Modern Screen (Jul-Dec 1945)

THIS HEART OF MINE (Continued from page 51) After dinner they went to the Mocambo. Phil Ohman's band played all the music from Oklahoma. "People — will say — we're in love," sang the violins and, with Natalie's golden-brown head at his shoulder, it came over Bob that he was highly susceptible to suggestion this evening. meet the folks . . . They dated next night and the night after — the first time Bob called for Natalie at home. He walked into a wide hall, and she came down a winding staircase, looking so beautiful that his breath caught. He knew he was going to ask her to marry him. She took his hand and sort of squeezed it, which set his heart thumping and his hopes scooting skyward. Why would a girl squeeze your hand except to show she liked you? "I want you to meet my mother and stepfather," she said. Bob knew that Natalie'd had a brief career at M-G-M. What he didn't know was why she'd quit. Her mother's conservative enough to disapprove of acting. Natalie was under age. When persuasion failed, Mother simply broke her contract. Blissfully unconscious, Bob was introduced. They all chatted amiably and everything was fine. As the young people were about to go, Mrs. Bowers asked: "By the way, Bob, what do you do?" "I'm an actor — " Pause. Just long enough for Bob to catch a flash from Natalie's eyes — "Oh dear!" Mrs. Bowers was saying. "How could a nice boy like you get mixed up in that profession?" "Why, Mrs. Bowers, it's a wonderful pro fession!" He spent the next few minutes explaining how wonderful it was — and realizing sadly that a girl could squeeze a boy's hand out of sheer nervousness. For all his softspoken ways, Bob's a lad of unswerving purpose. A week after the birthday party he proposed. The Legion Stadium was hardly the place for it. But suddenly he couldn't stand the suspense. As arms flailed in the ring, Bob said will you? and Natalie said she would. "Only, you'll have to ask my folks — " Not to put too fine a point on it, Bob was scared stiff. Squaring his shoulders, he marched in as to battle. Mr. Bowers proffered a genial hand. "Well," he smiled, "you kids seem to have made up your minds — " There was only one stipulation. They thought the youngsters ought to wait a few months. The date was set for December 18th, four months away. Natalie went to New York for her trousseau. When she got back, they hunted apartments. Natalie'd conducted a quiz program of her own and discovered that Bob made a production of dressing. That meant two bathrooms. Fine! When, for love or money, you couldn't get a hole in the wall, they set out in quest of two bathrooms. And found them. Through the kindness of Frances Heflin. And kept them through the masterly intervention of Natalie's mother. It was three weeks before the wedding. By now all their friends were desperately aiding the search and, sure enough, late one evening Frances called. This place had just been vacated. Two bathrooms and all. They'd better dash over first thing in the morning and grab it — A breathless Natalie appeared on Bob's doorstep at nine. They dashed over. . . . "Look, Bobbie, it's got swell possibilities. The rooms are a nice size and they're well planned. If we tear it all apart and get painters and carpenters in and move these things out and bring our own stuff in and if and if and if — why, it'll be lovely!" "You sure?" She was sure. "We'll take it," he told the landlady. "Well — by the way, what do you do?" "I'm an actor — " "An actor ! ! ! Good heavens, no! I wouldn't have an actor on the place — " They implored, argued and cajoled, all to no purpose. She'd been married to an actor once. She hated actors — When Mrs. Bowers heard the story, she took it from there and emerged victorious. How, she won't say. Natalie swears it must have been the bond between them. "Mother probably said: 'I know so well how you feel. But Bob's not an actor at heart. The poor boy must have been dropped on his head as an infant — ' " orange blossoms . . . At the wedding, Natalie was nervous, not Bob. First of all, he's near sighted and the guests were a vague blur, so he just made believe they weren't there. Besides, he was fascinated by his bride's behavior. Her hand shook so, that petals kept showering from her bouquet. A week-end at Arrowhead was all the honeymoon they had. "But it was unique in a way," says Bob gravely. "Because there were three of us. Me and my wife and the koala bear — ■" An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure/ Philip Morris are scientifically proved far less irritating to the nose and throat. When smokers changed to Philip Morris, substantially every case of irritation of the nose or throat— due to smoking— cleared up completely or definitely improved ! — findings reported in an authoritative medical journal CAU FO* PM/PMOM/S fiAft F/,V£/t FLAVO/Z-PU/S FAR /U0A£ fiX0r£CT/0/r