Modern Screen (Dec 1949 - Nov 1950)

van around the house (Continued from page 52) sister Schuyler. They try to teach her the rhumba. When no one's looking they try turning her into an acrobat, or sometimes they just put her up on the piano bench and ask for a concert. The family likes to relax together in front of the vast fireplace in the living room. Van keeps the coffee table stacked with boxes and jars of candy. "The kids expect it," he says defensively. Neddy'll haul out his xylophone and Van will let him play it for about five seconds before he grabs the hammers and starts banging. Or the two hamsters'll come strolling in. ("A hamster," says the dictionary, "is a rodent-like creature from Europe with cheek pouches.") The hamsters are the boys' pets. They also have a young husky. Van doesn't mind the husky, but the hamsters send shivers up his spine. "You're not used to them," says Evie. "They're cute." "So are rats," says Van bitterly, "if you happen to like rats." But the hamsters will stay as long as the kids want them. The Johnsons get along fine, even though rumors have tried hard to wreck their lives. "We decided right from the start," says Evie, "that it was no use denying every item that appeared in the newspapers. It just seemed best to ignore the rumors and go on being happy." "And it's smart to leave Hollywood once in a while," says Van, "to get a new perspective, to escape from the movie talk, and the rumors." Right now they're planning a holiday in Acapulco. Not because of any gossip, though, just for a rest. While they're at home, they do a lot of entertaining. Some of it is formal in their beautiful dining room that overlooks the terrace and the pool. The heavy glass dining room table reflects the silver of the candlesticks. The multi-colored glassware, the blond furniture, the built-in glass buffets are all reflected in the ceiling-high, mirrored walls. Friends of the Johnsons are Rosalind Russell and Freddie Brisson, Loretta Young, the Ricardo Montalbans, Deborah Kerr and her husband, the Henry Hathaways, Ann Sothern, and the Gary Coopers. These friends are willing to be entertained informally, too. Outside, at the small barbecue, Van stirs the coals and broils the steaks like an expert. The barbecue was a gift from Red Skelton. It's heavy enough not to be blown away, and light enough for Van to carry on his back wherever he wants to go. Most of the time, though, he lets it lie, especially when he and Evie are invited out to dinner at aforementioned friends' homes, or to parties where they dance the night away. This season, at the Bal Masque Charity Ball, Van did a Charleston with Lana Turner that brought down the house. "I'm proud of you, honey," said his wife. "I guess I never told you," he said, "I used to be a song-and-dance man." "I guess you told me," she said. "But if it'll make you happy tell me again." So he told her again. Evie's the understanding type, and Van understands her. Which may be why it's so nice for the kids to have them both around the house. The End have a is bob hope killing himself? (Continued from page 29) Nobody can figure that out. It can't be money. Hope is one of the richest men in the world. It can't be prestige. Hope is one of the most popular entertainers the world has ever known. But he'll go into his act for any gathering over two people that needs a laugh. During the war years, Bob worked harder than any other entertainer in Hollywood. Every one of his radio shows, between May, 1941, and November, 1943, were broadcast from army camps or navy bases. He made six exhausting personal appearance trips to the major battle-fronts. It was relatively easy to understand why he did it. His reward was always there before him — the happy, smiling faces of weary, homesick men in uniform. But when the war ended, everyone expected Bob to relax and take it easy. Even his personal physician suggested that, it was about time for Bob to start coasting. "The war's over," he said. "Cut down your schedule. You'll live longer, you know." "Aw, cut it out, Doc," Bob replied. "I never felt better in my life." And to prove his point, he took off the next week on a man-killing personal appearance tour of 35 cities. The whole of 1949 went that way. He made three movies, Paleface, Sorrowful Jones and The Great Lover, broadcast 42 weeks of his regular radio show, appeared as the guest star on eleven major network shows, and made countless visits to servicemen's hospitals. To round out his year, Bob flew to Alaska in near-zero weather and entertained the troops of six army camps at Christmastime. A few weeks later, Bob told an inter viewer, "Last year, exhaustion almost caught up with me. This year, I'm spotting it six points." What Bob meant, in plainer words, was that in 1950 he intended to defeat exhaustion by completely outrunning it. He got off to a fine start. He never stopped running — to Washington, D. C, Philadelphia, New York — giving and receiving awards, broadcasting, signing contracts, acting. During February, he completed Fancy Pants, his newest comedy for Paramount. Early in March, while rushing back from Palm Springs, Bob drove his car into a ditch and suffered a shoulder separation. It would have put most anyone else in bed. But Bob recuperated by doing benefit performances. With his shoulder still in a sling, he left on a spur-of-the-moment personal appearance tour of eight cities. He ended up at New York's famous Paramount Theater where, for two weeks, he played six shows a day and broke all existing house records. In New York again, for Easter, he did a 90-minute television show sponsored by Westinghouse. Bob showed up for rehearsals like a commuter pausing for a cup of coffee. When asked to do a scene over he'd comment, "What — at these prices?" (His take, for one television show, was $40,000.) But later, when the gallery had gone home, Hope went back to a small hotel room he'd hired for the purpose and rehearsed the scenes in private. The night before the telecast he rehearsed till dawn. This isn't the sort of routine you'd expect from a man who was just out for a dollar. This is the routine of a serious funnyman, determined to master a new medium. But why should Bob Hope be worried about mastery? He's tops in any medium that includes comedians. all day long HOLD BOB bobby pins With every hair in place you are glamorous no matter what you do. Gayla HOLD-BOB bobby pins set curls beautifully; are easy to sleep on. Easy to open. Keep hair-dos lovely because they hold better. There is no finer bobby pin. More women use Bcu$l®L HOLD BOB than all other bobby pins combined GAYLORD PRODUCTS, INCORPORATED © 1950 G. P. I. « T. M. REG. U. S. PAT. OFF. CHICAGO, ILL. 77