Motion Picture (Aug 1939-Jan 1940)

Hollywood Highbrow [Continued from Page 52\ to be concerned about a university ss rship, but who landed in a Hollystudio instead. It's a fact. Hut's just what happened. Holder of a Phi Beta Kappa key, Howard _ht against becoming an actor from the he was forced to play Little Lord oy in curls and lace collar as a child I the time a talent scout approached him ■ the final curtain of a campus production . . \'s Body and asked him, cold 3 : "How would you like to go to Hollywood?" And just as cold turkey, John replied: interested." Just like that. Just two -. no more, no less. And that, for e time, constituted the impasse, the :^ quo, or as they say below the Rio i!e, the Mexican stand-off. John had a very serious student at Western Ree University. So serious and so good that he had earned his Phi Beta Kappa key. But Hollywood? Phooie ! It didn't fit in with his academic plan that had, for its goal, a professorship of English. "I went home that evening after the ." he relates, "and started to do a little figuring. And in no time at all I discovered that there wouldn't be enough money for . me to take a graduate course in English. "After thinking it over, I wrote to the talent scout and told him I had come to the conclusion that I had acted a bit hasty — and would he care to talk Hollywood to me again inasmuch as I had reconsidered his ? As it turned out, he did care. Which lucky for me. "After our Commencement exercises in June, 1034, I went to New York for a screen test. Shortly after that, I was given a •act and reported at the Hollywood studio in September of the same year. And I've been here ever since. It's a funny thing, the way time, alone, can change your opinions." WE ASKED John about his Phi Beta Kappa key and, since this emblem of scholarship is greatly cherished by the few who have earned it, we were somewhat shocked to learn that he had never worn it since coming to Hollywood. He didn't even know where it was ! "Lost, most likely," he confessed. "It takes more than a key to unlock the door to success in this town," was the way he expressed it. "Nothing but plain, old-fashioned hard work will get you there. "I said the hours were easy and I meant it. The real hard work comes when you're not working in a picture and you forego a lot of pleasures for the study that's so necessary to improve yourself the next time out. I'm a plodder, I guess. One of those slowbut-sure guys who are never in good repute with the high-wide-and-handsome boys, but it makes no-never-mind with me. "I'm still my own pace-maker and I'll tell you this. Slow or not, just give me six more years in this business and I'll have enough money laid aside so that I won't have to worry when the bleak days come and the wolf comes sniffing at my front door. Maybe I won't be living in a hill-top mansion, but on the other hand you won't find me on a pallet on the floor of some on-the-ofherside-of-the-tracks hovel." John has no high-falutin' notions about acting. To hear him talk about his camera work — and you've got to believe him when he does — acting is merely a means to an end — or rather to three ends. He wants to I i a director, to write plays and scenarios, and maybe one day be a concert singer. Oh, sure, he's got a swell singing voice. Bass, and plenty good enough, according to his voice teacher, to be of potential com > i l calibre. A hard-working gent, this Howard, between screen assignments, he burns plenty of midnight oil studying film production, writing scripts and entertaining the neighbors with his vocal exercises. He's proud of being a plodder. Disputed Passage has given him his first big break since his advent into movies — a leading role that has plenty of "meat" in it. A\T) speaking of leading men, John has • little, if any, patience with any young man of the movies who professes that what he is striving for is a good reputation as a character player. "It sounds silly to me, that kind of talk," John says. "If leading roles weren't important you can bet the studio bosses wouldn't be paying out the big salaries to the men who play them. Not to want to be a leading man, given the opportunity, has as much sense as saying that one would turn down the chance to become President. Perhaps one doesn't last as long on the screen in leads, but look at the pay you get ! "It seems to me that if a young actor is only intent on character parts he's already in a rut. Certainly, it must mean that he doesn't like to work to perfect himself. I haven't anything against character roles. I hope to play them when I get old. But not now. Not when I've got a chance to play leads. Well, let 'em go after the character parts. It will make it so much easier for us who have other ambitions." Presenting a touch of background, John was born in Cleveland on April 13, 1913. His father, John R. Howard, a graduate in dramatics of Carnegie Institute of Technology, had been unable to achieve his ambition to become an actor ; so, as the next best thing, he became the agent for a firm selling theatrical equipment. Young Howard was educated in the public schools of East Cleveland. Graduating from high school he entered Western Reserve University where, during his four-year course, he received many honors, including besides the Phi Beta Kappa key, a W. R. U. Honor Key, a scholarship for work in English and a couple of essay prizes. In addition, he was voted the most out-standing man in the Senior class. ARRIVING in Hollywood John settled i down to intensive training in the studio's dramatic school. A few months later, he was given a leading role in the school's presentation of the stage play, Small Miracle, and so out-standing was his performance that he was chosen the next day for a part in Car 99. After that came Annapolis Farczvcll and the lead opposite Wendy Barrie in MUlians in the Air. He followed this up with a trip East for the Hecht-MacArthur Soak the Rich. In all, dating back to 1934, he's been in twenty-five pictures. His fan fail started coming in, he says, following his roles in the Bulldog Drumvwnd series of pictures which definitely established him as a coming star both in this country and abroad. He's 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds and keeps in condition pursuing his favorite sport, golf. He's unmarried arid is regarded as one of the film colony's most eligible bachelors. Put Yourself in this Picture The Ideal Internal Protection. Fibs, the Kotex Tampon, with new exclusive features, is more comfortable, more secure, easier to use. 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