Silver Screen (Nov 1936-Apr 1937)

giving him a beautiful sense of values and a poise that is found only in those who strive to be finer inside as well as outside. It isn't easy either to go to a swank movie party like the one to which Mike and I went when we were both more or less financially embarrassed, and then be insulted by a star whom you knew when she wasn't a star. That night before we entered the beautiful apartment on Wilshire Boulevard, Mike turned to me and said, "Do you think I look all right in this green suit? I'll bet they'll all be in tuxes." I said, "Mike you always look grand." He answered, "Thanks darling, I'll have to, now, because even though the suit's too large it's the only decent thing I've got to put on, and they'll have to like it, too." "It's not the suit you're selling, it's you." We went in and most of the men were in tuxes. I saw Mike smile, then wink at me. I knew what he meant because he had said it many times, "We may not have many clothes, Gertie, but we still have our sense of humor, which is the most important." During the course of the evening a certain featured actress whom Mike had known in New York before she had known success was dancing with a well known picture boy, and Mike spoke to her pleasantly. Suddenly he turned to a friend of his and said, "I think I'll 'cut in' and dance with So-and-So. I haven't seen her for years. I'd like to talk with her." I was dancing near actress So-and-So and I heard her say, "Hurry, dance me away quickly. Here comes that Michael Whalen!" Mike didn't hear that, thank heaven, and he cut in anyway. Today the same Miss Soand-So has called Michael repeatedly, requesting his presence at her home but he declines graciously. There are too many of his old and tried friends who aren't in the so-called limelight and who are sincere when they invite him to their homes. Michael always has given more on the stage than he has ever gotten. His "indifference" is an erroneous statement! I've seen him go out of his way to give the scene to whomever it belonged. I had a comedy scene with him in the Shubert-Timony show, "Common Flesh," which I had to play with my back to the audience because of the seating arrangement of the furniture and the bad direction. Michael played "straight out." The scene proved so hilariously funny that Michael came to me one night and said, "Gertie, it's your scene and I want you to have it all. With my mug to the audience it rather takes away from your lines because they don't want to watch me then, they want to watch you. And they can't even hear you well enough with your back to them." Well, we worked alone until one a.m. that night trying to fix the scene ourselves. After we worked it out we two went out together, as we had been doing on and off for two or three years, and we had our inevitable midnight snack. While we were gourmandizing, I said to Mike, "You're so darned swell to other actors. I kno^v at sometime in your life you must have been 'upstaged' frightfully." He smiled at me but refused to answer. I went on, "Now, tonight, that— leading lady! Didn't she change her business entirely and throw you completely o(t in the last act?" Mike grinned again, this time devilishly. "Yes, and the funny thing is, iiistca l of stealing the scene, she ruined her own ines and business. You know, when you're light and strive to be generous and someone 'cuts' you in one way or another they're only hurting themselves." Michael, in the six or seven shows I did with him, which spanned four years, always worked the hardest, thought the most, and as I've said, talked the least. Every night before Michael made an en trance he meditated for long minutes, outside the "scene door," or in his dressing room, getting in character. The other members of the cast made "cracks" about his silent communion, voicing their comments in burlesqued whispers. But he ignored them and worked all the harder to create his play character to the best of his ability. There is a scene I want to recall that happened about three years ago. Mike was rather mentally low again from not receiving any paying theatre ^vork (in little theatres and co-op shows you're usually unpaid), and was contemplating leaving town ivith a touring stock company when he got a call from a certain director of a stock school on a major studio lot. The studio was going to do a play at a legitimate theatre in Hollywood and was using all of its stock "bit" players with the exception of this one particular part, a New York playboy type— the second male lead. The director was calling several good looking, ambitious leading men, who were deserving of breaks, to read for the above mentioned part. Everyone of importance at the major studio would, no doubt, cover the show and someone would be bound to get a long term contract or a job out of the play. So, among the likely candidates for the second lead was Michael. Then, of course, he was unknown. The leading man of the show, who was already under a small stock contract to the studio giving the play, had already been given his part. He was a friend of Michael's; a pink cheeked, wavy haired, handsome leading man who is noiv cutting quite a figure for himself in pictures. In fact he is L_ie iie plus ultra of leading men. Then he, too, was an unknoivn. Mike was called on the stage to read. He asked the director if he could have a few minutes in ivhich to look over the part. As soon as he got the idea of the type of character he \vas reading he ^valked into the scene with the character woman, who is also well kno:vn now, and began his light comedy interpretation. In the micldle of the scene the director got a signal from the producer to stop the reading. The director walked over to Michael and said, "That's enough, Mr. Whalen. I'm sorry but the producer doesn't seem to think you're the person for the part. Thank you very much." And he took the script from the astonished Michael's hands, and continued with his other business. Michael ivould have gladly had the floor open up and swallow him. He started to say, "Well, but \vhat did I do that made the interpretation seem so wrong?" But he couldn't. He couldn't even see! He was that humiliated. In front of a theatre fidl of "would be " actors and actresses (and some quite important ones too) he had been unfairly tested and fired by a producer who didn't even have the decency to tell him, himself. He stood riveted in the center of the stage, not knowing which way to go. Suddenly his eyes liglitcd on the back stage where all of the rest of the cast were gathered awaiting their cues. Feeling that maybe they'd understand, he turnecl and walked back stage and seated himself on a "prop." ^Vhcn he finally decided to get up and go home a girl friend of his (and a picture comedic'inic, now) called him solily. He stopped! Sitiing with her was Mr. Soand-So, who is now one of the favored "white haired" children of pictures, and who was then the slock actor who was doing the lead in the play. Mr. So-and-So smiled at Michael. Michael, with all of I he insoui iaiu e he could muslcr, retinncd the smile. Said girl friend turned to Mr. So-and-So and, in front of Mike, said, "Allen (we will call him that, any COLUMBIA PICTURES STAR FOLLOUJfAe STARS mAKE UP ONE step towards that glamourous Hollyvyood complexion . . . the kind that women envy and men adore . . . is the proper application of face powder. Don't use a soiled, crushed powder puff — it rubs in dirt and harms the skin. Change your puff frequently— for a clean skin needs a clean puff. To be certain of the finest, use the famous Screen Star Puffs . . . the brand that famous Screen Stars endorse. They're consistently fine and soft as down, with exfra-long, silken plush, closely woven fibres to hold your p'owder on top . . . where it belongs. And Screen Star Puffs brush on your powder fike the delicate whisk of a zephyr-like breeze. Try these perfect puffs today. Five cents at all leading chain stores. YOUB ' FAVODITE; SCQEEN \ STAR : SCRE[N STARS ^\W\ZW yOUP, BEAUTy TO A STAR* Silver Scrhi-n Don't (orget -with each Screen Star Puff is a Hollywood Beauty Secret. Save these Folders, They're good for free premium.