Modern Screen (Dec 1949 - Nov 1950)

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In fi"ont of her bedroom chests, littered with perfume bottles, figurines, and a wooly lamb, Ann Blyth begins the evening phone calls. Aunt Cis usually shoos Uncle Pat out of the kitchen, but when Ann's entertaining, he pitches in and whips up hearty snacks. Ann tries to spend a few minutes each morning practicing her golf swing. She's new at the game but she's a fiend for it. ibe house with the shamrock gate continued Their day begins in the breakfast nook which is lit up by the morning sun and the red and blue wallpaper and the chirping of Willie, the fat canary. Sometimes, even during breakfast, they wander around the house admiring their own taste and ingenuity. A decorator didn't come near the place. (A decorator would have paled before the quantities of brica-brac and mementos and photographs that add so much to the charm.) They painted some of the walls themselves, and some of the chairs, and they still rearrange the furniture at the drop of an idea. "I'm thinking of a swimming pool," said Uncle Pat one day. "I like the living room the way it is," laughed Ann. "Oh, it'll be just a little pool," said Pat. And soon they may build one — but out in the backyard. Ann's favorite room is the den. The walls there are panelled and stained redwood. She keeps her record collection in the den, and a stack of photographs, and souvenirs of times that are important only to her. The walls are lined with pictures. On one side, there are about 12 framed plaques awarded to her. The United States Army gave her one "in grateful appreciation of your fine spirit and public service." Another came from the famous wartime Hollywood Canteen "for loyal service," and still another from the War Activities Committee. On the opposite wall pictures of Ann's friends and co-workers are grouped. There's an unusual photo of Bing Crosby standing with a gun tucked under his arm, and hunting dogs beside him. with the inscription: "I'll have to hunt a long time to find a co-star as nice as you . . . Fondly, Bing." The picture he was referring to was Top 0' The Morning, where Ann spoke with an Irish brogue and charmed everyone, including the critics. Ann studies her scripts in the den, and entertains her friends (Jeanne Crain and Joan Leslie are among her closest), and sometimes, she just lounges dreamily before the brightly burning fireplace. Stie rarely goes to nightclubs or makes the gossip headlines. Her greatest loves so far ware her work and her home. She's taking her time about men. "So much of the unhappiness I've seen is so unnecessary," she'll tell you. "The quick marriages and the lightning divorces. Look at Aunt Cissie and Uncle Pat. They've been married almost all their lives, and only to each other. What they have is real. It's what I want." And these two are giving her what she needs — the warm family life and the easy understanding that so many young stars hipped on glamor don't want or don't get. The house, itself, exudes this atmosphere. The living room, for instance, is wide and inviting. The decorations don't resemble stage settings. Much of the furniture is old and comes from Ann's former home in Stamford, Connecticut. There's a "whatnot" at one end of the room full of china and porcelain that Ann collected bit by bit. Among these is a figurine given to her by the Los Angeles Gaelic Association. She was chosen by them as the Actress of 1948. A fireplace is" in another corner of the room. It has a red brick hearth which is always stacked with logs. The house has three large bedrooms (Ann's aunt and uncle have a separate wing), as well as a huge guest room. Ann's own bedroom is feminine, with its gay flowered wallpaper, its pink ruffled lampshades and the soft blue scalloped bedspread. Her dressing table and chests are cluttered with perfume bottles, tiny animals and dolls. The furniture is heavy but simple, and in dark wood. A Governor Winthrop secretary, filled with books, is near her bed. A painting of her mother, and a crucifix are also in her room. Ann is very devout and a frequent church (Continued on page 83)