Modern Screen (Jan-Dec 1960)

get Bob an Oscar and the subsequent good offers that normally come to an Oscar Winner. As if to insure Bob's victory, Variety, the leading trade newspaper in Hollywood, predicted he would win — and Variety hadn't been wrong in over thirty years. But then, that night in April, 1957, Va-iety proved itself fallible. Bob didn't win. And, at thirty-eight, he felt that, his oiggest chance over with, a dud, he was doomed to be an almost-made-it from here on in. "My first reaction," he told us recently, 'was to get mad, to ask myself what was I doing in this business in the first place. iVTy second thought was: Well, what else did you prepare for those years, way back, *hen there was time to figure things out? My third was a decision. "I decided this way: "I was through being desperate about ny work. "I was going to relax. "I didn't care who I impressed any more. "I figured if there was a break in the itars for me, it would come to me somelay, anyway — so why not relax for a :hange." Bob really relaxed those next two years. 3e made a few pictures — "the kind that leither hurt nor helped me." He and losemarie had themselves a couple of beautiful children, a daughter named Elizabeth, a son named Charles. And life, n general, went along smoothly, calmly, lealthily and well. And then one Saturday night about a 'ear ago, it came — that dazzling professional break which Bob had long since topped hoping for, or thinking about. It didn't sound like much at first, the jhone call from Desi Arnaz, producer and lead man at Desilu Productions. "We've got a script here, Bob," said Desi. We call it The Untouchables. There's a ead for you — fellow named Ness, a Chiago detective who tracks down the Caaone mob. I know, it's not the kind of part ■ou're associated with. But the script is ;ood. And it's going to be a two-parter. \nd I think you'd be good for it. Real ;ood. I mean very good." Bob was not as enthusiastic. He told Desi le'd stop by the office one day next week, read the script and see what he thought of it. "No, Bob," said Desi. "I better send it over to your house tonight. Mira — we begin shooting on Monday morning." "Monday?" Bob asked, incredulous. "That's television," said Desi. And that was television, as Bob was to find out when he showed up for work early that Monday morning, the script he had read and liked hugged under his arm. Television— that quick-to-get-ready, quickto-rehearse, quick-to-make-you or quickto-lose-you medium. In Bob's case, it made him, literally overnight. ■ The Untouchables was a smash, it soon became a weekly hour-long series and Robert Stack, in the person of Elliot Ness, had broken the fifteen-year-old bad-luck barrier and, finally, had arrived. How did it feel — to arrive, we asked Bob the other day. "Great, just great," he said. And what did it feel like to see a jinx broken? "It makes me, of course, appreciate the break that did it. those first two shows," Bob said. ". . . And it makes me appreciate the fact that I decided a few years ago to relax and let the break come naturally, instead of pushing for it, pushing so hard that I might have pushed it away . . . And that makes me appreciate, realize, the fact that the only reason I was able to relax was because of my wife. I couldn't have done it without Rosemarie. Without a good wife, a wonderful wife, I'd still be down there, somewhere, sitting around with that junk-heap feeling I was growing pretty used to." Bob smiled then. And he added: "Come to think of it, when you say 'arrived,' you've got to qualify the word. For example, the other day I got a letter from somebody who watches the show. He wrote: Dear Mr. Stack — Please send me a picture of my favorite person, the real Elliot Ness. If you haven't got a picture of him, I'll take one of my second favorite person, Al Capone. And if you haven't got pictures of either of them, then I'll take one of you. Bob scratched his head. "That's 'arrived?'" he asked. . . . END We're Getting Married Continued from page 42) night as well tell you honest right now — 10, she can't, not yet. I mean, she's great vith things like TV-dinners, if you know vhat I mean. But with some of my favortes, like manicotti and chicken a la king homemade, not that canned jazz) and ieef stroganoff and five-minute soft-boiled ggs (very hard to make just right) , the anwer remains no, she can't cook yet. But I totice she's been hanging around with my ister, Nina, quite a bit recently, in the dtchen, asking questions and watching dina make with the pots and pans, and hough neither of them will admit it, I lave a hunch there are some lessons going m and that there's gonna be a surprise in tore for me some day soon. When Jo and I get married. That first day after our honeymoon, naybe. Around eventide, as the poets