Screenland (Nov 1934-Apr 1935)

SCREENLAND 70 Jean As I Know Her our privileges. Jean would go places and then next day, tell me all about her good times. She was just like an older sister to rne. ... , T Later, when "Chuck" and Jean were divorced, she began working in pictures. She told me it was just for fun, but 1 believed from the very first that some day she would be a star. I used to tell her that when I had finished school I would be her secretary, but she never took her work seriously until after "Hell's Angels" was released and her fan mail began to pour in. Before this her work had been only something to occupy her time. After "Hell's Angels she woke up to what was coming. She used to bring her letters oyer and 1 would help her answer them. They came in by the hundreds and it was a real job. My father became ill about this time and our finances began to dwindle, but mother would not hear of me taking up any kind of work. Finally, Jean won her over to the idea of me working for her. She loaned me the money to take a business course at the Hollywood Secretarial School and evenings, when she wasn t busy, she would come over to the house and give me dictation to help me get up speed She put me on salary right away and let me work Saturdays and afternoons. lhen, when she signed her M-G-M contract she had them give me a contract as her standin " I continued as her secretary too. Now, when we are not "on call at the studio, we are together shopping or playing. Tean is very fond of swimming, so we spend a lot of time in the pool at her home in Beverly Hills. . < To the question most often asked me, whether she is as beautiful off-screen as on, my answer is, that she is more beautiful off screen, because she uses very little make-up. Somehow, the rouge and eyeshadow which she uses for the screen make her appear much older than she really is. She doesn't care a thing about clothes. She is much happier wearing an old sports suit and sneakers than when she has on an expensive gown. She wears black almost entirely for street and white for evening. She has a beautiful ermine coat, which she treats with no more care than she does her suede jackets. The only time she has ever seemed to realize its value was one night when we attended a scavenger party given by Larmelita Geraghty in Jean's honor. Jean had never been on one before and she was quite excited when she found on her slip of requirements that she had to go to the estate of an oil millionaire in Beverly Hills and aet a towel from the master bathroom. Jean didn't know the way so Carmehta offered to go along as guide. It was about ten o'clock when we started out Jean was driving her own car and we had to go up a lonely road. She noticed that a car seemed to be following us. She mentioned carelessly that a highwayman would probably feel it was his lucky night if he stopped us and found such expensive wraps. Jean's ermine coat is lovely and Carmelita was wearing her mink coat. I knew that Jean was uneasy or she would not have made the remark, and the car did keep a short distance behind us all the way. Finally, we arrived at the mansion and Jean rang the doorbell. The butler came to the door and answered in French. Jean tried to make him understand but failed. She motioned and gesticulated until he invited her inside. We had an awful time then, because all of us tried to make him understand what she wanted. A woman Continued from page 34 and a man came in and greeted us in French. It looked hopeless, but somehow Jean managed to get the woman to take her to the bathroom and, when she returned, she had the towel. When we got back to the party, we learned that it had all been a "put-up" job. The man we had talked with at the mansion was a film writer from Paramount, who had engineered the whole thing for Jean s benefit. He came to the party shortly after we returned, and was introduced to us. , ,, The car that had been following us was a police car. Someone at the party remembered what a lonesome road led to the Acme Distinguished company! Harold Lloyd, Jr., plays the proud host to his guest, Shirley Temple. place, and they called the Beverly Hills police and asked for protection for us. bo everything turned out all right. Jean came in on the other end of a scavenger hunt a few nights later. A girl with a southern accent, who said she was visiting in Los Angeles, came to the house one night and asked Jean to loan her a slip Jean let her have an exquisite one she had bought just that afternoon and she told the girl that she wanted to wear it to the studio next day. The girl promised to return it in the morning. I told Jean, after the girl left, that I bet that was the last she would see of her slip, for she had not even asked the o-irl for her name and address; but jean was not worried. "She'll bring it back, all right," she assured me. Sure enough, bright and early next morning a messenger boy delivered it, carefully wrapped in tissue paper, and with a thank-you note. In spite of the horrible things that have been said and written about her, Jean has managed to retain her faith in human nature. She has been hurt many times and in many different ways, but it has always been by persons who do not know her. Her friends all swear by her. When she isn't working, she lives very simply. We often go to the beach and fish from the pier. Jean tucks her hair under a beret and wears slacks and dark glasses. She is rarely recognized. We have loads of fun. She always cooks the fish, too, when we get home. Marino goes along and fixes bait for us. Jean couldn't think any more of him than she does, if he were her real father. Her mother is very beautiful and younglooking and her name is Jean too, so around the house I always call them Big Jean and Little Jean. Sometimes we go to Arrowhead Hot Springs between pictures. Mother and Mrs. Bello go with us, but they play bridge together and leave us to find our own amusements. We play tennis, and hike. I remember once, we went around and tasted the waters from the various springs, just to be doing something. We must have drunk a gallon, before we were through. Jean got a big "kick" out of it. She is like a kid in many ways. She doesn't care for position or fame or any of the things that most actors and actresses try so hard to get and keep. I remember the night she was going to the "Dinner at Eight" premiere. She went to the beauty parlor and had her hair waved and stopped by my house on her way home. I was in a terrible "stew" because some unexpected, out-of-town guests had dropped in to spend the evening and mother was away for the afternoon. I was practically wringing my hands by the time Jean came. , She just laughed at my predicament and put on a bungalow apron and set to work. Inside of forty-five minutes she had everything cooked and ready, and it was correct to the smallest detail. While I worried a lot about the possibility of the heat from the oven ruining her wave, she didn't. She thought it was a real lark. She likes to cook better than to do anything else, unless it is to dance. She often cooks the meal herself when she is having friends in to dinner. , She never diets, but eats everything and anything she wants. Being naturally slim, she doesn't need to worry about putting on weight. . , , She is not a vamp m any sense ot the word. Although her life has been startling and unusual, she has a wholesome outlook and a respect for the conventions. She has a lot of courage and she tries to do what she thinks is the real right thing. If she fails, she never makes excuses. She says that excuses waste time and never really wipe out a mistake. Her favorite roles to date have been those in "Red-Headed Woman" and "Red Dust She expects her role in "China Seas with Clark Gable to be equally good. She enjoys working with Clark as they are good friends and congenial in every way. I have been with Jean so much that without intending to do so, I have copied some of her mannerisms and gesturep. People even say that, when I have on a blonde wig, I resemble Jean. I feel quite flattered when they tell me so. Of course, I don't really. We are about the same size and there is a little resemblance in the lower part of our faces, but it ends there I am rather ordinary and Jean is the most beautiful girl in Hollywood, without excepting anyone. I like Jean tremendously. that goes without saying. And I am proud to be able to call her my friend.