WAR IMPINGES ON HOLLYWOOD

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 5

WAR IMPINGES ON HOLLYWOOD

Hollywood is grateful that it belongs to a nation at peace. There are no black-outs in the cinema capital—unless the script calls for one—and there is no rationing, save such as is indicated by the desire for weight reduction. Nevertheless, even the makers of pictures feel the repercussions of the war in unexpected little ways. Take, for instance, Alexander Hall, director of Columbia’s romantic comedy, ‘ The Doctor Takes a Wife,.’ co-star-ring Loretta Young and Ray Midland. Nothing in this sprightly tale of a young writer and a doctor who, cordially disliking each other, agree to carry out a masquerade of marriage because it scorns professionally politic to do so. would seem to be even remotely associated with war. Its implications are rather marital than martial! And yet, on five counts the war in Europe impinged upon Director Hall, his players, and technical workers while the picture was in work. Quo sequence required a group of nearly 100 men to appear decked out in generous beards. Hollywood facial foliage of this typo is usually made from the hair of the yak, imported from Russia and Poland. Since the war this has not been available, and Hall had to have a rush order of crepe hair, the nearest possible substitute for authentic yak hair, brought from the East bv air.

Then there was a matter of a certain song, 1 Dream On,’ which Mr Hall wanted to use. It was found to be an English number, and the director cabled for film rights. But Great Britain has

more serious things to think about just now, and permission for use of the song was so long delayed that another had to be substituted.

Another change in plans had to be made when a shipment of wallpaper failed to show up in Los Angeles Harbour. Hall, his heart set on that particular pattern of imported paper, had ordered it from abroad. But, as it did not appear, the director had the sample photographed, and then papered Ids walls with enlargements of the photograph 1 There was the matter of (getting in touch with Somerset Maughan, famous British novelist and playwright. Because Maugham is both a doctor and a writer of scintillating comedy, Hall wanted him to be the author of a special trailer to be shown in connection with ‘ The Doctor Takes a Wife.’ It was found impossile to get in touch with

him. Maugham served; as British secret agent during the Woi'hl War, and it is believed that the current secrecy surrounding his whereabouts may bo due to his serving in a like capacity during the present hostilities. Last, but not least, there was the matter' of Miss Young’s plaid suit. Playing a young career woman in the picture, Miss Young wanted to dress the role in smartly-cut suits. One suit, she decided, was to be of brown-and-white feather-weight plaid, a woollen weave which weighs only 4oz to the yard. But it developed that the material was a Scottish import, and none like the sample had been sent from Scotland since the beginning of the war. It was arranged that a North Carolina woollen mill duplicate the material—at a cost of about five times the original.