say. Me, sitting in the living room, perusing ny Downbeat, indulging in the pipe-andlippers bit. Suddenly sniffing in deep and smelling omething delicious-smelling wafting h rough the room. Calling out, "Honey, I thought we were going to eat out tonight." And her calling back, "Shhhhh, or my seven-layer cake will fall. . . ." It's funny, me sitting here now, talking about my girl, looking forward to the day when she's my wife. I didn't think way back, a couple of years ago, that I ever would get married. "Not till I have a million bucks and don't have to say sir to anyone" — that's what I'd tell gals I came across who hinted at the subject. (Hinted? There was one who'd start scratching her fourth-finger left-hand every time I saw her!) "Not me," I'd say, " — not till I have my million." Well, here I am, still a long way from having that kind of cash, good as things are going. But I've changed my tune about the wedding march. Because if just so happens that I'm in love. With a doll. And marrying her, being with her, for the rest of my life, is right now the only OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU For rates, write COMBINED CLASSIFIED 529 W. Madison, Chicago 6 . OF INTEREST TO WOMEN CW-S«p>. '60 EXCELLENT INCOME POSSIBLE mailing advertising for DRESSES 29c; SHOES 59c; Men's Suits $5.98; Trousers $1.38. Better used clothing. Free Catalog. Transworld, 164-D Christopher, Brooklyn I'.', New York. MAKE $25-$50 WEEkTclipping newspaper items for publishers. Some clippings worth $5.00 each. Particulars free. Natjonal 81-C, Kind <<,U»Mt:i Siaiion, Mow York. HOMEWORKERS NEEDED I GUARANTEED Payl No Sell ing I Everything furnished! Elvee, 556-C Beacon, Man chester, N. H. LADIES: EARN UPto$2.00 hoursewing babywearl No house selling 1 Send postcard to Cuties, Warsaw 2, Indiana. $2.50 HOUR POSSIBLE, assembling pump lamps. Easy. Selling unnecessary. Free Details. Ougor, Caldwell 6, Arkansas. AGENTS & HELP WANTED MAKE MOST EXTRA Cash with world's biggest line Christmas cards, gifts. Introduce friends, neighbors to over 150 Christmas, Everyday box assortments, 600 big moneymakers. Pocket up to 50% profit plus big cash bonus. Free giant color catalog; samples on approval. StyleLine, 421 Fifth Ave., S., Dept. 50-M, Minneapolis, Minn. FASHION DEMONSTRATORS— $20-$40 profit evenings. No delivering or collecting. Beeline Style Shows are Party Plan sensation I Samples furnished free. Beeline Fashions, Bensenville 215, Illinois. 60% PROFIT ON cosmetics — Famous nationally advertised Hollywood Cosmetics pay 60% I Make $25 day upl Hire others. For free samples, details, write Studio Girl, Glendale, Calif., Dept. 1909G. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES HIGH SCHOOL AT Home in spare time with 63-year-old school. No classes. Standard high school texts supplied. Single subjects if desired. Credit for subjects already completed. Progress at own speed. Diploma awarded. Information booklet free . . . write today I American School, Dept. X697, Drexel at 58th, Chicago 37. FINISH HIGH SCHOOL at home. No classes. Texts furnished. Diploma awarded. If 17 or over and left school, write for Free assignment and catalog. Wayne School of LaSalle Extension University, A Correspondence Institution, Dept. WC 208, 419 S. Dearborn, Chicago 5, III. LOANS BY MAIL BORROW $50 TO $600 For Any Purpose. Employed men and women eligible. Confidential, 2 years to repay. Write for free ■ in application. American Loan Plan, City National Bldg., ipt. CV — Omaha 2, Nebraska. MUSIC & MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS POEMS WANTED IMMEDIATELY for Musical Setting and Recording. Free Examination. Rush Poems. Songcrafters, Acklen Station, Nashville, T i:nnessee. . BUSINESS & MONEY MAKING OPPORTUNITIES ANALYZE HANDWRITING FOR profit, pleasure. Free sample lesson, catalog reveals plan. Write IGAS Inc., Dept. 158, Springfield 4, Missouri. Woman Tortured by Agonizing ITCH "l nearly itched to death for 7 Vi years. Then I discovered a new wonder-working creme. Now I'm happy," writes Mrs. D. Ward of Los Angeles Here's blessed relief from tortures of vaginal itch, rectal itch, chafing, rash and eczema with a new amazing scientific formula called LANACANE. This fast-acting, stainless medicated creme kills harmful bacteria germs while it soothes raw, irritated and inflamed skin tissue. Stops scratching and so speeds healing. Don't suffer ! Get LANACANE at druggists ! Callouses ™ Relief Starts in Seconds! No waiting for action when you use soothing, cushioning, Super-Soft Dr. Scholl's Zinopads! Nerve-deep relief starts in seconds. Used at first sign of soreness, callouses are stopped before they can develop. The separate Medications included remove callouses one of the quickest ways known to medical science! At Drug, Dept., 5-10t Stores. D-rScholls Zino pads