FILM STARS UNITE IN WAR WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 84, 5 October 1940, Page 17

FILM STARS UNITE IN WAR WORK

SIX ENGLISH ACTORS GIVE AMBULANCES

English members of Hollywood's film colony have come to the fore in war work and in this they have been actively helped by sympathetic American actors and actresses. Some of the stars have been taking part in special radio programmes to aid British relief funds arid the Red Cross Society, and some have arranged private entertainment in order to buy ambulances etc. to send overseas.

According to the "Sydney Morning Herald," six English actors, Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall, Nigel Bruce, C. Aubrey Smith, Basil Rathbone, and Alan Mowbray, have been sending a complete ambulance to the British Red Cross each week. Mrs. Ronald Colman (Benita Hume) and Mrs. Charles Boyer (Pat Patterson) are the heads of the Allied division of the British War Relief and their association, in the early days of the war, sent several fully-equipped ambulances to' France. Noel Coward, who was staying in Hollywood recently with Cary Grant, has released -his entire list of plays for use by summer stock companies, all royalties to go to the British Relief Fund. SERVICE IN FRANCE. One of the first stars to go abroad was Robert Montgomery, an actor who has always expressed great sympathy for Britain. Mr. Montgomery drove an ambulance in France for several weeks for the American Red Cross, and in answer to a cable from his wife, who was anxiously waiting, for news of him, he nonchalantly replied, { "Everything under control." It was Mr. Montgomery who, when interviewed on his return to England from France, told of the German atrocities in bombing ambulances, and said that he had suggested that the Red Cross sign be removed from them.

Madeleine Carroll, another film star, who gave service ip. France, also did

a great deal of patriotic work sending of clothes abroad for refugees. The young English star of "The Thief of Bagdad," John Austin, had no sooner arrived in Hollywood to complete his role in this film than he left for Montreal and then to England to join the Eoyal Air Force.

Before the war Leslie Howard had returned to his home in England, and now 40 children who have been evacuated from London are living in his house, which is thirty miles from the city. The famous stage and screen star, Beatrice Lillie, who had cabled Hollywood that she expected to be there a month or so ago, cancelled her trip and is now directing her efforts towards entertaining the soldiers in England. "MERCY BROADCAST." Maureen O'Sullivan, whose husband, John Farrow, is on duty with the Royal Navy, has worked before the newsreel cameras in special Red Cross appeals, and is now in Canada to be as near to her husband as she can. One of the biggest Red Cross efforts in Hollywood was the special "Red Cross Mercy Broadcast," which was relayed from every Los Angeles radio station. Don Ameche and Claire Trevor were among the Americans who took part, and a sum of 25,000 dollars was anticipated from the evening. Another Red Cross broadcast was to raise funds for the special ten-million-dollar appeal being planned, and, judging from all reports, the comedy supplied by Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, and Walter Huston was of the highest order. Others who contributed were Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, and Judy Garland. The American Red Cross radio appeal for the relief of civilians in war zones is headed by Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the committee includes, in addition to the artists mentioned in the previous paragraph, Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and Gertrude Lawrence. WAR REFUGEES. Screen stars acted as models at a luncheon and fashion show organised by the Beverly Hills Auxiliary in aid of the American Red Cross and Friendship House, which assists the care of war refugees. The patrons are Mesdames Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldw]yn, Sam Briskin, Ronald Colman, and Tyrone Power, and Norma Shearer, Barbara Stanwyck, Irene Dunne, Binnie Barnes, Claudette Colbert, Simone i

Simon, Alice Faye, Gracie Allen, and Billie Burke.

One of the most original methods of raising money for the Red Cross was employed by Pathe Studios, who charged an admission in aid of the society to watch the shooting of a fight scene in "Dance, Girl, Dance," between Maureen O'Hara and Lucille Ball.

Irene Rich collected several thousands of dollars for the Red Cross by offering to call personally in a police car squad to anybody who donated more than 500 dollars. Howard Hughes immediately offered 25,000 dollars, and then the Mayor of Miami, Mr. Alex Orr, offered Irene 5000 dollars if she came and got it. Irene paid her own plane fare and left for Miami to collect the money.

In New York Joan Crawford has started a milk fund for European babies.

Gracie Allen is devoting all the proceeds from her book, "How to Become a President," to the Red Cross, and the same organisation will benefit from a special production of, "Journey's End," to be held at Robert Stack's home in Hollywood.

Tay Garnett, the director, helped with the Red Cross drive, giving a 500----dollar prize, for which Marie Wilson and Simone Simon drew the winning ticket at Ciro's, Hollywood's leading night club. It was won by Mrs. M. Langley, whose husband's horse won the Grand National last year.