Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1939)

We Cover the Studios (Continued from page 48) George Brent, finds she has one year to live and spends it spurring him on at the expense of her doomed spirits. It's the heaviest role Bette has ever attempted, next to Of Human Bondage." We sit on the sidelines with Bette while George Brent struggles through the opening-day jitters in an all-male doctors' scene. After a series of disheartening breaks before the camera, George says, "Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm sorry.'' Then he walks across the stage and sits in his chair, alone and mad at himself. Nobody can help him; it's just one of those opening-day things. He'll be all right after a while. We can't resist asking Bette how about her personal future, especially since her separation from her husband, Harmon Nelson, took place between "The Sisters" and "Dark Victory.'' Very frankly she tells us there's absolutely no other man and no other interest unless it's her work. And the biggest effect the split-up has had so far is a deeper devotion to work. "I live it now," says she. "And that's no figure of speech." It's true. Warners gave Bette Kay Francis' gorgeous bungalow, when Kay bowed off the lot. So, when the marriage division happened. Bette moved into the studio bag and baggage! Now, during the filming of "Dark Victory," she eats and sleeps there. And the rest of the Warner stars are getting the same idea. Paul Muni is moving into the studio for his next picture and several others, too. are following Bette's lead. It's a great idea, but we hope it doesn't spread over Hollywood. What would become of all the swimming pools? nND now we will look over the stars in the radio studios. With NBC opening a brand-new, bigger and better applegreen broadcasting studio at Sunset and Vine and Columbia's new plant keeping the air crackling a block down the street, Hollywood is now in radio for keeps — and vice versa. The air is full of stars and the stars are full of — well, call it eloquence. At any rate, where one Hollywood program failed to return to the ether this season, three new ones popped up. The Radio scene shifts around quicker than a Notre Dame backfield and what do we have1? Well— For one thing, we have Bill Powell running Hollywood Hotel and the best news item of the month is that Bill's health is standing up under radio perfectly. He likes it: it likes him. His friends are urging him to give up making movies entirely, to concentrate on radio, have more fun out of life, live to a ripe old age and make just about as much to put in his piggie-bank. Charles Boyer has taken over Tyrone Power's dramatic spot on the Woodbury Playhouse. What's more, Charles is carrying on the Power tradition of orchids for the leading lady each week. Gail Patrick, Olivia De Havilland and Maureen O'Sullivan have got 'em so far. The best remark we ever heard about Boyer was a romantic little Radio extra's sigh — "That guy." she heaved, "has menace in both eyes!" His voice is the same way. Better fill up on Charles. He leaves the air in a few weeks and Ty comes back. Bing Crosby's return from Bermuda deserves a paragraph. Bing left for the island with twenty-five trunks. He came back with thirty-eight! He bought everything in the joint, including British walking shorts for his whole band. Now you How Well Do You Know Your Hollywood? John Payne in "Wings of the Navy" TEST your memory of the pictures that Photoplay selected as the most outstanding of the year 1933. Give yourself five points for every one you remember correctly. The score should be at least eighty for a seasoned moviegoer. Check up on page 82. 1. Herbert Marshall played a supercrook in "Trouble in Paradise." The two women in the film were: Kay Francis Leila Hyams Elizabeth Allan Miriam Hopkins 2. In "Night After Night" a new star was born: Katharine Hepburn Mae West Barbara Stanwyck Lupe Yelez 3. Richard Dix was the pioneer in "The Conquerors." The wife who helped canking business was: Ann Harding Loretta Young Irene Dunne Diana Wynyard 4. In "The Animal Kingdom" Leslie Howard's wife was played by: Nancy Carroll Dorothy Jordan Myrna Loy Ruth Chatterton 5. The De Mille spectacle. ' The Sign of the Cross," gave this actress a chance as Nero's consort: Bette Davis Claudette Colbert Elissi Landi Evelyn Brent 6. "Rasputin and the Empress" featured John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore. Which one of these actors played the Cl3'? Alexander Kirkland C. Aubrey Smith Monte Blue Ralph Morgan 7. The father in "Cavalcade" »a:: Clive Brook Adolphe Menjou Ronald Colman Alan Dinehart 8. The children of Will Rogers in ' S-ate Fair" were played I Lew Ayres Janet Gaynor Norman Foster Sally Eilers 9. The role of M. Topaze in ' Topaze" was