Since You Went Away (United Artists) (1944)

Bob Walker Got Film Break Because He Was Underweight Bob Walker thanks his lucky stars that he never tried to gain any weight. Walker is per¬ haps the first leading man in the history of motion pictures who was rejected because he was “too skinny” and then cast for an important role for exactly the same reason. As Sidney Skolsky would say, “But don’t get me wrong, I love Hollywood!” Now an established star, Walker plays a leading role in “Since You Went Away” at the .... Theatre through United Art¬ ists release, along with Claudette Colbert, Joseph Cotten, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Monty Woolley and Lionel Barrymore. There are reasons for Bob’s lack of weight. Certainly there is noth¬ ing in the life he led which would have contributed towards gaining extra poundage. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Bob was something of a problem child given to running away from home, and generally misbehaving at school. He was always a little and anemic-looking sort of kid and his bad behavior might have been a compensation for his inferior physical makeup. At any rate his parents decided after his gradu¬ ation from grammar school that it would be best for all hands if Bob finished his schooling in Califor¬ nia. It was while attending the San Diego Army and Navy Mili¬ tary Academy there that Bob was nipped by the acting bug. It was a very lucky bite. Bob turned out such a fine actor that his talent won him two schol¬ arships and then a chance to study at the American Academy for Dramatic Arts in New York. His aunt financed that venture. That was in 1937 and it was then that Bob met his wife-to-be, Jennifer Jones, also a student at the Academy. When he finished his first year of school in 1938, Bob decided to see a little of life beyond his im¬ mediate ken. He signed on a ba¬ nana boat and after one trip was convinced that the sailor’s lot was not a happy one—certainly not for him. He hightailed it back to New York where he found Miss Jones still waiting—if a little peevishly. He had written only one letter dur¬ ing the entire trip. Woolley Made Beard Symbol of Success In these days, when “five o’clock shadow” is tantamount to social os¬ tracism (or so the ads would have us believe), the popularity of Monty Woolley—and beard—can only be ascribed to the innate revolt of the male population against the bar¬ barous practice of daily shaving. In their enthusiastic support for the bearded actor, the masculine body of theatregoers are ac¬ tually saluting the courage of the daring Woolley who not only grew a beard but made it the source of his fortune. Yet the Woolley beard is not, as you might expect, a gesture of re¬ volt. It is in fact a salute to the famous Professor Kittredge under whom Woolley studied at Harvard and who himself sported a nation¬ ally famous beaver. Woolley’s ad¬ miration for “Kitty” was not di¬ minished even when “Kitty” sug¬ gested that Monty abandon aca¬ demic studies in favor of dramat¬ ics. His loyalty to the beard almost proved a monkey wrench in Monty’s revolving gears towards screen stardom. When he first ap¬ peared before the cameras (a little more than five years ago) his bearded visage automatically rele¬ gated him to roles in which he played, in unrelieved succession, ambassadors, physicians, profes¬ sors and such. The actor became something of a discouraged hermit. One day his friend, Moss Hart, telephoned Woolley from New York, ordering Monty to fly east to play the lead in a show written by Hart and George Kaufman. Before he slammed down the re¬ ceiver, Woolley told Hart he thought the call “a poor joke to play when I’m trying to get some sleep.” It was no joke. The show was “The Man Who Came To Din¬ ner” in which Woolley played “Sheridan Whiteside” for 783 rousing performances. When Warners filmed the Kauf- man-Hart play, Woolley came to the Coast to recreate the “White- side” role. His previous experience had made Woolley shy about Holly¬ wood, but the success of the film overcame his allergy to celluloid. He remained to appear in “The Pied Piper,” “Life Begins at 8:30,” “Holy Matrimony” in addition to Selznick’s “Since You Went Away.” In “Since You Went Away” playing at the ... . Theatre through United Artists release, Monty creates one of his wittily acid-tongued roles. He shares star¬ ring honors with Claudette Col¬ bert, Joseph Cotten, Jennifer Jones, Shirley Temple, Lionel Bar¬ rymore and Robert Walker. He’s still the only “beard” in the lot. He didn’t return to the Academy for a second year—getting out on his own. And then began what Bob could rightfully call “My Battle.” He lived in a co-operative lodge on an income of ten dollars a week borrowed from his brother. He got a job, with Jennifer, with the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village