Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1939)

>f w^y j*'« i^y foi fa* Any one of these selected junior -firmre Carter's gives conviction to the new American credo — "stand tall, walk tall, sit tall." They're great posture aids . . . Carter Foundations . . . and you'll be hearing a lot of "tall" talk about them. Bantam weights though they are, they'll gently master the tummies, derrieres and diaphragms that have been straying all over the place this summer. They're made with '"Lastex" and other fine yarn — and tub without a tuss. At better stores everywhere. Other Carter's $2— $12.50. P192 MOULDETTE PANTIE. Smooth, light "Lastex" jersey. Run-resist rayon crotch. Detachable garters. Even sizes 24-30. Peach. J2.50. G115 BLOSSOM LACE GIRDLE. Light and airy \et controlling. A very smart lace style. Even sizes 24-30. Peach $3.50. P207 SWEETHEART PANTI E. Controlling 6ne, light web fabric. Gleaming heart front panel. Vertical stretch back panel. Sleek "Lastex'* and ra\on satin crotch. Detachable garters. Inch sizes 24-30. Nude. S4.00. The \*\ illiam Carter Company Home Executive Orhces: Needham Heights, Massachusetts bawls out "QUIET!" when they're ready to shoot a scene. You can hear it in every nook and cranny of any sound stage. But over on the "Nurse Edith Cavell" set the other day, those present witnessed a different method of achieving silence. The scene was one of the most important of Anna Neagle's (she is playing the title role), and her director, Herbert Wilcox, British (but definitely) , had worked himself and everybody up to a fine tension. This would make movie history! Then, with everything set, Wilcox turned and addressed the confusion about him. "Shhhh!" he admonished . . . and was subsequently a little piqued because everyone thought his shushing was a gag and laughed heartily. Seems it wasn't a gag. Seems a mild "shhhh!"' does the trick in "Merrie England." Oh, for the quiet English countryside! Papa Mayer If you were looking for one adjective with which to describe the personality of Louis B. Mayer (yes, THE Louis B. Mayer, vice-president in charge of production of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios) , we think energetic would be the one. We visited him in his office recently; sat in one of his soft, tan leather chairs while he faced us across his huge, circular desk. In that deep, arresting voice of his he answered most politely the questions we put to him. He has a direct way of looking at one from behind his gold-rimmed eyeglasses. He is not one to vouchsafe information, but still, we learned quite a few things about him that day, and it's a true American success story well worth repeating. He was born in St. John's, New Brunswick, July 4, 1885. At the age of twelve, he persuaded his father that he was old enough to be a Business Man, and so joined the elder Mayer in pursuit of the latter's small merchandising establishment. When he was seventeen, he visited Boston, which proved a most important event, because he met there Miss Margaret Shenberg, whom he married a year later, and also because he liked Boston and decided to go into business there, sometime. He did a few years later and, from owner of a very humble theater called the "Gem" (more familiarly known in the neighborhood as "the germ") , he became proprietor of a chain of profitable entertainment houses and, during succeeding years, one of the best-known theater men in New England. Realizing, as time went on, the need for good pictures to fulfill the demand of the increasingly cinema-minded American public, he decided to go into the film producing business and promptly sold his theaters and moved, b?g and baggage, to Hollywood, bringing with him Anita Stewart under contract. Once arrived in this neck of the woods, he got together with the boy genius, Irving Thalberg, and together they thought up a good many screen innovations, ninety-nine per cent of them successful, including the Hollywood "star system." From then on, the career of Louis B. Mayer soared to fabulous heights. According to the published income tax returns for 1937, he made $1,161,753 in salary alone, which as the saying goes, "ain't hay . . ." While Irving Thalberg's death was a great blow, he still ranks as Hollywood's top producer, and Metro still makes more pictures than any studio in Hollywood. As for the man, himself . . . Well, we could see why some of the 4500 em ployees on the Metro lot may refer to him as "Papa" behind his back, but face to face call him "Mr. Mayer," even up to his most important producers. You have the feeling there is no monkey business about him, and that he knows the merit not only in being top man, but in being treated as such. In appearance he is a man of medium height, with powerful shoulders and plenty of weight all over him — about 180 pounds. His hair is brown and so are his eyes. His nails are well-manicured; his clothes expensive, but quiet. He speaks abruptly, almost impatiently, with diction some of his stars could well