LILY PONS'S SECOND FILM

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

LILY PONS'S SECOND FILM

Lily Pons, the Freneh prima donna of the Metropolitan Opera, New York, is making her seeond film. Her first for Hollywood, you will remember, was "I Dream Too Much." The seeond is as yet not titled. Miss Pons is supported by four well-known players. A Hollywood correspondent describes a scene during the making of the film: Leader of the quartette is Gene Eaymond, who may be engaged, in private Jife, to niarry a rival of Lily's (Jeanette MaeDonaid), but is having a good time in this picture. Tbe drummer, "Whammo," is played by Jack Oakie, borrowed for the occasion from Paramount next door; he wears no make-up and looks twenty pounds more rotund since his marriage. The piar>ist, "Butch," ia Mischa Auer, late the gorilla man of "My Man Godfrey. " The clarinettist, "Laughing Boy," is Frank Jenks, . I4«'inel Stander's only rival. Crwe is to eutOr tiret, push on IV light fiw-'tch, produro a pack of cards, and pn.duce a draw for the bunks. Tne assis'tant director shonts "Quiet!" The sound man gives a sbarp ciank on his bell to add an exelamation point to the shout, and Qakie opens the door, He presses the switch — and nothing happens. The eleetrician on the pa* railels above has muifed his cue. (The switch is a fake—not ac.tually connected with- the lights). On the next start, the boys get as far as the ca^d draw* ing when Gene drops some music he is earrying, Oakie demands, in mock artistic -pain, "Is it too late to replaca Raymond?" That gets a laugh from everybody, including Gene. He'a only the co-star of the picture They start again, This time, the caxds behave as if glued together when Gene tries to draw one, Oakie ad-libs, aggrievedly, "Wait a minutel Bon't tako the whole deck!" Tho director 's laugh spoils Ihe shot .... Oakie says, "I still wiant to know — is it too late to replace Baymond?" Once more, they step outside the door, This time, Jenks aceidentally shows the high card he draws, wiien his card is supposed to be low. Again, they have to start over. It looks as if this scene will be finished somatime next week. Oakie,' at this point, comments, "Just one retake after anocber, boys We don't fool around on this set. The old stage tnaining, you know," It heips to have him around when a scene goes haywire. Eetakes are what niake actors temperamental, The next try is. successful. They complete the card drawing, and start to undress. Jenks, in disgust at hw luck, heaves his suitcase on to tho upper bunk he has drawn. The director giyes a faiat falsetlo squeal of ' ' Oucht ' ' Thpse on the side lines smjle at his version of a Pons squeal. The four boys freeze in their places, Oakie whispera, huskily, "What waa that?" Auer, his eyes popping, ventures, "A voiee — a female voice." Oakie points accusingly at Jenks, "Maybe oue of his dames came back to haunt us — " All four tiptoe toward the bunk. Gene xeaches up to pull back the covens. The director cafls "Cut!" It's a take. After a couple of closeups of the boys, Lily will elimb into the. bunk, replace the dummy there, and be discovered. Standing on the side Hnes, the little star laughs noiselessly at Auer's expression as he says his line. In appreciation, she uneonsoiously doea an lmitation of him. After the scene, we ask h8r about a square gold qlip, made like a locket, which she is wearing, On its faee js a large engraved "13." "My lucky numbaire," she explains, with Gallic animation. "I have it on my car, ' on every thing aroun' me. Thees is a souvenir of my first picture. "See" — she opens the cas.ing — "here is a bar of the music. Here is a miniature of me singing, and here is one of me with the trained seal — remembaire? Mr. Kostelanetz surprisod me with it at the opening. I wear it in thees to bring me luck — maybe,"