Photoplay (Jan-Sep 1937)

HER ADOPTED CHILDREN REMADE GRflCIE ALLEN'S LIFE ALIGHT burned dimly in the nursery where a frail little two-months-old baby lay, tossing fitfully about in his crib. He was a blue baby — one of those children who so often come into the world only to leave it a few months later. It looked as if just that might happen to little Ronald Jon. He was gasping for breath. By his crib sat a man and a woman, their hands tightly clasped. The woman was pretty, in a quaint, childish sort of way. Her gray eyes were filled with a great pity and a great love. Her hair was as dark as the deepest night. The man took his hand from hers and said softly, so that he might not disturb the child, "I'm going to telephone the relief nurse." The woman could hear his quiet, reassuring voice as he spoke over the telephone. "Ronald is sick again. We'd like to have you here today." " Do you mean the little one is still alive?" gasped the nurse. That is how close Ronald Jon, the adopted son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, came to death. Only mother love — the great mother love which Gracie Allen bore for him — pulled him through. When I say that, I mean it with all my heart. Those are not just pretty words. It has been proven again and again, by actual scientific experiment, that babies need mother love in order to thrive. A group of babies can be put into an institution and given the finest supervision, food and medical care, yet few of them will live. The very same babies, if put into the home of a woman who loves them, will survive. No wonder then that the adoption idea is growing and spreading like measles in a country school. The demand for babies— particularly blonde, blue-eyed girls— is often greater than the baby agencies can fill. You've got to step fast and move lively if you want a ready-made baby this year. Time was when society wouldn't think of adopting babies. Today the bluest of the Proving that babies don't have to be one's oivn for you to love them By DORA ALBERT When the Burns took Sandra (left), Gracie said she would never adopt another child. But they went back for Ronald for the best reason in the world blue bloods, the wealthiest captains of industry have adopted youngsters. In Hollywood alone, there are adopted youngsters in the homes of all of a dozen stars, among them Miriam Hopkins, Joe E. Brown, Fredric March, Barbara Stanwyck, Jack Benny and Irene Dunne. Today thousands of women are asking, " What is it really like to adopt a baby?" I know of no one better fitted to answer that question than Gracie Allen, for she is one of the finest, most honest and candid people in Hollywood. She has adopted not one infant but two — first Sandra, who is now two and a half years old, then Ronald Jon, who is now one and a half. QEORGE BURNS was still sleeping when ( poked my head into the Burns-Allen apartment. Gracie, looking very small, sweet and feminine in a simple blue blouse and blue skirt, met me first and waved me into a chair " What do you want for breakfast?" she asked. "Grapefruit or melon? And will you have some coffee and coffee cake? "You know," she confessed, " George and I were out late last night. It's the first time we've been out late since we adopted the children." Just then George came in, wearing a blue dressing gown and with it a funny blue skull cap. We all sat down to breakfast together. But when I told Gracie I wanted to talk about her adopted children, she blandly ignored her orange juice and coffee to drag out a large photo album We all went into rhapsodies over those pictures. "Tell me, Gracie," I asked, "what made you adopt a second child after adopting Sandra?" Gracie chuckled. "When I first adopted Sandra," she said, " I could have sworn that I'd never adopt another baby. In fact, a funny thing happened. As I left the Cradle — the agency in Chicago where I got Sandra — | please turn to page 95 | 45