Screenland (Jul-Dec 1948)

When "Samson And Delilah" is re life to its fullest will take several long leased, Hedy's plans for retirement will strides forward. undoubtedly slide further than ever into It couldn't happen to a more fascinat the background, but her intention to live ing human being. How To Keep A Husband Happy Continued from page 25 sible for many of the disillusioning incidents that have plagued her life, she plays down her appearance deliberately. Sometimes her wistfulness is like that of a very rich man who yearns to be loved for himself instead of his money. Hedy dreams of being popular and sought after because she is a lovable human being rather than because she is a worldfamed beauty. Finally, the fact that it is possible for a man to inflate his own ego by squiring a beautiful girl around town is one of Hedy's discoveries and the cause of some of her heartaches. It is a problem that most girls, luckily, are spared. The average girl, when asked for a date, can afford to be pleased. Hedy always has to stop long enough to analyze motives; she must determine whether it is the man's intention to exploit her or not. That Hedy does not intend to let this situation cloud her daughter's life is clear from a recent conversation between them. A visitor, beaming at DeeDee said, "She's going to be a great beauty like you, Hedy." This is true. DeeDee's eyes are huge and blue; her hair is naturally curly, very thick, and chestnut in color. She has deep dimples in her cheeks, and her mouth is lovely. Incidentally, James and Tony are also handsome youngsters. Hedy, cradling her daughter in her arms, studied the small, smiling face. "Yes, !• think she will be pretty," agreed Hedy. "But what is more important is that she is such a sweet girl. People love a girl who is kind and nice." In addition to the social handicap which Hedy feels is imposed by her fabulous face, her fame occasionally causes other discomforts. If there is anything Hedy loves it is to browse around shops, particularly those of antique dealers — and the dime stores. In the Winter it is possible for her to indulge this craving by swathing her head in a bandana, hiding her slim body in an outsize shag coat, and wearing dark glasses. Frequently she can shop unidentified. But when the weather is too warm for such disguise, Hedy is recognized at once, surrounded, and ljer shopping trip is ruined.. Hedy is frank enough to say that she hopes, at some time in the future — perhaps three to five years — to meet a man who will fall in love with the personality instead of the legend of Hedy Lamarr, and with her three children. "A woman needs a man to help bring up a family like mine," is her candid opinion. With such a man she might devote herself to her household and give up her career. However, at this particular moment you have never seen an actress more excited about a completed picture than Hedy is about "Let's Live A Little," or more thrilled with a picture she is to make than Hedy is over Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular "Samson And Delilah." Hedy is to play Delilah, of course, and in Technicolor. Everyone connected with the production is lyrical about the way she photographs on color film. Furthermore, Victor Mature as Samson is the perfect foil for Hedy. man's privilege to read his paper at breakfast and no amount of chatter from a wife will change the situation. The more she fusses at him the more he's going to read it, and certainly he'll end up by slamming the door when he walks out. That's not quite the way to keep a husband happy. "As for a wife's appearance at breakfast, I can only go on what I do myself. I wear a nice-looking robe and try to look presentable. There is no surer way of making a husband start off his day grumpily than for a wife to come tripping into breakfast with her hair done up in a mass of those atrocious curlers. "Everything considered, breakfast is a trying time for a wife when it comes to keeping a husband happy. I don't understand, therefore, why any woman would want to start off the day by forcing the husband to discuss a lot of unpleasant subjects that will only bore and annoy him. Such topics are usually household problems that will never, never interest a man. I have many of these to go over with Richard, but I always wait until he gets home to talk about them. I don't mean that a wife should make it a rule to air her troubles the minute her husband walks into the house at night. That's not quite fair, but she can be tactful in pursuing the subject." Which brings us to another point about the male animal — his alleged indifference to order and system in a house. The slippers all over the house, the pipe tobacco on the rug, etc., etc. "I haven't that trouble," June assured me. "Richard is the most orderly person and has never been sloppy. But I think a wife who has this problem to face should accept it and make it part of her job. Most definitely, I don't think she'll gain anything by nagging at him if he isn't inherently neat. Most men aren't. And I think it's a man's privilege to strew his things about. "I suppose this discussion about orderliness also implies the arrangement of furniture in a house. I know men are supposed to want things kept in one definite place, especially the favorite chair, or the couch. Once a couch is set in front of a fireplace, for instance, he expects it to remain there for time immemorial. I do feel very sorry for any wife who has such a husband. Either she'll lose her mind trying to keep him happy by leaving things as he likes them when she's dying to move them about a bit or else she'll bring about his wrath by moving them. Fortunately, Richard likes to move furniture about as much as I do. We both love confusion, I guess. It may sound fantastic, but often I have awakened in the middle of night with a sudden new idea for arranging our furniture. I wake Richard up and say, 'Wouldn't the sofa look better in front of the window?' Instead of yelling at me to go to sleep, he thinks it over for a moment and then says, 'Well, let's go downstairs and see.' So we spend a couple of hours moving things about." June next brought up the business of clothes and shopping. Men, traditionally, hate to shop and to pay wife's bills for clothes. And equally in the traditional manner, he usually doesn't care for her choice of dresses or hats. "I don't think any wife can buy expensive clothes or hats and get by with it," June remarked, "especially funny hats. Once a husband sees a bill he has to pay for his wife's over-the-budget shopping you can depend on his exclaiming, 'Why, I've had these shoes for ten years and you spend all that money on a silly dress and that crazy hat.' Well, at one time I didn't care a thing about clothes, but when I was blasted for being the worst dressed woman in Hollywood, I went out and lost my head. Richard was all for my spree at first, but it. wasn't long before he said, T like you when you're dressed in slacks.' . "Too many women think they can select their husbands' suits or hats for them — and still keep them happy. What naive girls they are! The only way a wife can choose a suit, for instance, that the husband definitely doesn't want, and still not make him feel like tearing the store apart, is to flatter him into thinking he looks better in something else. The only trouble with that is she can't use the trick too often or he'll catch on. "As for shopping, I don't know why wives ever ask husbands to go shopping with them. It only breeds trouble. Richard went shopping with me only once, and it was awful. It's far better to go alone, believe me. "Men are just as given to unnecessary expenses as women are, but try to make them admit it. They have a wonderful way of always finding a reason for any extravagances they commit. And they can make the most foolish excuses sound perfectly logical. There's just no way to hold a man back in this matter. No wife can change a man's habits and keep him happy. She simply has to accept them, for the more she tries to change him the more stubborn he will become and will do anything to prove he's the boss. After all, a man very seldom admits he's wrong as a rule." Another trying situation is the matter of going out socially. Hubby may hate to go to Susie Jones' house, the wife may adore Susie, so who wins out? And who should accept the invitations in the first place? "My trouble is accepting two or three invitations for the same night," June laughed. "Richard simply makes me sit 58 SCREENLAND