WHY BOLES GAVE UP SINGING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 7, 23 January 1937, Page 15

WHY BOLES GAVE UP SINGING

That fine baritone, John Boles, ^recently startled Hollywood by sigmng a contract with Universal in which he specified that he should be given straight dramatic roles. And no singing. "Why, have you struck?" he was asked recently. "It is only that I am deeply interested in acting in pictures, ' ' he smiled. "I want to last. Singers don't last. So why eing? I plan to establish myself as a dramatic actor instead." This new arrangement is quite simple, from his viewpoint. His contract with TJniversal is for two pictures. The Hrst will be "Riviera." Then there will be other contracts — he hopes. "I've been singi'ng my way through pictures since talkies first begam, starting with ' The Desert Song, ' 1 ' reflected the aetor, "and my opinion is that you can sing yourself right out of films." He smiled again, in that modest, unassuming manner of his. "Hollywood makes almost an irondad distinction between men who aro actors and men who ara singers," he went on. "Actors can go on indeflnite|y, playing a variety of roles in pictures. But singing stars are seemingly placed in a groove where they are eonsidered only for singing paris, "I'm tired of bejng typed for roles where X have no chance to show any actmg ability to speak of. I long to get my teCth into a good part. t I'd rather be a dramatic actor than a pingor— in films, s,OC course, I shall keep up my singing outside of pictures. I am planning eoncerl work. Then, of course, there is the radio. Xndeed, there is the radiol Mr. Boles's round baritone notes netted him the neat little sum of £50Q in a recent national broadcast. He is booked for another shortly. The day aftor our conversntion he was to leave for an extensive singing personal appearance tour througb Canada and 'the United IStates. Mr. Boles has not always sung in pictures. Before talkies came in, this Southern aetor, who has run the gamut of experience from serving as an American spy in France and Belgium during the world war to singing with Geraldine Farar in light opera, made a number of silent pictures. He was leading man l'or Gloria Swanson tn '"3Qie Loves of Sunya, ' ' a silent film personally produced by Miss Swanson in New York. He played the lead in about six other silents. x