio took the advice and met Cecil's boat with the usual equipment with which to welcome a new glamour boy — photographers and a bevy of starlets for cheesecake art. It was quite a shock when the chunky, grayhaired, middle-aged Cecil stepped off the ship. It likewise was a shock to Cecil when they handed him his first role — a dese, dem the dose gangster from Brooklyn, U.S.A.! Naturally he was terrible; he didn't have the faintest idea what, he was supposed to be doing or saying. Two or three similar roles followed and Cecil went back to Australia in disgust. No sooner had he landed, however, than Willie Wyler cabled an offer of the father role in Wuthering Heights, so back to Hollywood he journeyed. His performance drew critical praise but no real chance from Hollywood bigwigs to show what he could do. He worked in scores of pictures but in roles which were little more than background pattern. They represented "eating money," nothing more, and when fans accosted him with their autograph books, it was under the mistaken notion he was Charles Winninger, Victor Moore, Walter Connolly or Al Shean. The topper came one night after a preview of a Lily Pons picture in which he played a South American hotel proprietor. He was leaving the theater when a boy stopped him and asked for his autograph. Cecil signed the book and the boy studied it for a moment. "What is your name, sir?" he asked. "Cecil Kellaway," Cecil answered. "Oh," said the boy, "I thought you were someone in the movies," and promptly tore out the page and threw it away. That to a man whose name had been magic for 17 years! It required a sense of humor and a big one to swallow that pill. Then at long last came My Heart Belongs to Daddy and the chance Cecil had been waiting for. So good was his work as the philosophical taxi driver, Alfred, that the script was re-written after the first three days of shooting to build his part to star proportions. Cecil now has a three-room suite on the lot, complete with all the gadgets and conveniences that befit an actor of importance. No longer is he lonely when he eats in the commissary; producers, directors and stars of importance stop to eat and chat with him. The publicity department, which once did not know how to spell his name, now turns out reams of copy about him. And at a preview the other night came the sweetest accolade of all. As he was leaving the lobby, Y. Frank Freeman, the head of Paramount, started walking toward him. Before they could meet, a horde of autograph hounds intervened. "May we have your autograph, Mr. Kellaway?" they asked. Cecil lives with his wife, Susie, and his two sons in a modest home in the valley. In the back yard is a new Victory garden. "I want to be patriotic," Cecil said, "but those vegetables may come in handy too. Hollywood's a funny place." ■ ,e outdoor girl I :Jt *p* *^^«. V — .1 v0i" JANE NORTON. ATTRACTIVE YOUNG JOHN ROBERT POWERS MODEL Keep your skin from looking weather-beaten Use these special creams An old, weather-beaten look is a high price to pay for a summer's fun. Exposed to sun, wind and weather, without benefit of hat, your unprotected skin may develop a plague of blemishes which are not easily banished — a dried-up harshness or a shiny oiliness; blackheads; enlarged pore openings. To keep your skin soft, smooth and delicately fresh, give it special care with two special creams . . . Phillips' Milk of Magnesia Creams. PHILLIPS' MILK OF MAGNESIA SKIN CREAM A night cream, with double benefits. Here's what this remarkable cream does: 1. It softens and neutralizes acid accumulations often found in the external pore openings. 2. It retains moisture in the skin (due to an ingredient, cholesterol), and so helps to keep it soft, supple and pliant, free from excessive dryness. And it's a joy to use because non-greasy. A flattering fouiidulion.By day use it as a powder base and you'll marvel at the subtle way your make-up blends. Because it prepares the skin properly, powder and rouge cling for hours. You'll also find it a helpful protection against sunburn and windburn. PHILLIPS' MILK OF MAGNESIA CLEANSING CREAM The minute you cleanse your face with this cream you know it's different ! It not only loosens and takes up surface dirt but enters outer pore openings and cleanses away accumulations which may lodge there. Cleaner, softer, smoother, more refreshed — that's the way your skin looks and feels after cleansing with this cream. SKIN CREAM 1 Oc, 30e, 60c PHILLIPS9 PHIUIPS CLEANSING CREAM 10c, 30c, 60c, $1.00 CREAMS 45