played by: John Barrymore Mouricc Chevalier Dick Barthelmess Fredric March of 10. Sweeoings' was a disillusioned faHenry Trovers Lionel Barrymore Lewis Stone Henry Stephenson 11. In "Today We Live," Gary Cooper and Franchot Tone were in love with this girl during the war: Constance BennettMary Brian Carole Lombard Joan Crawford 12. The venal politician who became President in Gabriel Over the White House" was played by: Edmund Lowe Walter Huston Clark Gable George Bancroft 13. In the comedy, Good Bye Again," this comedian got his first big role: Hugh Herbert Robert Young Jack Oakie Charles Ruggles 14. You remember S "Voltaire," but who was Mme. Pompadour? Adrienne Ames Norma Shearer Marian Nixon Doris Kenyon 15. "Morning Glory" lifted Katharine Hepburn to new heights as the stage • qirl who fell in Joel McCrea David Manners Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Cary Grant 16. The man who got the chance to live his life over again in "Turn Back the Clock" was played by: Lee Tracy Paul Lukas Warner Baxter Rod La Rocque 17. 'Three Cornered Moon" was one of th; the screwy family pictures. Mary Boland was the crackpot --• her daLrjBebe Daniels Claudette Colbert June Collyer Constance Cummings 18. Three of these *ere Charles Laughton's wives in "The Private Life of Henry VI Binnie Barnes Merle Oberon Greta Nissen Wendy Barrie 19. men loved Fay Wray. She married Neil Hamiu -vas: Gary Cooper Nick Stuart Ricardo Cortex James Dunn 20. ' Lady for a Day" was about a blowzy old apple-selling woman. Apple Helen Westley May Robson Marie Dressier Louise Dresser bhould see 'em — especially Man Mountain J. Scott Trotter! On Bing's first return program he arrived at the mike wearing a vivid map of the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean for a shirt. It scared Bob Burns off to Hawaii, where he's vacationing now. Lux Radio Theatre, like the brook, runs on forever. They have the right microphone menu, the best scripts, the biggest stars— and C. B. De Mille. C. B., incidentally, is casting most of the radio steadies in his next epic, "Union Pacific." We caught the Lux air edition of "Seventh Heaven" the other night and saw Jean Arthur and Don Ameche run over and stick their noses in a piano in the middle of the show. How did we know a mike was underneath? They talked through the piano strings for that echo effect you heard. ALONG Radio Row, the Hollywood Headlines are these: Texaco Star Theatre is a solid hit, but suave Adolphe Menjou can't help truckin' when Jane Frohman sings . . . Eddie Cantor's next Deanna Durbin may be Betty Jaynes . . . Gracie Allen came back from New York with a trunkful of screwy hats . . . Claire Trevor's new husband, Clark Andrews, is producing her air show, "Big Town." He and Eddie Robinson warble old college songs at rehearsal — it's awful . . . Fanny Brice is on the war path for people who spell her name "Fannie" . . . Every week Frank Morgan and Fanny do the Lambeth Walk to a raucous accompaniment by Merideth Wilson's band the minute "Good News" goes off the air. You miss it, but the audience gets a good laugh. . . . Joe E. Brown was burned up all last fall because his new show came on Saturday and he couldn't watch his son, Joe L., do his football stuff with the U.C.L.A. team . . . Frances Langford. who's tiny, got ten pounds more fat and sassy on her honeymoon, while Jon Hall, a moose, faded fro a shadow. He's at every Hollywood Hotel rehearsal, because they're still very much in love! . . . Bob Young and Allan Jones have reaped plenty of business for their BelAir riding stables from those radio comedy plugs on "Good News" . . . W. C. Fields never takes off his hat or removes his toothpick during the whole "Hit Parade" . . . Grover Jones, the movie-writing fellow, is doing the script for Rosalind Russell and Jimmy Stewart on "Silver Theatre" . . . Jimmie Fidler will break a broadcasting record when he gossips over both NBC and Columbia any day now. . . . Dorothy Lamour is now third in record playings over the air. The Chase and Sanborn hour did it. First is Bing Crosby; second. Nelson Eddy . . . Jean Hersholt sketches everybody on the "Doctor Christian" show . . . Edgar Bergen is rhumba-mad. A brave gentleman, Edgar — he tossed a party the other night and invited all his girl friends — Andrea Leeds, Anita Louise, Nancy Carroll and so forth. Charlie McCarthy, by the way. now has a tailor working overtime sewing him up a new wardrobe for practically any occasion you can imagine. . . . But the best for the last — The Judge Hardy Family will soon be on the air — intact — if present plans go through. Metro-GoldwynMayer may put Mickey Rooney. Lewis Stone. Cecilia Parker and all the rest on radio each week with a typical Hardy escapade. And how would you like that? 69