VITTORIA MUSSOLINI IN HOLLYWOOD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 10

VITTORIA MUSSOLINI IN HOLLYWOOD

— \ Romulus, son of the wolf, is creating , no little stir as he moves here and there about the film capital, though a good deal of secrecv is being injected into the proceedings by the authorities as incidcnt after incident is registered i in studio conversations, says a writer ' in the New York Times. The latest episode oecr red when young' Vittoria Mussolini was invited by his host, Hal Roach, to visit some Gf the studios and see how pictures are made. A group of writers on the Warner lot got the wind of the impending visit to their studio and set up a ininiature Union Square in front of stage 14, crying "Down with the Fascist!" and other impolite phrases to anyone who would listen. They contmued this for a while. Then, finding no one more dangerous on" whom to vent their wrath than a couple of amused publicity people who had been detailed to take the Duce's son around the ■ set, they departed for their separate offiees breathing slaughter. Young Mussolini drove up to the stage 15 minutes later, unaware that he was anything but a visiting liero, alighted smiling from- Mr Roach's limousine, spent half an hour watching shots 011 the set and, with a few waves to the gathered players, who were simply overwhelmed at his presence, departed. An attempt to reach the writers and the one director implieated in the earlier demonstration elieited the information that some had gone home and others were "in conference with Mr Le Roy." A11 international incident had been escaped by the breadth of a hair. Toward Mr Mussolini himself there is nothing but the usual amenities dished up for all visiting dignitaries. The red carpet is rolled out, the prettiest girls are brought around to lavish their niost bewitehing smiles, a battery of photographers works incessantly with eamera and flashlight, and duly appointea Press agents speak learnedly of the place of the American picture in the international scheme of things. Once he is gone the set is arranged for a new camera angle. The red carpet is rolled up, the girls depart, the pictures taken are put under the knife and the Press agents go back to the outer cflices to await another assignment. One thing is certain: Hollywood, under the strictest self-imposed censorship it has ever experienced, will not breatlie freely again until the rotund little enfaut terrible is gone.