Hollywood Snaps Up Shiners From Other Fields Of Endeavour

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 16, 5 November 1948, Page 3

Hollywood Snaps Up Shiners From Other Fields Of Endeavour

“The best way to crash the motion picture fields is to make a name for yourself elsewhere,” said Gene Kelly, interviewed on the set “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” “For persons aspiring to become stars in Hollywood, the odds against an unknown’s reaching that goal are terrific. For example take the cast of this picture. Esther Williams was a champion swimmer, and Hollywood heard about her. Frank Sinatra first made the Cinema City smile with his singing of “I’ll Never Smile Again.” Betty Garrett and Jules Munshin owe their presence here to the Broadway musical “Call Me Mister.” Also if it hadn’t been for “Pal Joey” which played on Broadway in 1940, I wouldn’t be here either. One doesn’t necessai-ily have to be a glamourous swimming champion, an outstanding singer or a hit on Broadway, to crash Hollywood, for there are many ways to attract the attention of the motion picture industry. Rubie Kerns and Biss Sharman are also in our picture. Both are star athletes at USC. Kerns gained fame as a national collegiate 440-yard dash champ. Sharman is known for his outstanding performance on the Trojan’s basketball and baseball teams. Also take the case of Bomber Kulkovich, a wrestler, who has a good role in our picture. The Bomber isn’t exactly handsome, and he can’t swim a stroke or sing a note, but he is one of the favourites of the grunt and groan circuits. That made him a standout and Hollywood beckoned. “The point is, however, that the chances are much greater for any person to make a hit in pictures if he can become a hit in some other field. The cast of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” proves my point.”