Photoplay (Jan-Jun 1945)

more, I shouldn’t be surprised if Jennifer appears on the New York stage before 1945 is over. Her heart is set on it. I do not think her heart is set on anything or anyone now, only her career. She married Robert Walker after a school-chum friendship and, although they are the best of friends, love is as far from Jennifer’s heart as I am from Mai’s. At parties I have seen Bob constantly join her but not in the romantic way. After all, they have two small children and I don’t think they wish them to be brought up in the atmosphere of divorce where children feel the lack of one parent. CPEAKING of the stars ^ who will spangle 1945 screens, there are, also, Gloria De Haven and June Allyson. These two “flitter bugs” are now running neck and neck in the eternal l’ace for popularity. On the big Metro lot where they woi'k they are very definitely rivals. Gloria soon may surpass June. She’s “showier.” But only for a time. In the year’s run I am sure June will come out ahead. June, in appeai'ance and personality, is more familiar to most of us than Gloria. And we always love best those we understand best. Besides, June — having come through a youth which was physically handicapped — is more finely tempered. “The Voice” will go right on sweeping everything before him, as before. He’s no flash in the pan, Frank Sinatra. He has terrific appeal for others than bobby-socks. At my party to celebrate the liberation of France he faced a brilliant and disci’iminating audience as he stood before the mike on a stage erected in my garden. He was, if any man ever was, on the spot. And he knew it. Frank is not remotely stupid. To my amazement the greatest stars, who I would have thought would look upon Frank as a phenomenon, were as “swooney” as the bobby-socks ever were. Loretta Young, her hand clasped in that of her husband, Colonel Tom Lewis, and father of their infant son Christopher whom both she and Tom adore, said to me: “Elsa, what is there about that boy that makes you feel he is singing to you — and you alone?” p Tom Lewis smiled, “I suppose I M M should be jealous,” he said, holding Loretta’s hand tighter, “but Loretta has never been sweeter to me than since she heal’d Frank sing.” Incidentally, when Frank came to the end of his program the applause was thunderous. No doubt about it, Frank Sinatra is rich in that magnetic charm which, in all phases of show business, is the thing which makes great performers. It has brought him along and it will help him endure. Dana Andrews, not long ago a lesser light on the Warner lot earning $75 a week, a paltry sum in Hollywood, unquestionably will be one of the year’s outstanding heavies. With his new technique, as seen in “Laura” — which the girls like so much — I believe Dana will leave Humphrey Bogart and George Raft and other screen bullies far behind him. For Van Johnson I predict indescribable good fortune. Van doesn’t have a pei’fect profile. He doesn’t have any of the physical features which usually promote gentlemen in feminine good gi’aces, actually. However, the increasing jingle of our money flowing into box offices proclaims he has something else, that elusive charm which springs from the inside. Metro’s hopes for bright-haired Van, consequently, are high. Even so, I say he will exceed their fondest expectations. I need no crystal ball, after all, to make this prediction. During the past year Van has come along amazingly, although he has appeared only in comparatively few pictures in addition to playing the young student doctor in Lionel Barrymore’s “Dr. Gillespie” series. Next year he’ll have his fine performance in “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” to recommend him further. And his role of the bomber pilot in “Weekend At The Waldorf.” The fine and mature actor, Walter Pidgeon, does credit to the first male role in this picture, but Van — especially in his love scenes with Lana Tui’ner — gives his audiences something to remember him by Will Van marry during this coming year? I very much doubt it. Always the past is the best yardstick we have to measure the future. And while Van has always liked feminine company he never has been thrown off balance. He seems to have the wonderful faculty of taking ladies or leaving them. Which makes him irresistible, of course! Besides, I think Van — don’t forget his Swedish blood — is a man to concentrate upon one thing at a time. His career now is uppexmost in his mind. He will not, unless all previous signs fail, minimize his Hollywood opportunities by letting romance becloud them. Miracles can happen, of course. But usually they don’t. Speaking of “Weekend At The Waldorf,” I predict this will be the top picture of the coming year. The all-star cast — Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Bob Benchley, Xavier Cugat, Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson and Constance Collier — appear as guests at this great hotel and each contributes his or her own story. In the Year of Our Lord, 1945, I doubt if you’ll see Orson Welles sawing a woman in half or acting on the screen. And, wonderfully as he has done these things in the past, I’m glad this is ( Continued on page 84) m r/j iv V/A MEDAL FROM HITLER Here's How to Get One By HUMPHREY BOGART H OW’D you like to earn a decoration from Hitler or Hirohito? Here’s the way you work it. You don’t have to join the German Army or the Jap Army. You don’t even have to blow up an American war plant. It’s easier than that. All you have to do is follow the line the Germans and their stooges are handing out in this country. All you have to do is swallow the race-bunk. That’s what the Germans want us to do. They figure that if enough of us talk this race-bunk, we’ll get to fighting among ourselves. That’ll weaken us so much that we’ll be easy pickings the next time —even if we should win this time. Listen, brother. In this man’s country you can marry the girl you like. You can pal around with the folks you like. You can pray in a church of your own choosing. Okay. But that doesn’t mean that one kind of church is better than another. It doesn’t mean one kind of people is better than another. Let’s look at the record. Here’s what science knows. It doesn’t 6ay maybe. It knows. There are no “superior races.” There are only people who for a time happen to be luckier or better situated than other people. There are no “inferior races.” There are only people who’ve had bad luck, or poor education, or maybe live in a tough climate. For example, there’s ( Continued on page 87) 28