LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1947, Page 6

LATEST DOINGS FROM THE STUDIOS

Les. M.

Murphy)

v ISPECIAL — Fro.tu

Barbara Hale, R.K.O. star, has presented husband Bill Williams with a daughter, the first of the marriage. Cecil Kellaway, wmding up his seven-year contract with Metro, says that he will free-lance from now on. . . Barbara Stanwyck, who has signed a two-picture deal with M.-G.-M., will make one of these films with Clark Gable. Mickey Rooney and his wife, Betty Jane, are reconciled. "Everythi'ng is patched up" said Betty's attorney, and I will ask for a dismissal of Mrs. Rooney's separate maintenance suit against her husband."

Fay Holden, the mother of the Andy Hardy films, leaves this mo'nth for her own home in Helensburgh, Scotland, to see her own mother, aged 76. Fay has not seen her family for 20 years, but hopes that she can persuade her mother to go back to Hollywood with her. John Garfield earned £6250 a day for his eight days' work in Fox's "Gentlemen's Agreement." This is the largest daily salary ever paid to a Hollywood star. Red Skelton received high prise from Hollywood critics rn a remake of that old story "Merton of the Movies." Red proves hitherto hidden talents as a straight comic— rather than the usual burlesque artist. Accompanyi'ng Red in the film are Virginia O'Brien, Leon Ames, Alan Mawbray and Gloria Grahame. Maria Montez has obtained her freedom from Univorsal and has now signed a three-picture deal with a European studio. Mrs. Dana Andrews (repertory .actress Mary To^dd) is expecting "her fourth child m December. The Andrews are hoping for a girl. Dana, whose first wife died in 1935, has a son, David by that marriage. Dana and Mary have two children, Kathy, and two-year-old Stephen. Dana said another girl will make the family even. At her own request, Greer Garson will star for Metro in a sequel to "Mrs. Miniver." Greer feels that the original film dealt so well with war problems , that this 'new film should do the same for the problems of peace. "Mrs. Miniver" dealt with an English family during World War II. Charles Starrett, who is currently co-starring with Smiley

Burnette in Columbia's "Six Gun Law," wears a very special holster in all his "Durango Kid" westerns. • The revolver holster was given S'tarrett by the late Tom Mix when Charlie first hit the sagebrush trail for the camera. Hollywood will definitely make a film of the dramatic career of the | Duke of Windsor, who has already had preliminary talks with studio officials and intends to sell his life story for' a "very fancy figure.' Highlights of the film will be Windsor 's romance with _• Mrs. . Wally j Simpson and his abdication from the English Throne in June, 1937. j Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and the sundry famed British criminologists of fiction would feel right at home were they to wander on stage 17 at Columbia Studio, which contains a replica of Scotland Yard offices, constructed for j "The Lo-ne Wolf in London." Set } for the thriller was designed from 1 photographs of the famous institution. First film footage since the war to be shot along England's Cornish coast for an American picture, was delivered via air to producer Irving Cummings. Cummi'ngs will screen the five reels of material, and from it will select the. background film for "The Sign of the Ram," starring Susa'n Peters.

A new star was born (maybe) at Columbia ranch when producer - I director Don Hartman applied ! greasepaint and costume to appear i in a scene in "It Had to be You," which co-stars Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde. Hartman assumed the part of "fourth fifemaii" !iii: a' sequence with Cornel, and his lone line — which probably will not go |down in history — was: "It's okay with me, chief ." j A new twist to the relationship I between a star and his admirers is j provided by Columbia's Australian |star, Ron Randell, who every day receives a large number of fan letters from Down Under — containing cash. Busy Ron spends his lunch •hours and spare time purchasing hard-to-get items with the money, for shipment to his friends in Australia and New Zealand. Marguerite Chapman, one of Columbia's most popular glamour girls, thinks .it is wonderful to be playing opposite her acting idol Robert Young in "Relentless," but she's. not so thrilled about her wardrobe in the big technicolour Western, for she wears the same clothes — boots, levis, man's shirt, and cowboy hat — from start to finish. But on Marguerite, who fills them out in the right places, they are strictly feminine and" ■ fetching.