Silver Screen (May-Oct 1937)

Scintillating/ Darling, Tenl= peramentat Stars Become Mere Humans When The Fish Are Biting. ^pHE stars are proving unmistakably that you can hang onto sex-appeal and still go for fishing. The fine points created by the present craze are really something. Hollywood not only is learning patience, and how cunning you have to be to lure what you want to your pole, wives have to decide whether to be fish widows or to join their husbands. A bunch of the boys at Metro have formed themselves a jolly club. But Wally Beery, whose pre-eminence fits him for the presidency, climbs into his private plane and flies to distant mountain lakes because he wants to be a Garbo when he fishes. The town's parties are even affected. Aboard the more elegant stellar yachts you have to pull in so many pounds before the host will give you a cocktail. To catch a star, catch a fish! The bigger your story of how you did it, the better your chance of becoming a confidential buddy of the movie player you like best. This is my tip if you are coming to Hollywood this month: Be prepared to get in on the current hobby, in with the clique that's leading the fun. You won't reach first base until you mention your latest fishing exploit. Then a star wakes up and begins to bubble over with enthusiasm. The studio lots are starting to buzz tall tales of the various stars' exploits. At 20th Century-Fox the Cafe de Paris served the Ameche Special free for two days. Don went forth with Lum and Abner and they caught so much yellowtail he had to be generous in blanket fashion. Catalina Island, twenty miles off shore from Los Angeles, is the headquarters for the sea-going fishermen. There the famous Tuna Club makes big game fishing a truly superb sport. But to become a member you have to be a gentleman angler who's taken a tuna or swordfish of specified size— the size depending upon whether you are using heavy or light tackle. And you have to do it according to the club's rules. When you're a member and begin making notable catches you're awarded buttons. Charlie Chaplin is in this society of sportsmen and has a button for the giant tuna he landed. When his reel started to cry and his rod to shake the battle was on. Charlie didn't have to be told he had a great strike. It was a memorable battle. Deep-sea fishing is a battle, in case you hadn't realized it. It not onh combines fishing with ihc Inn of the sea, but its pits you against wary under-watcr game that have to be tempted most skillfully. The bluefin tuna are running best off Catalina now. Evelyn Knapp holds the record for Hollywood fisherwomen. She caught a hundred-andninety-five pound marlin swordfish from the deck of her yacht Celito. Hollywood) particularly Reginald Owen, has gone nutty over surf fishing. At Malibu, Ann Sothern gayly parks her pole in the sand while she dashes through a few refreshing breakers. Shortly she returns to what's the rage again. Hollywood— particularly Jane Withers— ecstatically stands on ocean piers by the hour, regular radio reports having advised just where the mackerel and Binnie Barnes John King, luxe angl ready with and reels to battle to trout. and de ers, rods give any ___HDut are most apt to be. Hollywood trolls from livebait boats and off-shore barges. Its patronage keeps swanky trout farms on handy tap. Whenever there is time to get away for awhile it's deep-sea fishing or it's discovering a new, glorious iiiounl.uii siir.im. «Si The game fish of the Pa cific are aquiver since Gary Cooper taught George Raft several tricks about them. Bette Davis is daffy over the High Sierras. Bill Powell not only has high income taxes to worry over; now he has the more devilish problem of salmon on a sit-down strike. Glamour queens vie for a different kind of haul; they don't bother about sapphires since the joy of becoming Miss Izaak Waltons has come into their 16