Hollywood (Jan - Mar 1943)

ping. Somebody's bound to see us." When they ran out of engagements, tney were really in the soup. Through a lucky break, they ran into a friend, Johnny Mattison, who owned a little dance studio on West 45th Street. I he three of them hit it off good, so that from then on whenever the McDonalds were out of folding money they were welcome to use the rehearsal hall. One day they ran into a breezy, gabby fellow who did a fair time-step but had his heart set on becoming an actor, a fellow with the unwieldy handle of Dan Dailey, Jr. In time the foursome became inseparable pals, discussed their squashed dreams over coffee, and planned their future. It was Ray who came up one day with a brilliant idea. Gracie and Ray would meet a casting agent, a director or producer — and they would promptly bend his ear with the praises of Dan Dailey, Jr. Junior and Johnny would go to town with a build-up for Gracie and Ray. The cardinal rule was never to plug yourself individually. The plan bore swift fruit. Johnny Mattison heard someone say that Dwight Deere Wiman was about to cast a show called Babes in Arms. Johnny, no mean hoofer himself, called around to see Mr. Wiman and talked him all but numb about Gracie and Ray. Wiman gave them an audition and signed them. The ink wasn't dry on their contracts before Gracie and Ray grabbed Wiman by the arms and began to beat the drums for Dailey. Hope. lessly outflanked, Wiman succumbed and signed up Junior. After Babes in Arms folded, the hoofers tobogganed right back to where they started. It was Junior who got the first break in the movies. Before he began his first picture however, he started haunting the office of Metro's talent scout and doing a non-stop on his chum, Ray McDonald, "a guy with a definite future." A month later, Ray was in Hollywood. He hadn't unpacked his suitcase before he went into the old routine about "a girl who can outdance Ginger Rogers, even if she is my sister." Naturally the publicity got around, and naturally somebody believed it. Paramount took a flyer, signed Gracie to play 'the lead in Dancing on a Dime. She did a good job in Dancing on a Dime. While Paramount was trying to decide whether or not to keep her, Universal made the proper overtures, signed her and immediately handed her a singing-dancing role in a musical called What's Cookin'?" The minute she reported on the set, someone told her that the director wanted to see her right away. A little scared, she hurried over. The director took one look at her frightened little puss and burst out laughing. It was Johnny Mattison. A minion of Universal for less than a year, and with eight pictures to her credit, Gracie is the darling not only of the front office which is concerned only with Grade's box-office appeal, but with the studio publicity department which is concerned, more often than not, with making a little sweater girl a thing of interest to the general public. With Gracie it is no trick at all. ■ NEW. ..a CREAM DEODORANT which safely STOPS underarm PERSPIRATION 1. Does not rot dresses. Does not itritate skin. 2. No waiting to dry. Arrid can be used right after shaving. 3. Instantly checks perspiration 1 to 3 days. Removes odor from perspiration, keeps armpits dry. 4. Arrid is a pure, white, gteaseless, stainless vanishing cream. 5. Arrid has been awarded the Approval Seal of The American Institute of Laundering for being harmless to fabric. 39* o |ar (Also in 10c and 59(£ jars) At any store which sells toilet goods ARRID THE LARGEST SELLING DEODORANT 43 __j