BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

Chronicle (Levin), 3 August 1946, Page 6

BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

ROBERT ALDA RUSHED INTO SUCCESS By the star ..-billing given him in his first motion picture, Warners' j"Rhapsody • in-»Blue,"- Robert Alda automatieally has .toecomea memm ber of the selqct .group in Holiywood. Alda / stepped into the eharmed. circle ,of celebrities after i Warners brought him to Holiywood • from New York, handed him a con- j tract and cast him as George i ! Gershwin in the musical film story | j of ;the life of ;'!tha;ti late composingl igeriius. : i > ' : v ! Few ar^ the . stars who achieved' ! a top cinematic position without | j first travelling a long road filled 1 j with discouragement, blocked by a , j hundred and ' one obstacles — and ; ione that is definitely uphill all the ' : way. I j Alda, like others who have been ! Idubbed "first shot stars" missed; ; that road. He was shot directly j from New York into a star 's dress- j |ing room and a sfcar's role. i Alda has known the drudgery of jshow business as it is run outside! | of the film industry. He has known J ! the grind of trying to make a living | !;from singing on sustaining radio j shows; he has earned money as a tmaster of ceremonies; he has play-' ed one night stands in vaudeville' he has sung and appeared as a I straight man on the burlesque j stage; he has won favour in night] clubs as a singer. Tall, decidedly good looking with! •dark wavy hair, Alda, at 30, plays a magnificent George Gershwin in "Rhapsody in Blue." He is married with one son 10 years of age. "