Photoplay (Jan-Sep 1937)

"You need to get yourself dolled up," he said. "Go over to the Westmore brothers. They can tell you how to get yourself together." "And what'll I use for money?" asked the practical Jane. It was simple. Somborn loaned her fifty dollars. Jane went to see the Westmores It was they who decided to turn her into a blonde. In fact, they read her the famous riot act on beauty rituals. Her clothes were thrown out ami her eyebrows thrown up, to give her a soulful look. From that time on Jane was to make a study of clothes and beauty, until now the name of Lombard is just another word for smartness. A MONG the gills who were rivals of Carole Lombard and Joan Crawford in the dance contests at the Grove were Gretchen (Loretta) Young, her sister Polly Ann, Bessie Love and May McAvoy. seethe . . ilH "-»*, make ^ . . . Norma and Gilbert, a greai love story . . . . . . " Fleek" went ring and silence . . The irrepressible Carole enjoys recalling those days, but not so Joan Crawford Tone. In a dignified gathering, Carole is just as like as not to call across the room to Joan: " Remember when we won that dance cup at the Grove?" And Joan seethes. Even more important than the chance to attract the attention of a studio executive by winning a cup was the fact that these cups could be redeemed for fifteen dollars in cold hard cash, and all those kids could use the money. They were very young, scarcely more than sixteen, eager, bright-eyed youngsters competing blithely against stars who could spend fortunes on their clothes. But they had youth on their side, and how pretty they looked as, flushed and excited, they chose partners for a dance and prayed that the hand of the floor judge, John Browne, would touch their shoulders in recognition of their dancing agility. CALLY RAND was frequently a contestant, but that was before she started dancing in ostrich feathers. Sally wasn't a cup winner. John Browne tells this one on May McAvoy. He got a call one day in the Grove office. "This is May McAvoy, Mr. Browne. Are you still paying fifteen dollars for cups?" she asked. "Fine. Then I'll be right down with mine." Imagine the astonishment of Mr. Browne when she appeared in a taxi with cups literally flowing out of the windows. May cashed in nearly three hundred dollars worth of trophies. her In selecting the winners of these dance contests it was the custom to nominate three or four prominent movie people to act as judges. One night the group selected consisted of Jesse Lasky, Adolph Zukor and Pola Negri. This time it was a young man who got the cheers. After presenting the cup to him, Jesse Lasky asked his name. "Jack Crane," he was told. "Don't tell those others," said Lasky, "but send him to my office tomorrow." The Grove got in touch with Crane, who frequently danced in the cup competitions, and he duly appeared before the producer Lasky signed him to a contract. He didn't like the name of Crane, and as Latins were popular in those days, he groped for a good, mouth-filling Spanish name. Thus was born the personality you know as Ricardo Cortez, and if the story is true, he got the name from a box of cigars on his desk. IN those early days, beauty ruled Hollywood. Among the paper palms a dozen women, as fair as Helen of Troy, might be seen in one evening, each surrounded by her court and each the potential prize of a Trojan war. When Betty Blythe, she who was "Queen of Sheba," made her entrance the entire audience turned to stare. Barbara La Marr, of tragic history, would come, often attended by the gentle, faithful Paul Bern who watched her conquests with sad eyes. Here Claire Windsor excited the love of that gallant clown, Charlie Chaplin. The Helene and Dolores Costello wooings by dashing Lowell Sherman and even more dashing John Barrymore, took place amongst the papier macke palms. Elinor Glyn came with royalty at her heels to establish sex on a high literary plane; and all the galaxy of beautiful women marched in parade — Billie Dove, Corinne Griffith, Agnes Ayres, Anita Stewart, Aileen Pringle, Nita Naldi, Jacqueline Logan, Carmel Meyers, Dorothy Dalton. Irene Castle, coming to the Grove for a dance engagement, taught the celebrities the knack of making the grand entrance. But what of snooty Society? Did they fraternize with these fair women? You guessed it. They did not. When wealthy women from Pasadena came to the Grove [ please tu*n to page 97 | 23