Modern Screen (Dec 1940 - Nov 1941)

because he claims that makes him feel important . . . That Cesar Romero tripped and fell flat on his face while dancing at Ciro's one evening . . . That Paramount allocated a measly $250,000 for the publicity and exploitation campaign on "North West Mounted Police" . . . That Alfred Hitchcock reduced thirty pounds in nine weeks, but his dressingroom door still bears a sign reading "Mr. Hitchcock's Corral?" MR. PRODUCER GOES TO THE MOVIES Movieland producers, generally, scorn the customary method of entertaining guests, Instead of inviting friends over for a simple supper and a rubber of bridge, they serve elaborate nine-course dinners and, when the last fingerbowl has been cleared away, escort their visitors to their private projection rooms where they unreel their latest celluloid triumphs. One such producer is Twentieth Century-Fox's Sol Wurtzel who played host to a group of mid-western "little theatre" directors recently and after dinner presented his latest opus, an amusing something called "The Bride Wore Crutches." The directors sat in silence for an hour and, when the film was ended, rose from their seats and gathered around Mr. Wurtzel to offer their opinions, but before they could spout forth one of them had to tap Mr. W. gently on the shoulder — to wake him up! JIMMY'S HOUSE-PEST Jimmy Stewart's been a soul in torment since Burgess Meredith arrived to share his bed and board, for Burgess has a habit that's driving his host to the booby-hatch. He invites beautiful blondes to dinner and then fails to show up himself! Jimmy, left alone with a lot of strange women, tries ducking out side doors and rear windows, but the blondes always pull him back. They mistake his annoyance for shyness and, having been led, feel it their duty to spend the evening putting the steaming Mr. Stewart right at ease! PASSION BY PROXY Brought up to be courteous to guests, Jimmy has said little to Burgess about the blondes, and only once has he called his maddening visitor on the carpet. That was the time Burgess, after his first meeting with Olivia de Havilland, asked her to the house ,and forgot to turn up. It wasn't that Jimmy objected to entertaining Olivia. Far from it! But he didn't think his best pal had any right to stand up his best girl. The next morning, therefore, he buttonholed Burgess and demanded that a formal apology be made to Olivia. Meredith was genuinely contrite, and, when Jimmy had walked away, instructed his valet to send Miss de Havilland some flowers and an appropriate note. The valet, knowing nothing of the Stewart-de Havilland romance, assured his master everything would be taken care of. And everything was. The following day Olivia found buried in a bouguet of roses a note which read — "My own darling: It was unpardonable of me to have forgotten so precious a rendezvous. I know you will forgive me and adore me always. With all my love, Burgess." And now poor Jimmy's madder than ever! SHE'D CARVE A NEW MAP If Carole Lombard ever slits Clark Gable's throat, a little lady in Milwaukee won't be surprised. She's been expecting that to happen ever since the afternoon she came upon Carole on the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" set, and noticed the beautiful Mrs. G. fondling a murderous-looking straight-edged razor, a lunatic gleam burning in her eyes. "What are you thinking of, my dear?" the little lady asked. And Carole looked up. "Thinking of?" she repeated absently. "Oh, just how much I'd enjoy wrapping this around my old man's neck!" The little lady paled and ran away, but she need not have, because what Carole failed to add was that she'd spent a full week learning to manipulate the instrument for a scene in "Mr. and Mrs." — and that she wanted to test her skill on Clark who, for a seguence in "Comrade X," will have his chin decked out in a black beard! THE MAN I MARRIED There are those who say the freguent marital rifts of the John Barrymores smell faintly of publicity. However, according to Elaine, there was nothing phony about their last big, beautiful bout. Mrs. Barrymore reports that she and John actually had a terrific argument, (the subject of which she prefers not to divulge) and that when it reached its peak John shrieked, "Get out of my house!" "Oh, yeah!" return-shrieked Elaine. ''You get out of my house!" And John got. Funny thing about these bust-ups is the fact that whenever John moves out, his mother-in-law moves in and, whenever John returns, his mother-in-law moves right out again! MMererer you qo Me ft/awr w/M you The finest flavors... thoroughly mixed with skill and care are used in Beech-Nut Gum. That is why you may enjoy each delicious piece of Beech-Nut Gum for a longer time. Your choice of 7 delicious kinds. Full-flavored Peppermint, Spearmint, Oraigum 4 flavors of BBECHIES (Candy Coated) Peppermint, Spearmint, Pepsin, Cinnamon Beech-Nut v& 4 ****** J0U DECEMBER, 1940 77