Screenland Plus TV-Land (Nov 1952 - Oct 1953)

TAKE IT EASY, AVA ; before she knew him — leaving big, bare places. She also returned the heirloom jewels of his family. Lex found himself on the spot when I asked him to tell me the truth — is their omance serious? Naturally, he is proud of Lana but he is adamant about their friendship being misunderstood, or smacking of publicity. Lex comes from a fine family of sound background and prominence. While he is no stuffed shirt, he stands on gentlemanly protocol and frowns on the insincerity with which a lady's name is too often used in Hollywood publicity. But he couldn't help agreeing that Lana is completely fascinating and a woman of great beauty. Lex admits, "She is interested in the things that I am doing. Also, one of her chief charms is that she is such a good listener." Lex has just completed what he says may be his last Tarzan picture — unless he makes another this Summer. He likes the Tarzan roles but feels he is ready for other types of pictures. Recently, he cor'arred in "Riders Of The Desert" for Warner Bros, with Randolph Scott. "You can both believe you have mutual interests," Lex said, "but it really takes a long time to actually know you have them. When you are over twenty-one, you have established a well-set pattern for yourself. Hollywood is filled with so many people who try to be what they are not. Lana dislikes phony people as much as I do. Most of my friends are people you never hear of. Lana's closer friends are not name people either. "Lana's chief charm is her naive belief in the good in everyone. She has never been crafty or conniving. She never tried to get into this business by using other people and, therefore, she is not suspicious of other people's motives. Her simplicity and the honest outlook that she has retained, no matter what has happened to her, and her complete lack of cynicism are wonderful to see. It," Lex admitted, "makes a man feel very protective. "Before you make a story of this, I am going to run," he said. "If you must say something, you can say that I dislike being a bachelor. It is lonely. If Lana and I should be so lucky as to fall in love — if — well, it could be wonderful!" Yes, he does send her red roses. And red roses spell "I Love You" — as everyone knows! END [CONTINUED FROM PACE 29] No one quite suspected his real mission. He was gone almost before anyone realized it, but in the interval between the plane's arrival and departure, he'd accomplished something. Dr. Robin Humphrees, doctor-on-a-vacation, told Ava Gardner the truth about herself. Whoever summoned . him to Africa — studio, husband, or patient herself — the appraisal was a stern one. "Take a year off," said the doctor. "You've been going at it too hard. Rest up now, or you'll be sorry. Finish 'Mogambo' or whatever the thing's called, and forget you're a star. Try, for a change, to remember you're a wife, and you can be other things, too." _ One of Ava's closest friends reports that dialogue of the young, understanding English doctor, and the story goes that the girl concerned gave good clear hearing to the warning. Ava knows, as no one else can know, that you can go so far — and then you have to stop. The doctor's visit was top secret for everyone concerned — studio, Ava herself, and Frankie, who is possibly more concerned than anyone about the state of Ava's health. She has been going a hard, fast pace in her work alone, and no one worries more about what the present is doing to her, and what the future may bring. One thing that can be said about Frankie is that he knows the part nerves play in an entertainer's life. Like most people who have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown, he can recognize the tell-tale symptoms faster than anyone— even the family doctor. Today Frank Sinatra is worried about Mrs. Frank Sinatra. With an uncertain future of his own, he sees the picture ahead for Ava — and it looms ominous and predictable. The portrait of a movie star who is going up, up, up. How he will cope with that is quite a problem. Not that Frankie is going down, down, down. But temporarily, as can happen to many talented performers, he is staying still . . . not in a rut, mind you, but a little dormant, to put it kindly. One of their intimate friends reports, "Frankie, no matter how harmonious things are at home, can't help seeing with a clear eye Ava's new MGM contract. It involves over a million dollars, and calls for 12 pictures at $100,000 each. She can make the first three pictures on this contract in Europe — tax exempt." That last clause is the one that baffles Frankie. In his own long years at the game he has never had the same opportunity. In all fairness to Frankie, his contracts, as lucrative as they have been, have not earned him his due profits. Everyone from Uncle Sam, to a handful of sundry managers, and his own actual high, generous overhead has taken his toll. "Frankie," says an official of the United States Treasury, "is a great guy. He can give hundreds of gold cigarette lighters to his 'friends,' but ends up not being