and worked there for the grand sum of fifty cents a per¬ formance. A brief rift appeared in the clouds when he and Jennifer were signed by a radio station in Tulsa, Okla. to star in a series of dra¬ matic sketches. Things looked bright enough to take a chance on marriage and so Bob and Jen¬ nifer became man and wife. But the sunshine didn’t last. After a brief try at Hollywood the two returned to the Village, discour¬ aged and broke. Bob took whatever jobs he could get and Jennifer re¬ tired from her search for a stage career to present the Walkers with two boys, Bobby and Michael. The big turning point—and you knew there had to be one—came when Bob got his first radio job. He was given a part in “Yester¬ day’s Children” and was paid a memorable twenty dollars. Soon he was in enough shows to keep the wolf away from the door. And then Hollywood called. Once long before, Bob had been turned down for a part because he was “too skinny.” Now he was de¬ manded for the role of the young¬ ster, Plunkett, in “Bataan” pre¬ cisely because he was so typically gangling and American. He’s been around since. He’s gaining a little weight. Short Snorts Monty Woolley has appeared on the stage sans his famous beard, believe it or not. Back in his Yale College days, Monty was one of the school’s best actors and played de¬ nude of any facial spinach. His beard is highly prominent, how¬ ever, in “Since You Went Away” now playing at the ... . Theatre through United Artists release. Bob Walker, one of the seven stars of “Since You Went Away” at the .... Theatre through United Artists release fills in his spare time by studying French, the piano and by making hand-tooled leather goods. Lionel Barrymore is the last of the famous theatrical clan still ap¬ pearing on the screen. His latest picture “Since You Went Away” playing at the ... . Theatre through United Artists release marks his 30th year in the movies. Barrymore Talents Used in Many Arts If you ever happen to be in the San Fernando Valley just outside of Hollywood and run across a farmer who specializes in raising Indian corn and razor-back hogs, you will be amazed to discover that you have also run across a Barrymore. Lionel Barrymore, to be exact, who has not only distinguished him¬ self as a farmer, but as an actor, director, artist, illustrator and composer as well. Sometimes called the “Dean of motion picture actors,” Barry¬ more, throughout his career of nearly 30 years, has ably main¬ tained what is affectionately re¬ garded as the theatre’s “Barry¬ more tradition.” The death recently of his brother, John, who was the irre¬ pressible “baby” of the Barrymore tribe, and the infrequency of his sister Ethel’s screen appearances, leave Lionel alone in Hollywood to discharge this famous family’s ar¬ tistic obligations. David O. Selznick, who had called upon the actor’s talents for his fine productions, “Dinner At Eight” and “David Copperfield,” cast him as a minister in his ap¬ pealing drama, “Since You Went Away,” which also stars Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Monty Woolley and Robert Walker. The film, a worthy successor to this producer’s “Gone With The Wind,” is now playing at the .... Theatre through United Artists release. Barrymore was born in Phila¬ delphia and began his stage career at the age of five, appearing with his parents, Maurice Barrymore and Georgia Drew. When he was 18 and old enough to bolt the family’s theatrical tradition, he es¬ caped to Paris to study art. He stayed only one year and then the call of the blood proved too much for him and he came back to New York to appear with John in the stage production of “Peter Ibbet- son.” He made his first picture, “The Yellow Streak,” in 1915, and later appeared in many silent films op¬ posite Lillian Gish and Mary Pick- ford, who were the darlings of the fans in those days. In 1920 he recreated his great stage role in “The Copperhead” on the screen. After this play Barrymore ap¬ peared on the stage with Irene Fenwick, the former musical com¬ edy star, in “The Claw” and “Laugh, Clown, Laugh.” They co- starred in “Taps on Broadway,” When sound pictures came in, Barrymore temporarily abandoned his acting career to direct such successes as “Confession,” “Ma¬ dame X,” “The Rogue Song” and “Ten Cents a Dance.” He intro¬ duced a new technique to sound films when he first made use of a mobile microphone on the set of “Madame X.” In 1930 he returned to acting again, winning the Acad¬ emy Award for his performance opposite Norma Shearer in “A' Free Soul.” His kindly, sympathetic role of a minister in “Since You Went Away” is quite a departure from his gruff “Dr. Gillespie,” but in true Barrymore fashion Lionel takes it right in his stride. In fact, he likes a bit of a change, and in his 30 years of film acting he has never played a minister be¬ fore. Page Twelve