The Hollywood Low Down (1934)

Page 16 Hollywood Merry-Go Round HARRY LANGDON, the veteran screen comedian whose poignant pantomime reveals the same histri¬ onic genius as Charlie Chaplin, told this columnist a terrifically-moving story the other day — one we should like to repeat. You see, Langdon loves kids. All his ma¬ ture life, he has carried on the silversheet of his mind’s eye, the vision of a wonder¬ ful baby. It was a perfectly beautiful in¬ fant — with blue eyes, a sweet little mouth, turned-up nose — a dream child. No progeny resulted from Langdon’s first two marriages and there is no hiding the very real disappointment the comedian suffered from this fact. Because that dream baby stayed with him. Oh, some¬ times he forgot it for a year or two at a time. But always the bright chimera re¬ turned — dazzlingly, beautifully sweet. Three weeks before the birth of his baby, which came into this world just a month ago, Harry Langdon, who is a gift¬ ed artist as well as an actor, moved into the new little nursery he had constructed for the child and on the baby’s dresser, he painted the picture of his dream child. Then his little infant was born and — amaz¬ ing phenomena — it is the very image of the baby which Harry painted on that little dresser drawer! It isn’t always such a great idea to break into the movies with a great flare of trum¬ pets — the reaction is sometimes complete obscurity. I chatted the other evening with Kathleen Burke, famous Paramount “Panther Woman”, who made such an aus¬ picious beginning in motion pictures in “The Isle of Lost Souls.” “Everyone seemed to think I was just a freak success and couldn’t do anything else,” says Kathleen. “I had to fight my The Hollywood LOW-DOWN way against greater odds than most act¬ resses starting from scratch. Fortunately in “Bulldog Drummond”, “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” and one or two other films, I was given a chance to show I wasn’t just a puppet. The result was a new Paramount contract. This time I think — hope — I’m on the high road to a legitimate success!” Dropped in at the unique little Spotlight theater, where original plays are present¬ ed and from whence a number of ambi¬ tious unknowns have come to the screen. An interesting Hollywood personality is Ish-Ti-Opi, the Indian singer of the cinema colony. Possessed of one of the purest lyric tenors in the Southwest, this red man is a splendid speciman of Indian manhood. He has been heard at many affairs in cinemaland, such as festivals of his people, and at private gatherings in the homes of the film great. I should love to see him in a great love story of the Indian or in some of the characters of his book, “The Trail of Tears.” Newly-arrived in Hollywood after an ex¬ tended tour of Europe is the beautiful, ex¬ otic and glamorous Countess Sylva Nadina. This blue-blooded noblewoman and actress was in Hollywood once before — a number of years ago. While here she enacted a leading role in the silent version of “Res¬ urrection,” achieving a signal success. The Countess has sung at Town and Carnegie Halls in New York to great acclaim. She is the protege and student of Albert Ed¬ ward Ruff, distinguished maestro of the voice and former teacher of Geraldine Far¬ rar. Phony drama schools have taken their heavy toll of the pitiful finances of so many would-be actors and actresses in Hollywood. It is a bounden duty, then, to report a genuine institution for the acquirement of the dramatic art, when such exists. We refer to the Ben Bard Players on Wilshire Boulevard. Mr. Bard comes to the field of dramatic instruction following years on the stage with the Schuberts, in vaudeville with Jack Pearl, the “Baron Munchausen” of radio, in pictures. He not only teaches the basic fundamentals of the drama — voice place¬ ment, poise, proper delivery of lines, etc., but he gives a continual presentation of January 15, 1935 his students in plays, before audiences, thus enabling them to derive the proper training of practical nature for profession¬ al work. “Innocent Ann” is the current show at the Ben Bard Players Little The¬ atre. Sada Cowan, eminent scenarist, has been one of the three or four great script art¬ ists of the screen, ranking with June Ma¬ this, Frances Marion and other ace writers who were her contemporaries and who be¬ gan great writing for the films. Miss Cowan has been in New York where she worked on several scripts for pictures produced in Eastern studios. On completing her final picture, “Lavender and Old Lace,” this brilliant and gifted author and playwright came to the Coast and was immediately engaged by Paramount, where she is now preparing the script for one of their im¬ portant forthcoming productions. Screen stars are interesting themselves in the progressive and ambitious Neighbor¬ hood music school. Niel McKie, a most capable and gifted pianist and instructor is director of this institution, which caters to children not able to afford regularlypriced music lessons, but who nevertheless reveal fine talent. Under his banner, it would seem, much is being done. Flo Browne, once a vaudeville headliner and more lately, one of Hollywood’s crack agents, has dissolved her association with the Ivan Kahn Agency, where she was a favorite, and opened offices of her own in the California Bank building of Beverly Hills. Tall, dark, slender and vivacious, this utterly charming young woman has, through her sagacity and good judgement, won the confidence of casting directors and producers at the various studios. She is assembling a great lot of new talent and there is no question but that the coming year will see her emerge as one of Holly¬ wood’s finest artist’s representatives. Here’s wishing her luck! So, enough of Merry-Go-Round for the nonce. In the following issue is an¬ other time for reminiscing, chatter, cogi¬ tation. And we’ll be back again at that time, with our hopes, our dreams and our harum-scarum opinions o f Heartbreak Town. 0 ★ Assure Yourself of Getting Regularly SUBSCRIBE NOW! Date . . 193 . The Hollywood LOW-DOWN 1550 North Wilcox Avenue Hollywood, California Phone: GL-3141 Please enter my subscription for The Hollywood LOW-DOWN. One year $2.00; . Three years $5.00. Life Subscription $10.00 . Phone . i I enclose $ . if Name .. Address City . OFFICES IN PRINCIPAL CITIES