Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1944)

How "Nice" are the Stars? (Conthiued from page 45) Bennett, Maria Montez, Paulette Goddard. . . . Tallulah has earned her reputation for an acid tongue, rapier wit, and devastating retorts by making a fine art of these things. She is often deliberately rude. But essentially, for all her outward brashness, she is a much finer and nicer person than many who are never questioned. We have known Talu to leave an EasterEve party at the height of its gaiety because she wanted to be up at dawn, having promised her household staff an egghunt and breakfast party. For many years she supported a maid she had had in England who had become too ill to work. There was, during this period, a long span when Tallulah drew no weekly check herself. Even so her adequate dependable check went to this woman regularly. Under her glittering, brittle surface Tallulah Bankhead is an old softie. But don’t tell her we said so. Constance Bennett may be counted upon to get the last copper out of any deal. She also may be counted upon to recognize her advantage and pursue it with a ruthless determination and will that is either maddening or fascinating, depending upon where you fit into the picture. In her personal contacts, however, Connie is delightfully democratic and humorous. The maid of a friend whom she visits frequently thinks her one of the nicest and greatest ladies she has ever met. “When Miss Constance comes here for luncheon and I admit her,” she says “she always calls me by name and seems honestly and truly interested in what I have been doing. And whether I set up a table in the living room or a waiter brings up a table from the restaurant she is quick to jump up and push chairs aside to make room. I can’t say that for all the ladies who come here.” Those who truly know Maria Montez declare her interesting and colorful, as interesting and colorful as her appearance promises she would be. Since she married Jean Pierre Aumont her friends insist she has softened a great deal and isn’t nearly as possessed to make herself an important Hollywood figure. Those who only know Maria casually have another story. They maintain she is too fascinated with herself. They tell how whenever she is at a restaurant she must make at least ten trips to the Powder Room — just for the entrances and exits she hopes she is making. And they pooh-pooh those who really know her and ascribe this sort of thing to Maria’s temperamental “showmanship.” Obviously no star is a fragile flower. It takes brains and backbone to get to the top in any field. Plenty! is what Paulette Goddard has of both. She doesn’t spare herself. Ask her to do a fashion sitting two hours before she is crossing the continent and she will agree. But she will make certain every picture that is taken is a credit to her. She will arrive with a special, de-luxe hairdresser, her maid and several cases of clothes. Throughout the sitting she will be co-operative and interesting and gay. But she will not once step before the camera until her make-up and hair and general appearance are, in hf eyes, perfect — irrespective of the fact th; time is limited and there is much to I done. What isn’t done isn’t done. Ar what the staff do with themselves whi she primps — not with vanity, but wi1 shrewd showmanship — doesn’t for or moment concern her. A mere dash of “ham” is colorful, inter esting, enlivening. More than a dash be comes irritating and boring. James Crai please note. . . . James Craig is definitely a runner-u as a nice guy — if he would stop looking i the mirror or, when he looks, manage 1 glimpse all the other guys who are makin the Hollywood grade. If he would, alsi realize that if he doesn’t stop being overl pleased with himself those other guj very likely will surpass him. Very often it takes the pressure of grer events to show a man’s true colors. Onl in the last year or two — since the war — hs the film colony discovered the full measur of John Garfield’s niceness and humanity Shortly after John arrived in Holl5rwoo( a white-haired boy if ever there was one he became “difficult.” Any time he wasn given his own way he turned belligerer and arty. He would refer to the studio a a factory. He would talk of returning t New York and the advanced theater move ment from which he had come. The: gradually he found his bearings and, work ing hard, became more reasonable all th time. It remained, however, for his wa effort to prove just how human and jus how nice he really is. When Bette Davi was having the inevitable discouragement 90 Keep the cos/ of living down — buy only what you need — make what you have last longer — avoid waste.