Screenland (May-Oct 1931)

86 SCREENLAND Mr. and Mrs. Charles Farrell — Virginia Valli — just before they sailed on that European honeymoon. The Farrells were married in Yonkers, N. Y., February 14. They'll be away three months. Acme — P. & A. Charlie Chaplin's guests at the Hollywood opening of "City Lights" were Professor and Mrs. Albert Einstein. Here they are. Charlie went to New York for the opening there — and then to London, where he has been mobbed by his fans and entertained by Premier MacDonald, George Bernard Shaw, and Lady Astor. Screen News THE Editor's phone rang. "Hey !" said an exuberant voice. "This is Charlie — Charles Farrell." He didn't have to tell us. Charlie always says "Hey !" like that. He has the most boyish and excited voice in the world, and this time he was even more so. "Just got in from Hollywood — want to see you — have lunch tomorrow ? — got a big secret !" We're no Philo Vance but we guessed it even before he told us, making us the only living soul, after Charlie's manager, to know that Virginia Valli was on her way east, that she and Charlie would be married— very secretly, mind you — before sailing for Italy on a three months' honeymoon. No — it was no secret to Screenland. We knew all about it. When Virginia was East with Colleen Moore to be moral support during rehearsals and production of Colleen's ill-fated play, we saw her — in fact, we saw her off to the Coast again the day after she had talked for an hour long-distance to one Charles Farrell back in Hollywood — an hour in which Charlie and Virginia agreed once and for all that they couldn't be happy apart ; that they would be married as soon as Virginia came back, and that they would build a new house ! "You see," said Virginia, "I've always liked Charlie — liked him a lot. But now I'm sure I care more for him than anything. As for that new house — Charlie's present abode out in Toluca Lake was built for a bachelor ; Virginia's handsome home in Beverly Hills was built for her — and neither one wants to live in the other's house ! So they'll build a brand new one — unless they change their minds ! Anyway, when we saw Virginia off that day she said she would be Mrs. Farrell not very long after arriving. But the sad death of Charlie's beloved mother altered their plans. Until later on, when Fox gave Charlie a three months' vacation — well-earned, by the way; for the boy has worked hard and consistently these past few years — and he persuaded Virginia to sail with him. And so they were married, on February 14; and we hope they'll be awfully, awfully happy! If we can believe Walter Winchell— and sometimes we do — Nancy Carroll's little daughter, Pat, may soon have a little brother or sister to play with — and not adopted, either. : — o — •: The Loretta Young-Grant Withers marriage is on the rocks. Loretta. we hear, will sue. Grant has been making a personal appearance tour, while Loretta, of course, has continued making her pictures in Hollywood ; and absence, in this case, was not all the poets claim. In fact, Hollywood is maintaining its reputation for divorces. Evelyn Laye, who made her screen debut in "One Heavenly Night," after a glittering stage success in New York with "Bitter Sweet," divorced her husband. Robert Hale Monro, back in London. Then th ere was the news that Kathlvn Williams, formerly beloved as a star in silent pictures, had divorced Charles Eyton, to whom she had been married since 1916. She slipped off to Reno and no one knew anything about it until it was all over. She accused Charlie of incompati bility. Now she's Kathleen Williams again. Jean Harlow, heroine of "Hell's Angels," and now one of those sought-after belles of Hollywood, was quietly divorced from Charles F. McGrew, II, wealthy Oiicagoan, in a Los Angeles court. Jean accused McGrew of very ungentlemanly manners — like pushing her against mantelpieces and saying naughty words to her — and the court forbade him to alter a Trust Fund of $200,000 which he had created for her when they were first married. She also acquires $375 a month and an automobile. Likewise John Gilbert and Ina Claire seem to have finally come to the parting of the ways. All is over between them. Jack did not meet Ina at the train upon her return from Chicago, and she went direct to the BeverlyWilshire Hotel instead of to the Gilbert home. This will probably be a refined case of incompatibility. The other William H. Boyd (as distinct from Bill Boyd who recently married Dorothy Sebastian) is securing a divorce from Clara Joel Boyd, on the grounds of desertion. But one has to say more than that in a Los Angeles court, so he adds that she was abusive to him. very temperamental, and anyway, she won't live with him any more. All these in addition to the crop which ushered in 1931 — Gloria Swanson (from the Marquis), Robert Ames, Lina Basquette. Tom Mix. and Pauline Frederick. The divorces of Billie Dove and Howard Hughes, respectively, will soon become final, after which Hollywood awaits the announcement of their marriage to each other. If it goes on like this we should average five divorces a month, or rather more than (Continued on page 92)