Screenland (Nov 1935-Apr 1936)

78 SCREENLAND aunt dropped dead. The day I started on a recent film here in Hollywood, I received a wire telling me that an old friend of my modeling days in New York had just passed away. He had been ill three days'. These were all tremendous shocks to me, but I have to be true to that old stage code and "carry on." In closing this particular year, will you permit me, dear diary, to record two thoughts that have just flashed thru my mind? "God grant I may always be worthy of all the gifts and blessings He has sent me." "Life is the gift of nature, but beautiful living is the gift of wisdom." January 1 (1932): Surprise, big surprise ! Una Merkel is no more ! Or, rather, Una is now also the proud Mrs. Ronald L. Burla ! Yes, I am at last a married lady, married to the certain one I have been dreaming about these past weeks. Well, my New Year's Day marriage proved an old Hollywood superstition, for I appeared in a bridal veil in "Private Lives" and see what happened. "A bride in a play brings a wedding day" was right ! I am very much in love and certainly as happy as I have any right to be or as I ever expect to be. February 4: Started a new picture, "Huddle." Been answering fan mail tonight. Occasionally, I get such interesting letters that I feel as if I ought to reply personally. A most intriguing fan is periodically sending me pieces of a fine set of china ! They started to arrive right after my marriage. Nope, hubby's not jealous — he knows how fans are 'cause he's one himself. Evidently, this particular fan of mine is quite wealthy — and if the china keeps pouring in some day I will have a magnificent set. May 18: Have been working in "Red Headed Woman" with Jean Harlow — working hard, too, has been little Una. Well, that's what I'm paid to do. August 2: My next role is going to be in "They Call It Sin." I'm quite enthused over the part and hope the film turns out big at the box-office. November 15: Have been hard at work on my role in "Whistling In the Dark." Am absolutely tired tonite — too much so to even record another word ! December' 25: I think today was the merriest Christmas I've ever spent. I don't think I deserve so many lovely things. One gift in particular I was' so thrilled and happy to receive — a gorgeous beaded necklace with a tiny cross attached and it was mailed me from the Sisters at the convent in Kentucky where I attended in my growing-up days. They had heard, they wrote, about my success on the screen and sent gift in "loving appreciation and remembrance of a good little girl who made good in the world." I'll treasure it always and wear it every chance I get. Think of those dear convent Sisters remembering me all these years ! Weren't they sweet ? February 27 (1933) : Ten minutes ago I completed "Clear All Wires" and now for "Midnight Mary." Mustn't forget to record the Marlene Dietrich party I attended. Was given by the Frank Morgans and didn't turn out such a unqualified success, at least as far as the costume business' went. The lady guests were all asked to appear in trousers and shirts and stiff collars. Connie Cummings, myself, and a couple of others were anxious to oblige, s'o we kept faith with the instructions and weren't at all comfy. Then we discovered the majority of girls present sadly lacked their pants, so to say ! Mostly, they wore mannish suits (with skirts) or just plain dresses. Well, Connie, myself and two others did our part anyhow. Then someone at the party had to pipe up and say that every girl in the room would probably quit her trousers the first time anyone made reference to her as "That gal with the shiny seat!" Probably the truth. March 10: Just a note to record our earthquake. I was talking to mother-inlaw via phone when things first began to happen. "Excuse me," I cried, "but something must be the matter with me for I'm shaking like a leaf!" But the matter wasn't with me (even tho my knees' were shaking merrily), 'twas with old mother earth ! Everything was doing the shimmy — it was a real earthquake ! April 9: Hubby and I attended our first beer party — maybe not our last, tho ! Scores of film folk were there. Saw Dottie Jordan, looking — as usual — pretty as a picture. She has an odd little habit of tapping dishes with the silverware. She if cute, I think. April 20: Have been playing in "Salt Water" at Universal — M-G-M loaned me to 'em. The other day an unusual event happened. Ah, woe is' I ! 'Twas my hands that sent poor, strapping, six-foot Warren Hymer to the studio hospital for a number of stitches in his scalp, received under fire ! It was this way : the action required me to suddenly hit Warren with a water pitcher in this film. The pitcher was of the "breakaway" variety, supposed to break like an egg shell when brought in contact with a solid surface. However, somebody must have used too much cement or something in making the pesky ole thing and as a result, profuse bleeding and seven stitches in the hospital was the price poor Mr. Hymer had to pay. Now everyone is taking great delight in teasing me and asking why I don't pick on someone near my own size ! * * * P.S. : Well, fans, we've come to the end of my efforts for the time being and I hope nobody is fervently breathing sighs of relief! Some day — if you all want me to — I might write up more excerpts from my more recent diaries. Shall I ? Colman Talks! Corrlinued from page 18 a tough thing to make her part vital. Yet she has done just that. "She stands out in her simple sweetness, in competition to the melodramatic action. The mob scenes, the furore of the revolutionary fanatic, the tragic finale for the hero — I believe you will leave the theatre equally impressed with the Victorian girl mixed up in all the excitement. You'll react to her because she isn't blatantly bewitching. "I shouldn't be at all surprised if this picture pushes her over into the star group. She has applied herself so diligently she deserves it. "Have you heard how she happens to be here in Hollywood?" Without pausing for an answer, Colman continued. "She is an excellent model for girls' who have film dreams. She didn't bother her head with fantastic schemes. She didn't fill her head with any kind of nonsense. Instead, she simply went to work. "And she had nothing but her own wish to succeed when she started to act in school plays. Oh, her parents applauded her, naturally. But you know how most families' are. They're indulgent of your ambitions and nine times out of ten chalk up all your ardor to just youthful pep. "If you are born into a family that's connected with the stage or screen you have a head start. You grow up absorbing the peculiar ways of this profession. But if you hail from an average community the first steps are tremendous ones. Fritz Leiber, eminent Shakespearean actor who makes his film debut in "A Tale of Two Cities." "Miss Allan's' father and mother are refined folk. Her father's a doctor, and she has two sisters and three brothers. She was the baby. They lived in Skegness, a tiny English town up on the coast of Lincolnshire. "It was almost the school-teaching business for her. In fact, she did teach for the better half of a year. But she says she had a gay heart during that interlude because she'd cinched her chance to get away to study acting in London. The Old Vic, which is the most famous theatre in England, awards a year's training to a limited number of promising novices. The performances she gave in her school shows put her across ! "I admire Miss Allan because she invariably does what's at hand — as splendidly as she can. She didn't just sit and trust to a miracle, nor lazy through any of the groundwork that's essential to sound progress in any line. As' soon as she finished the course at the Old Vic she went looking for a job. Something that augured experience. She didn't press for big money for she realized that would follow when she merited it. "Then for two seasons she trouped up and down England. With a Shakespearian outfit while still in her 'teens, mind you. Many girls think Shakespeare is too medieval for a second thought. They'd rather be in a Broadway musical show, near to night life and rich playboys, than learning their craft by mastering his won