BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

Chronicle (Levin), 8 February 1947, Page 6

BIOGRAPHY OF STARS

ellen drew's struggle Ellen Drew's life is the traditional Hollywood story: a beauty contest winner from the Middle West; failure to get past studio gates; then work behind a soda fountain, discovery by an influential personage, and finally success. She is soon to be seen in the leading feminine role for Columbia's "Sing While You Dance," and her performance in this film has won her the coveted role of the ' other woman" in the new Dick Powell - Evelyn Keye's starrer, "Johnny O'Clock." For two long years after her first appearance in front of the cameras, she remained Hollywood's "Who-is-that?" girl. Theatre managers all over the country were asked about that "beautiful new blonde." She did unimportant bits in eleven pictures. That is, the parts were supposed to be unimportant, but they weren't. Too many people asked, "Who is that girl?" The question was first answered in "Sing You Sinners," when Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray appeared with the new girl and worked like beavers to keep the young lady from stealing the picture. Ellen's real name before ■ her marriage to Sy Bartlett, writerproducer, was Terry Ray. Her first job was at a. department store. Her break came at the end of a year when the store manager- entered Ellen in a beauty contest. She won it At the time everybody was telling her "You ought to be in pictures." She next got a position as a waitress. One day she served a gentleman and had turned to locate a spoon when she heard a voice say "You ought to be in pictures." These were fighting words to her. The man handed her a card. It read, "William Demarest, Artists' Representative." She rolled the words on her tongue and listened to him. Two days later she had a studio test, and two weeks later was under contract at a small salary. "Even when I was mentioned for the Crosby picture," she said, "it was in competition with 14 other girls who were tested. I even had to get this the hard . way." Next came Frank Lloyd's "If I Were King" which definitely established her as a new screen personality. And since then she has continued to gain importance in the movie scheme of things. During the war Miss Drew went to England in response to a British Ministry of Information request that she appear in a film to promote the war effort. When her husband received his honourable discharge from the army and returned to a writer-producer certh at 20th Century Fox. Ellen resumed her Hollywood career. She is 5 feet 3in. tall, weighs 110 pounds and has dark blonde hair. She has a dimple that does wondertul things -in conjunction with a flashing smile. Her eyes are gray. She is vital, energetic, humorous' and friendly. Her figure commanas the plaudits of photographers, cost.umers and audiences. Her important pictures include, "Sing Yob Sinners," "If I Were King," "Ladiesv fromi-Kentuck^," "French Withouf Tears," "Christmas in Julv," "Our Wife," "The Imposter," "China Skies," "Man Alive," "Sing Whiie You Dance," and "Johnny O'clock."