Movie Classic (Apr-Aug 1932)

♦ MOVIE CLASSIC TABLOID NEWS SECTION ♦ AlLEEN PRINGLE SEEKS FREEDOM By Mexican Mail-Order Divorce After Eight Years of Separation/ Actress Says Final Farewell To Charles Pringle — Denies She Plans To Marry Matt Moore By DOROTHY DONNELL AILEEN PRINGLE, after eight /\ years of separation, has suddenly sued her husband, Charles Pringle, for divorce. She has used the Mexican "mail-order" method — also favored by Nancy Carroll, when she divorced John Kirkland. Eigbteen years ago, Aileen wagered that she could make a handsome young Englishman propose to her in two weeks' time. She won the wager and the Englishman Charles Pringle, son ot Sir John Pringle, chief privy counselor of Jamaica, hirst the War separated them, then motion pictures, which her husband detested. She has not even seen him since 1925, when he made her a two-week visit in When the news broke that Aileen Pringle was getting a divorce, Hollywood wondered if she and Matt Moore (right) weren't plotting a wedding. They have been pals for twelve years, and there is something very domestic about the way Matt makes himself at home at Aileen's house, say friends 30 Hollywood and refused to let her entertain for him or to go to parties for fear of meeting some of the movie stars he disliked so much. Aileen explains about her divorce in the most Pringhsh way possible. "It was this way," says she. "My husband and I had a sort of 'gentlemen's agreement' that if either of us wanted to marry someone else, rhe other would get a divorce — but as long as we weren't in love with anyone, we would stay married. I rather liked the idea of being a married woman in Hollywood — it was a sort of anchor to windward, you know. And Charles didn't mind having an absentee wife. So we drifted along tor years and years and years. "Then, not long ago, he wrote to tell me that he did want to marry someone else. I believe that's broken off now, but at the moment he lound me a decided obstacle to his happiness. So, of course, I promised I'd get a divorce. Only — you know I have a wretched memory' — I kept forgerting about it. I'd remember it at night, just as I was dropping off to sleep, but the next day it would slip my mind again. I made memorandums,'Get a divorce to-day," and lost ^k them. It was a per ^^^ feet shame, the way A I neglected that di■ jm vorce! ^m "You see, the main reason I'd never bothered to Aileen explains that she had promised her husband to get a divorce, but kept "forgetting" about it — until she read about Mexican divorces get unmarried was all the trouble it took — and the cold-bloodedness of 'telling the judge,' and all that. Then, fortunately, I read about the new mail-order divorces one can get in Mexico, without moving a step out of one's comfortable home, or waiting more than a few days for it. I called up my lawyer and asked him if they were really all right. 'Just as good as a Reno or Pans divorce, so long as both parties want them.' So he sent me the papers, I mailed them to Mr. Pringle, we both signed and they're off to Mexico now. And in a few days, when the postman brings the mail, I'll have my divorce." Aileen denies that she and Matt Moore are going to be married. Matt lives a block or two away, and may be found at the Pringle home almost any evening, "when neither of us has anything really amusing to do," says Aileen, with devastating frankness. "I've known Matt for twelve years," she explains. "We're such old friends that I can call on him when I haven't any other escort, and he can dine at my house when his cook is out. We're just good pals."