BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 March 1946, Page 8

BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

FRED MACMURRAY TRIED EVERYTIIING The last thing that Fred MacMurray's father expected was that Fred, Jnr., would become an actor. As a small boy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Fred Jnr., was taken to a circus for his mom and dad. In the course of the single-ring frolic, one circus clown lopped off another clown's head with a sword. Young fred almost howled his own head off— and it did no good whatsoever for his parents to explain that the clown wasn't really dead and that the head which rolled in the sawdust was only pap.ermache. It was years before he .could be prevailed upon to occupy a theatre seat again. Fred's horror of the theatre, of course, is now totally a thing of the past. He has long been one of Hollywood's top stars. Recently, MacMurray turned coproducer with director Leslie Fenton and formed Mutual Productions. There first film stars Fred, and is based on a story by Patterson McNutt called "Pardon My Past." Fenton is directing the light-hearted yarn, which provided Fred with his first dual role as well as his first responsibility since entering motion pictures. Fred v/as born in Kankakee, 111. on August 30, 1908. His father, a concert violinist, and his mother were on tour, and that's how 'Illinois happened to get another

prominent citizen. A shor"c time thereafter, the MacMurrays moved to Beaver Dam, Wis., and Fred regards the place as his home town. "The citizens of Beaver Dam took an awful punishment from me," said Fred. "When I was five, I learned to play the violin, and gave a concert with my dad. I stood on a chair so the customers could see m p "

In order to somewhat pay off this debt, Fred is mentioning Beaver Dam, Wis., in his first independent production, "Pardon My Past." In high school Fred won ten letters in athletics. He also won a medal for the best scholastic and athletic record of anyone graduating that year, and was the youngest member of ~ the graduating class — sixteen years of age. Between school terms, he worked in a canning factory, packing canned peas, and did other odd jobs until he had gathered enough money to buy a baritone horn, then a saxaphone. He was so skilled in music that he was soon playing in the high school band and a five-piece jazz orchestra. That saxaphone stood him in good stead for many years to come. He entered Carroll College at Waukesha, Wis. Then he quit to play in a jazz orchestra. He shortly moved on to Chigaco, where he sought work at the famous College Inn. The manager of the latter didn't hire hom, but sent him on to lOfchestra leaders who did. He played around Chicago for about a year, in between jobs selling, clerking, and anything that would tide him over a lapse in orchestral engagements. He also studied art by night, at the Chicago Art Institute. In 1928, he drove his mother to Los Angeles to visit relatives, and began experimenting with his chances there. He did odd jobs and also applied to Central Casting for a j'ob as extra — and was put on the preferred extra list, to his own amazement. On his first call — a picture titled "Girl Gone Wild" starring Sue Carol and Dixie Lee — he had to wear a sweater under his dress shirt to keep from freezing to death, because the company worked in the open until 2 a.m. For another, he had to" hire a suit of tails which cost him three dollars— when his entire pay was only ten. Between movie engagements, he played orchestra jobs — singing in a fine clear baritone voice as well as playing. George Olsen thought so highly of his voice that he had him sing "After a Million Dreams" and "I'm in the Market for You" with the Olsen orchestra. Fred also made recordings with Gus Arnheim's organisation. - ~ *• ~ During this period his mother fell and broke her hip, which neces.sitated long hospitalisations, but Fred fortunately got a job with the Warner Hollywood Theatre orchestra and was able to carry on. It was here that the California Collegians picked him up, featuring him as a vocalist, saxaphonist and 1 clown. "Pardon my Past," Fred's latest film, will shortly be seen in New Zealand. ^ »