Screenland (Nov 1931-Mar 1932)

for November 19 3 1 125 ories and ideas about picture making just as interesting as we had expected them to be. When we left his hospitable roof, the sun had begun to sink beyond the sea. "'"pHIS Week's Attraction, Olsen and 1 Johnson. Next week, Three or Four Marx Brothers !" That was one of the signs which greeted Billy and Ella Wickersham, Patsy and me, as we entered the driveway leading up to the home of John P. Medbury and his charming wife. Medbury, you know, not only is a journalist, but he writes gags for picture comedies. "Our host never works with the meter on," remarked Ella Wickersham, who, you know, is the beautiful little invalid girl in the wheel chair, who now broadcasts the parties she attends. "His wit simply overflows at all times, and there is always lots more where that came from." There were other signs for a laugh on the way up the driveway, and so everybody was in the best possible humor when he arrived. "Leave them laughing when you say goodbye is all very well," said Jack Oakie, whose car we met on the way up, "but 'get 'em laughing the minute you see them' is even better." Some of the guests, we found, were in informal garb, even sports clothes, but others wore evening clothes. It is never quite safe to believe your hostess when she says "Informal" in Hollywood, because almost certainly some guests will be wearing evening clothes. "I suppose," remarked Patsy with a bit of cattiness, "that some girls think they will walk away with the belle-of-the-ball honors by putting one over and wearing ball dresses." Our hostess herself was looking very chic and pretty in a white silk sports dress. Just how Mr. and Mrs. Medbury managed to say that genial "hello" of theirs to everybody, I don't know, for there were something like two hundred guests present, but somehow they did, it seemed to me. Eddie Buzzell was there, and Walter Catlett, Groucho and Zeppo Marx, Edward G. Robinson and Gladys Lloyd, Mr. and Mrs. James Gleason, Russell Gleason, Harry Myers and his wife, Rosemary Theby ; Judith Woods, Mary Brian, Roscoe Ates and his wife and daughter ; William Boyd and Virginia Whiting, Racquel and Rene Torres, Leo Carrillo, James Durante, Ruth Roland, Roscoe Arbuckle, Harold MacGrath, Ivan Lebedeff, George Olsen, Chic Johnson, Claire Whitney, Victor McLaglen, and many others. That comic, Joe Lewis, was there, too,, and of him we heard many interesting stories. One of the most interesting was of his days when he worked in a Chicago cafe. Across the way was another restaurant which wanted his services as an entertainer, but Joe was faithful to his first employers and wouldn't leave. Whereupon, a gang hired by the other cafe set on him and beat him up unmercifully. He proved very amusing at the party, as were also Groucho and Zeppo Marx, although the latter two said they couldn't do much without their two brothers. Ruth Roland was among the guests. She had just returned from New York a few days previously. She said she had been sick in bed most of the time since she returned, due to a terrific sunburn she got while swimming. "What do you mean, sunburn?" demanded Jack Oakie, " — you, the big girl of the great western outdoors !" "I guess I just turned tenderfoot during those fourteen months I was away," Ruth smiled. Ruth said that she had particularly wanted to see Coney Island, the subway, and a few other New York landmarks. "Why not Grant's tomb?" we inquired. "Oh, it would be too noisy there," George Olsen put in. George and Ruth sat at our table during supper, and reminisced about vaudeville. The table was cleared, and they were left sitting in the middle of the terrace — I forgot to say that supper was served out-ofdoors, on the terrace, in the moonlight, overlooking all Hollywood — still talking, long after they had finished eating. There was some most amusing entertainment by Leo Carrillo, Walter Catlett, Olsen and Johnson, Vernon Rickard, Robert Emmett Keane, and others. Roscoe Ates did a funny little recitation, getting John Medbury close to him, as he said he felt embarrassed and wanted somebody to talk to. At the end he slapped John's face soundly, and John looked around, exclaiming comically, "And I'm paying for it !" We didn't see Mary Brian until the party was nearly over. She admitted she had been sitting on the veranda all evening with a nice young man, but she wouldn't say whom. However, we immediately suspected Russell Gleason, that newest of Hollywood sheiks. A few of the guests remained indoors, but most of us preferred the big, moonlit terrace, with its lovely, dimmed electric lights. A very amusing feature of the party were questionnaires which our host gave out to everybody. These had questions like the following: "Which of the guests didn't you like ?" "Whom would you have preferred?" "How did you like the food?" There was a little note at the end, suggesting that if we could make any suggestions that would help the Medburys to give more uplighting parties, we were to do so. "If you like the party, tell others," the paper read. "If you don't, tell us. Thank you." The answers were very funny indeed. At the close of the party, when anybody left, he was given a solemnly worded, important-looking certificate, saying that the holder had been a satisfactory guest ! Jimmie Durante arrived very late from another party, but made up for his remissness by singing some of his very best songs in his own entirely distinctive manner. Just as we were leaving, Jimmie Gleason came over and told us, with a very serious air : "I don't like the looks of this questionnaire business. It looks as though Medbury is getting up a sucker list, and will try to sell us something later on. Don't sign it !" Which left us laughing as we said goodbye. IT IS ostentatious — almost bragging — isn't it," smiled Patsy, "to be holding a sixth wedding anniversary celebration here in Hollywood?" Mr. and Mrs. Richard Schayer smiled back that it was, and then we had to go into the guest room and look at the beautiful silver cutlery set which Mr. Schayer had given to his wife as an anniversary present. Mr. Schayer is a film editor, you know, and he and his wife live in a very beautiful home in Hollywood. Mrs. Schayer was looking lovely in a red gown. Later, though, she went and changed to evening pajamas, as she said skirts irked her these days. In both she looked equally pretty. Lupita Tovar was one of the first guests we met. She had come with Paul Kohner, who is very devoted to her these days. "Paul is certainly a one-woman man, isn't he?" whispered Patsy. "You remember how long he was faithful to Marv Philbin." Correct, personal stationery you will be proud to use. An ideal gift with your friend's name. 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