BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

Chronicle (Levin), 12 October 1946, Page 7

BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

BLONDE LYNN MERRICK, TEXAS BEATJTY The most beautiful women in America, many experts insist, come from Texas. Columbia's blonde beauty, Lynn Merrick, lends considerable weight to the theory. The lovely Texas girl will soon be seen as one of the muses, sisters to Rita Hayworth, in the studio's technicolour musical fantasy "Down to Earth." Born in Fort Worth, of ScotchIrish descent, Lynn made her professional debut at the age of eight when her grandmother took her to the Palace Theatre in Dallas to appear on an amateur programme. With no previous training, Lynn danced and sang and won one of the prizes. More important, her first public appearance resulted in a decision. She was going on the stage. Lynn completed her formal education at the Westlake School for Girls. Her theatrical ambition reasserted itself and the youngster enrolled at a little theatre, where she was subsequently discovered by, and placed under contract to Warner Brothers. Her first picture was in "Flight Fight" -with Dennis Morgan and Virginia Bruce. Released by Warners Lynn was signed by Republic where her dramatic potentialities were tried and proven in 24 Westerns. Now possessed of rich motion picture experience, Lynn moved on to bigger and better roles at Columbia, where she is currently under contract. She admits to being a movie fan. Her screen favourites are Jean Arthur and Bette Davis. Her favourite • play-wrights are Noel Coward and Maxwell Anderson. Lynn is five feet five, weighs 118 pounds, has blue eyes and blonde hair. She spends her spare time studying Spanish and collecting Bing Crosby records. She keeps in top physical condition by swimming, riding, tennis and bowling — ali of which she does well. On November 19, 1945, she was married to Conrad Nagel, former film star, now more prominent on t,he radio, _ ,i