Si r flhisl
'k ‘Scarlett" at Last
★ Daddy of Sound
★ Delayed Honeymoon
-IIv Vir^nia Vale
''T^HE announcement that
A Norma Shearer will play
“Scarlett O’Hara” in “Gone
With the Wind” stirred up a
tempest in a teapot that is
still raging.
Certainly, on the face of things,
it does not seem to be the type of
role that she does best. “She has
no southern accent naturally, so
whatever she says will sound pho
ney,” declare the Miriam Hopkins
supporters; “She’s too sweet and
mild.” wail the people who wanted
Bette Davis to have the part.
But nobody’s complaining because
Clark Gable’ is to play “Rhett But
ler”; that role was made for him
from the beginning.
_ I
Robert Taylor’s New York fans
were numerous but not unruly when
he spent a short vacation in the city
recently. This time he managed to
arrive and leave places without hav
ROBERT TAYLOR
ing his shirt or his shoes torn off.
No strange girls were discovered
hidden in his suite at the hotel,
waiting for autographs. Fans just
gathered in crowds outside his ho
tel and waited for him to appear.
And he endeared himself to them
by refusing to duck in and out by
the freight entrance, and so disap
point them. Furthermore, he did
what few movie stars do; came
out and said quite frankly that, if
the fans didn't gather to see him,
he'd know that he was slipping.
: 1'
When August Baron died a little
while ago the public, in general,
paid little attention to the fact. Few
people had ever heard of him. Yet
he was the first man to take out
patents on talking pictures. He did
it in 1896 and 1900, but the patents
expired before he could get back
ing. He dibd, penniless and blind,
at the age of eighty-three, without
ever having seen a talking picture.
Richard Cromwell has learned to
expect practical jokes in the movie
studios where he's worked, but he
wasn't prepared—until recently—to
encounter them in the radio world
as well. He plays “Kit Marshall’’
in “Those We Love,” and takes it
pretty seriously, so when he re
ceived a phone call one day recent
ly, telling him that the rehearsal
would be held an hour earlier than
usual, he saw to it that he got there
in plenty of time.
And then he sat there for one
solid hour, waiting for the rest of the
cast to show up. Donald Woods,
who’s also in the serial, was re
sponsible.
The Don Ameches were married j
six years ago, and at the time Don j
promised his wife j
a honeymoon in
Europe. They
started on it just
after Don fin
ished his last I
broadcast of the |
current season, j
July 3—flew from |
Hollywood t o j
New York and
set sail on the
Queen Mary. And
they’ve planned
a honeymoon
Don Ameche worth waitinS six
years for.
Radio, like every other industry,
has its slang—here’s a bit of it, as
submitted by Mark Warnow, musi
cal director at Columbia Broadcast
ing studios. Cliff-hanger—an adven
ture serial. Clientitis—sponsor trou
ble. Fairy godfather—easy-going
sponsor. Dawn patrol—early morn
ing broadcasting. Putty blower—
trombone. Wood pile—xylophone.
ODDS AND ENDS—Walter H unger
hus announced that he’s through with
difficult' actresses; he’s let Sylvia
Sidney and Madeleine Carroll go, and
is grooming Louise I’latt for stardom
• ■ • hi “The Lady and the Cowboy"
David Niven will play opposite Merle
Oberon, to uhorn his engagement was
reported a year or so ago—maybe just
for publicity purposes . . . Miss Oberon,
incidentally, has a grand scheme for
dressing simply and well; sweuters and
shirts for daytime, white evening gowns
at night; she buys them by the dozens
■ ■ Oii kie Moore’s baby sister is acting
with Bette Davis in “The Sisters.”
© Western Newspaper Union.
!
a
*
NIAS: ISLE OF VOLD
s
Eighty miles off the west coast of Su
matra lies Nias, an equatorial island
whose population is about 200,000,
whose size compares to that of Dela
ware. Nias is unique for several rea
sons, presented by FOTO-FEATl RE
with pictures taken last winter by
Deane Dickason, noted explorer.
Egyptian and Phoenician blood
courses strangely through the veins of
these people, who were visited by expe
ditions from the If est hundreds of
years ago. But originally they came
from northern Sumatra.
Gold lias never been found on the I
island, but Nias has enough on hand to I
buy the whole island, lock, stock and
barrel. Evidently the gold teas intro- s
duced by Phoenicians.
Mr. Dickason's interest teas draicn to :
the house of the chief of Bawamataluivo j
(beloic) and its racks of pigs' jaivs
(lon er left) which hang with clay flasks #
and large earthenware platters in flat ,
openwork baskets. These, said the chief, 1
are remains of festivals held by chiefs I
of generations past. Pigs are the island's |
sole export. jy
Bawamataluwo, most important village %
of !\ias, sits on a 900-foot hill. Most out- •
standing features of the village are its two
long streets paved with large flat stones.
The summit of the hill was leveled.
To be a warrior, every Niassian youth must
clear a six and one-half foot “leaping stone” by
at least a foot. Befori leaping, of course, he
gets a boost on the “stepping stone” in the fore
ground. Right: Two warriors who fence with
spears and ward with shields.
.— . - v.v.v. . :.&>/Xv:-xS3&s3x; :
Forces of gravity were harnessed to give stability to the house of
Chief of Bawamataluwo, built of huge ironwood logs without clay, nails
k or thongs. Most native villages lack such strength and majesty. In front
* of the house are stone
ttk slabs, seats for departed ’
H ancestors. Left: The vil
lage magician who con- j
verses with spirits of the
departed.
I
Mr. Dickason chats with the
Chief of Orahili who wears a gold
■; en hat, mustache, earring, necklace
and stomach plate.
Above: Goods "in hock" at
the government pawn shop,
which houses enough gold to
ransom a king. Below: Priest
esses of Bawamataluwo in
festive garb.