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18
Screen land
KAY FRANCIS
and
BILL POWELL Talk About Each Other
kaTING
Kay
dressing-room
DECOR Francis is a treasured collection of photographs of the handsome heroes with whom she has played during her film career. Ronald Colman, Ricardo Cortez, Richard Barthelmess, and many others — for Kay's screen life is spent collecting masculine hearts.
In the most prominent spot of all is a large picture hearing the inscription: "From your perennial lover, Bill Powell."
Kay explained, in that deep, husky voice so familiar to us on the screen: "Yes, we've been lovers in six pictures — but our romances never include the 'happy-ever-after' sequence. Bill always leaves me in the final fade-out !"
She checked them off. "In our first film together, 'Behind the Make-Up,' he committed suicide. In 'Street of Chance,' the only one in which we w<= 'e really ever married, he was shot. This was my first leading part and I was terribly upset for fear my work wouldn't be good enough for a Powell picture. But he was so fine through it all, helping and encouraging me, and by the time it was finished I had gained a new confidence.
"In 'For the Defence' poor Bill was sent to jail, and in 'One Way Passage' we both died ! In 'The Jewel Robbery,' he went away and I followed him, according to the scenario." She added with a laugh, "I hope I caught him !
"If I had been in 'The Key,' Bill's last picture under his Warner contract, as it was first planned, it would have been the old story again — he would have left me !
Kay Francis smiles as she talks about Bill — you'll know why when you read what she said.
"Oh yes, and in 'Ladies' Man,' he was killed, thrown off a high balcony — just after we had straightened out our romance, too!
"I remember when we started 'Ladies' Man' we were neither one so enthusiastic over the story, and we've often laughed at B. P. Schulberg's clever strategy in arousing our interest. He patted us on the back and told Bill that no other actor was as capable of endowing the difficult character with the necessary qualities. Then he explained that there were three reasons why he put me into the picture. First, the movie audiences wanted to see us together again. Of course, this was his trump card and it pleased us immensely. Then he said my part was a sappy one and he was sure I would make it less sappy. The third reason was that Bill died in the end and left me and that was what the fans expected from us !"
With William Powell and Kay Francis, the screen's fashionplates and super-sophisticates, playing in six pictures together without a single flareup nor a tiny scrap or even a hasty word, not one, who dares to say film stars are temperamental ?
"Congenial? Oh, very," Kay brushed aside my question. "Making a picture with Bill is always a grand adventure. He's generous to work with, has an unfailing sense of humor, is witty, has a fine code of honor, and is so essentially a gentleman under all conditions.
"I shall never forget when we started 'The Jewel Robbery.' I was worn out having made four pictures in a row, finishing the last one at seven o'clock one night and starting 'The Jewel Robbery' {Continued on page 72)
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