Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1945)

A Man and (Continued from page 45) whether ballyhoo alone could in the long run make a star out of anyone who .didn’t have the essential qualifications. “Of course,” he said, “fellows like Van ; Johnson, Robert Walker and a few others have come up suddenly but they would , have won recognition at any other time. I They have the stuff. And besides,” he added, “they had their struggles too. They I weren’t overnight successes. When an actor gets a break all the public hears about is the success that follows it. There is seldom any ballyhoo about the failures that preceded it.” rs ENNIS was thinking about his own ^ background and the long pull he had before the real break came. There were his early days in vaudeville, his attempts to put himself over as a radio singer and announcer, his essays into the field of light opera, his long sessions in stock at South Bend, Indiana, and the grueling 1 grind of one-night stands in a condensed version of “Faust.” What that did was to pave the way for him to meet Mary Garden, the noted opera singer, who was then on a talent-scouting mission for one of the big studios. She arranged a screen test and shortly afterwards he was signed to a studio contract. But his arrival in Hollywood, instead of launching him on a career, started him twisting and turning on the road of frustration and dismay. Singers weren’t very popular in those days. He languished and fumed and thought of giving the whole thing up and going back home. The fact that he had dropped his own name Stanley Morner didn’t help either. Maybe he should have consulted a numerologist. However, he got something more substantial than numerology in the person of David Hempstead. David was in the throes of casting “Kitty Foyle.” He had set his heart on one of the top stars to play opposite Ginger and was unable to borrow him. One evening, to get his mind off his I troubles, he dropped in at a movie house. 1 It was a dull little picture called “State Cop,” but suddenly David sat bolt upright in his seat. A young actor caught his attention, a personable, handsome and manly young actor whom David had never seen before. The next day he phoned Ginger Rogers. “I’ve got our man,” he said. “What’s his name?” said Ginger. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” David ' reolied as he hung up, leay^ing a gasping I Miss Rogers on the other end of the wire. David returned to the theater, caught the picture credits and the next day had I Dennis Morgan in his office. He phoned ! Ginger again. “I’ve got our man,” he said. “What’s his name?” Ginger repeated in j a voice that indicated that the conversai tion of the previous day was still continuing. “Dennis Morgan,” said David. ! “Never heard of him,” said Ginger ! mockingly and hung up. It was David’s ; turn to gasp. However, he later overrode her objec1 tions to having an unknown in the part and when Ginger saw Morgan’s test she was as enthusiastic as David had been. His Dreams From that moment Dennis Morgan was in. Dennis takes the success that has come to him since then with a cool eye. The upward climb was not too easy. In fact it wasn’t until he burst forth in “The Desert Song” and “Shine On Harvest Moon” that he really came into his own. The returning tide of musicals had come at the right moment for him. Yet there was still some tough sledding ahead to persuade his studio to give him a picture like “God Is My Co-Pilot.” HIS best friend is Jack Carson. He and Jack grew up together in Milwaukee, attended the same school and shared some rough and tumble experiences in vaudeville. Both are now under contract to Warner Brothers. Whenever the studio throws a party for visiting exhibitors Carson and Morgan are up on the stage wowing them with old vaudeville routines and songs. A few years ago Carson used to harangue Dennis. He would tell him he wasn’t taking his career seriously enough. The truth of the matter is that Carson was right. Dennis was letting outside interests and diversions become increasingly important in his life. Recently, however, there has been a marked change in his attitude. His friends attribute this in part to Carson’s influence and also to the fact that Dennis at last is getting the kind of roles he wants to play. His success has made him more serious but it hasn’t robbed him of his enthusiasms. He gets as much fun out of life as he ever did, but he has leai’ned to discipline himself. “Fun is fun,” he says, “if you keep it in its place.” Dennis doesn’t go in for night-club life. His idea of a good time is to sing barbershop quartets with Andy Devine, Bob Shayne and Jack Carson — either in their homes or his. He has a passion for music and a love for his home. It was during the making of “My Reputation,” in which he stars with Barbara Stanwyck, that Morgan discovered his ideal home — not the La Canada hacienda but the one he and Lillian will build one day themselves. It’s a New England farm house — the one built for “My Reputation.” He got the plans for it from the studio architects and someday, when the war is over and he will be doing just an occasional movie, dividing his time between Hollywood and fhe concert stage, he’s going to build that house, but not in California. It’ll be either in Oregon or Minnesota or some such cold spot where the fish are jumping, where he can even saw through blocks of ice and fish during the winter. It’s his favorite sport. Another venture which he is planning for post-war days is flying. His ambition is to take lessons from Colonel Robert Lee Scott, famous ace of the one-time Flying Tigers and author of “God Is My Co-Pilot.” Morgan’s admiration for the drawling Georgian whom he portrays on the screen is unbounded. When we returned from our Lakeside luncheon, Dennis introduced him by saying, “Here’s a guy I’d like to fly with!” . But Dennis Morgan is doing okay these days flying high on his own. THE END ★ ★ V-MAIL IS SURE-MAIL Air cargo space is precious — air mail sometimes slow. Your service man may be on the move. He wants his letters. He asks that you get them to him. Your Government asks your assistance. Help save space. 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