Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1947)

It's Like This, Louella . . . ( Continued from page 39) When she returned to Orson Welles he was heartbroken. David Niven and she have not frequented night clubs. They saw each other at Palm Springs, quietly and without the public looking on. The first time Rita separated from Orson she was very frank in saying she could not live up to his giant intellect. “You get fed up listening to how great a person he is, you get weary of so much egotism. All our conversation was about his greatness, his plans, his radio show — never anything about me, my career or our marriage.” But after this last separation she has less to say, only, “It’s hard to enjoy life with a genius.” Perhaps she is a little on the defensive, because when she reconciled with Orson she went against the advice of her friends. For Rita, very sweet, will always take the line of least resistance. She never in her life has wanted to hurt anyone. So when Orson, apparently repentant, said he was sorry, she forgave him. It is a great pity, I think, that Rita never has known the happiness of a contented marriage. Her two husbands were entirely different but neither was a helpmate in the accepted meaning of the word. CiUward Judson, her first husband, drove her day and night. Eager for her to get ahead in her career, he never was happier than when she was a monetary success. He must, however, be given credit for inspiring her to ambition and for helping her in her earlier days; even though Rita, like many others, did not believe that his interest in her career was entirely altruistic. To Welles, of course, money meant nothing. I doubt, too, that he counted Rita’s career important, except when it touched his own as an actor or a director. Rita, to him, was a beautiful statue, something to admire. I cannot feel he is carrying the torch for her as many columnists have said. His pride is hurt because she left him, walked out without a word. Knowing Rita as I do, I believe she had taken just as much as she could endure when she departed for Palm Springs. Orson was so taken by surprise that he said to all inquiring reporters: “It’s ridiculous. Mrs. Welles and I have not separated. She has merely gone to Palm Springs to rest.” When it could no longer be denied that she had left him his silence could have been heard from Hollywood to New York. WHEN Rita telephoned me in New York after her second matrimonial break-up with Orson I thought she would tell me her troubles as she has before. But the new Rita was in evidence. The girl who shot to fame overnight — and whom I have known since she was Marguerite Cansino, a dancer at Agua Caliente — has had so many heartbreaking things happen to her that she has learned to be discreet. “Tell me,” I said, “are you going to Europe because you want to put the ocean between you and Orson?” “Oh, Louella, don’t say that,” she pleaded. “I’m going to Europe because I’ve never been there. I’ll go to Rotterdam, then to Amsterdam and Brussels, which they tell me is the most sophisticated of cities. And later I’ll go on to Paris and London. “This isn’t a case of going away to forget. It’s mostly to learn and see things I’ve never had a chance to learn or see before. I’ve always wanted to go abroad. “I’m going to travel with Evelyn Lane, a friend,” she went on. “I know that my daughter, Rebecca, will be all right because she is with a great aunt of mine, besides her wonderful nurse.” “Are you glad to be rid of Orson?” Lovely to know . . . that you can really rely on Fresh. Fresh contains the most effective perspiration-stopping ingredient known to science! Lovely to use . . . creamy Fresh stays smooth . . . never greasy, gritty or sticky . . . doesn’t dry out. And gentle ... Fresh contains a patented ingredient that makes it gentle to skin, safe for fabrics. No wonder . . . more and more women are switching to Fresh. Now in 59^ economy size. Also lOtf, 2 5<t, 43 i. P 81