Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1947)

( Continued from page 53) her initials to papers and that made her an Elk. Her pet name, that is, what she likes to be called when you know her chummy, is Elevan. And if you must know, I got this information while we were sitting on the couch in my office — gee, director A1 Green would hardly give me any room and kept crowding me. “I also found out that after attending various schools, Evelyn wanted to be an actress. She started by being a tap dancer. It was while she was dancing in Charlotte, North Carolina, that she met Ted FioRito, the band leader. She told him about her desire to be a movie actress and he gave her a letter to a number of people in Hollywood. He also told her that she wouldn’t get anywhere in pictures until she got rid of her Southern drawl. She was finally given a job by Cecil B. DeMille in ‘The Buccaneer’ as a Southern belle with a drawl.” “Typically Hollywood,” said the columnist. “Well tell me some more about her career.” “Gee, I believed a guy like you would know that. The more I talk to you the more I learn about columnists. Evelyn later played a part in ‘Gone with the Wind.’ A Southern gal, of course. This was an epic, as you know, so of course no one remembers her in it. In fact she doesn’t boast about her role in it. “After this she was signed by Columbia Pictures and it looked as if she might get places fast for she was the leading lady for Robert Montgomery in ‘Here Comes Mr. Jordan’ and she also had a lead in ‘Ladies in Retirement.’ ” “And what happened?” asked the columnist. “I can take a cue,” replied the producer, still surprised that the columnist didn’t know as much about Evelyn Keyes as the producer did. “She played in a number of pictures at Columbia, was well liked, but really didn’t click until she met up with Technicolor.” “That’s odd.” “Not so very. It happens. Betty Grable didn’t get anywhere until she was filmed in Technicolor. Evelyn played the lead in ‘Renegades’ and then people, fans and executives, began to notice her. They noticed that she was not only attractive, but also a fine actress, a mighty fine actress. “And I’ll tell you something else. The combination in ‘Renegades’ was Evelyn Keyes — Larry Parks. That’s where the My Romance with Evelyn Keyes teamwork started. Evelyn’s next picture is tentatively titled, ‘The Mating of Millie McGonigle’ and a leading man in this picture will be Larry Parks. They’re getting to know each other.” “That’s fine,” said the columnist to the producer. “But now let’s get back to you and Evelyn. What did you do? Start revealing.” “I must admit,” said the producer, “that we held hands on the couch. She has lovely hands. Only, sometimes I got mixed and found I was holding A1 Green’s hands. And we did discuss her hair. It was blonde in the picture. Before that her hair had been pink, yes, actually pink. It has been practically every shade. Sometimes even her best friends don’t recognize her because of the color of her hair. You’ve got to know her real well to know her.” “Keep going,” said the columnist. “Our romance then continued on the set. Elevan is a hard worker. She comes on the set prepared, knowing her lines and how she intends to interpret a scene. She is rather stubborn and determined, but she will listen to the director or producer. Later in a projection room when she looked at the rushes with me, she was never completely satisfied with her performance. She always found fault and insisted that she could play the scene better if given another opportunity.” “IH, so you two were together, alone, in it a projection room,” said the columnist. He was leading, snooping. “Certainly,” replied the producer. “It was all in the line of duty. Then often we’d go to dinner together. It didn’t have to be a famous restaurant for Evelyn. She’d prefer a neat, cozy place. Her taste in food varies and she’ll eat practically anything. She doesn’t actually eat much. She orders big, but she merely nibbles at her food. Then we’d go to her apartment and sit around. But her girl friend, Marguerite Chapman, would be there, and do you know she took almost as much room on the couch as Director Green. A fellow wants to be alone to be romantic. “We’d sit around there and discuss the picture and books and the world in general. Evelyn likes to sit at the piano and play a little. Her favorite is Chopin.” “You two appeared to be getting along famously,” said the columnist. “I like it. Keep on revealing.” “I liked it too,” replied the producer. “I even went to watch her play tennis, went shopping with her and for walks in Beverley. But then it happened.” “What happened?” asked the columnist, more eager than he had been. “I went on the set early one morning as usual,” said the producer, “to discuss the day’s work with her. And to be polite I asked Evelyn if she wanted to have dinner that night. She replied that she couldn’t, because she was having dinner with her husband. I told her that I didn’t even know she was married. ‘Oh yes,’ she said, ‘I eloped last night with John Huston.’ ” “How did you take it?” asked the columnist. “The same as you would take it,” answered the producer. “How are they getting along?” asked the columnist. “And do you ever see Evelyn?” “Certainly I see her,” answered the producer. “We’re still the best of friends — in the true Hollywood tradition. I visited her on the set of ‘Johnny O’Clock,’ and she appeared just as happy in her work, eager to make good.” “Okay. So Evelyn married John Huston. He’s a famous director and writer. She’s an actress. What’s with their careers?” “They’re both doing great,” answered the producer. “Evelyn doesn’t tell John what pictures to direct or how to write his scripts, and she doesn’t expect him to select her scenarios or to tell her how to play a part.” “That’s unusual.” “They do, however, discuss movies in general and actors and actresses. They have ideas about the kind of pictures they should make and the kind of pictures that should be made. They do like to be around with people in the industry and talk shop. They’re interested in what they call ‘the arts.’ John paints, you know, and Evelyn is playing with paints herself.” “Do you believe that they’ll ever make a picture, that is a motion picture, together?” asked the columnist. “That’s an obvious question,” replied the producer, “and the answer is just as obvious. They would like to make a picture together, but they are going to wait until they find the proper story. But, what’s more important, they want to wait until they know each other better. It’s something, you know, to be with a person all day on the set and then go home and be with the same person all night.” “Yes, I guess it is,” said the columnist. “Keep revealing.” “Well,” said the producer, “they reside in Huston’s house in Tarzana, which he designed himself. It has all kinds of furniture, Colonial, modern, antique. Anything that looks good and is comfortable. Her pet name for him is Johnnie and his pet name for her is Elevan.” “Oooh! Oooh!” exclaimed the columnist, as if he had learned something important. Then he added, “Keep revealing.” “Gee, doesn’t a columnist know anything else than ‘Keep revealing’?” “That’s the only way to get rid o' a columnist. Reveal everything.” The producer leaned a little more forward and then said: “Elevan, pardon me, Evelyn, sleeps in an oversized built-in bed. There are two spotlights on the ceiling, one for Evelyn and one for John, which are used as reading lamps. They like to read in bed. And — and say, how revealing do you expect a fellow to get? If you want to know any more you’ll have to ask John Huston who has the information.” It was then that Skolsky, the producer, deciuea that he had had enough of Skolsky, the columnist. But it was okay, for the columnist had also decided that he had gotten enough of the producer. The End SPELLS THRILLS IT’S A DATE EVERY SUNDAY For a half-hour of real thrills, listen every Sunday afternoon to "True Detective Mysteries”. Action-packed fact stories dramatized from the pages of True Detective magazine. Tune in this Sunday and every Sunday afternoon. 4:30 PM E. T. 2:30 PM M. T. 3:30 PM C. T. 1:30 PM P. T. TUNE IN FOR DETAILS OF S500 REWARD TRUE DETECTIVE MYSTERIES ON ALL MUTUAL NETWORK STATIONS iti