STREET-CAR PRIVACY IN HOLLYWOOD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 83, 24 April 1937, Page 11

STREET-CAR PRIVACY IN HOLLYWOOD

It has been convincingly brought out by the scores of Hollywood stars questioned in a recent survey that street car riding, in which they dress as office workers, offers one of Hollywood 's rare opportunities to its . chosen people of ' the screen ,to be just ordiiiary human beings for a- fleeting 'hour, and enjoy a bit of privacy. Most film favourites own at least twoexpensive motor cars apiece. Lacking these, any auto driver would be glad to- take them to their destination if they asked. Yet Hollywood 's list of screen celebrities who prefer to do their riding in street cars is a revelation. Binnie Barnes, Irene Dunne, Judith Barrett, Henry Arai etta, Alice Brady, Andy Devine/ James Dunn, Tala Birch, Victor M'Laglen, Edward Everett Horton, CesarBomero, John Boles, Doris Nolan, and Wdndy Barrie aro among the most confirmed trolley car trekkers. Another is Jane Wyatt, leading lady in Universal's "The Luckiest Girl in the World",, and soon to do tfie lead in"Service De Luse. ' ' Miss Wyatt answered the questionnaire offered her: "I ride the trolley cars ofton, and I've been-recognised only twice-."- "That's jupt why. we like to ride stre'et cars," explained Binnie Barnes, leading lady of Universal's "Three Smart Girls." "It's about the only place we can forget ourselves and watch other people Iiko ordinary human beings. Yon're nobody on a street car, but just another passenger, 'and that 's fine-" In lino with-this statement was the 'stratagem pecently eiuployed by Gertrudo Nicsen and Ella Logan, radio singing stars, both newcomers to Hollywood. Miss Niesen, making her screen debut in TJniversal's musical "Top of the Town" and Miss Logan, prominently cast in the same picture, found themselves painfully self-conscious of their facial expressions after the first woek bf intensive work before the camera. They decided to knock ofl* work and take a 'trolley ride. It was their method of Testoring their naturalness, partially lost by constant acting. "It's about the only way," they said, "for a- film player to mingle with a crowd, without people trying to steal sidelong glanees and mnrmnring 'ohs' and 'ahs' at each movement you make."