emulate. His movements are quick, particularly his walk. He said he has no "pet peeves," unless it is stupidity. "I can forgive a mistake," he told us, "but not the same one twice." He said, too, he is crazy about children, particularly his grandchildren, the offspring of his two daughters. Mrs. David O. Selznick and Mrs. William Goetz. He likes to play golf and he likes to see movies, even other studios'. He smokes a couple of cigars a day, good ones, but that is all. He knows half his employees by names, he boasts, and is given to hiking about the lot, popping in on this and that old pal. Besides his cinematic innovations, since he became Metro's guiding spirit, he is responsible for the establishment of one other Metro institution — the elegant chicken soup available in the commissary any time of day or night. He's always been crazy about chicken soup, he said, but always deplored its lack of sufficient chicken flavoring. However, under his special orders, Metro's chicken soup is chicken soup what is! You ought to try some, one day. It's worth a special 'trip to Hollywood! Music Hath Charms AnNIE SHERIDAN and Joan Crawford have something in common. Each "emotes" better to the strains of soft music. Like Joan, Annie owns a portable phonograph and keeps it going on the set whenever it won't disturb the sound track. She even uses it to help her turn on charm when she's posing for stills, especially romantic ones. Among her records are dozens of rhumbas — the ultra-rhythmic kind — but, like Joan, she is also crazy about Bing Crosby's tunes. Her favorite number is, however, not exactly one you'd expect to be first choice of a rip-snortin' oomph-girl from Texas like Annie. It's "Moonlight and Roses." Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Hara, co-stars of "Jamaica Inn," arrive from England — perhaps to co-star again in "Hunchback of Notre Dame" Second Chance OTEWART REBURN, Sonja Henie's handsome skating partner of her road show, and also in her new picture, "Second Fiddle," called us up just before he left Hollywood for his home in Toronto, Canada. No, contrary to a good many reports, 20th Century-Fox has not signed him for further screen roles, despite the fact that they made test after test of him while he was here. He said he guessed these just hadn't "jelled," and that he was going back into the advertising business, in which we happen to know he was doing very well when Sonja, remembering his performance as Canadian Olympic pairs skating champion, invited him to be in her show. Well, they did make a wonderful pair on the ice, and rumor had it they had "clicked" romantically, too. But Stewart, being a reticent young man, had nothing to say about that, and with Sonja herself in Norway, the true status of affairs remains a mystery. Still, we heard something the other day which will perhaps be good news to Stewart — that his tests at 20th Century were exceptionally good, and that Darryl Zanuck is just waiting for a proper role to turn up, before asking him to return to Hollywood. And, according to reports, the "proper role"' doesn't necessarily have to be a skating role, either. Well, after all. he should know how to act. He's been identified with Toronto's Little Theater for a long time. Not-So-Infant Industry! STARTLING, that Hollywood has finally reached a point in maturity when it can expect to be a granddaddy any day. And it seemed only yesterday Mabel Normand was heaving pies and Sennett cops were making movies on the Boulevard. And now comes the marriage announcement of Gloria Swanson's daughter, to Robert William Anderson, and Mary Pickford's niece Gwynne, to Bud Ernst. Yes, time marches on and the old order dieth away. Here's to yesterday. In Hollywood. Trivia nENDY BARRLE'S dog, a dachshund, is named, inexplicably, "Hymie O'Toole" . . . The famous Marion Davies bungalow has left the Warner lot, but a huge photo of Marion still hangs above those of current Warner stars in the Green Room . . . We hear that Olivia de Havilland, as Melanie, steals the show from Vivien Leigh in "Gone with the Wind"; Livvie says, though, that Leigh is wonderful . . . The RKO publicity department has had its share of "difficult" stars, notably Hepburn, Astaire, John Beal and Burgess Meredith; now Cary Grant is getting difficult, too, they do say . . . Penny Singleton thinks she made some kind of a record; she recently made twenty-seven personal appearances at twenty-seven different theaters in New York and Chicago, in exactly five days . . . Jack Benny's prime recipe for a happy marriage is buy your wife a new dress every week of her life, but let her know who's boss (he says he is!) ... Pat O'Brien says Olympe Bradna will be the greatest actress in Hollywood in two years: two years ago. Oscar Serlin, the Paramount talent scout who discovered her, told us: "In four years, Olympe Bradna will be the greatest actress in Hollywood" . . . We'll bet our bottom dollar that Dorothy Lamour is still in love with Herbie Kay. . . . 76 PHOTOPLAY