THEIR NAMES IN LIGHTS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 83, 31 December 1937, Page 9

THEIR NAMES IN LIGHTS

No longer are the names of iilm stars governed by electric signs. To-day a name can be used as long, or as short, as its owner desires. The owner of a long name, in former days, was "out of luck" in Hollywood 's studios. "The name won't tit in the lights," used to be the verdict, and names were changed, so that they would only require a few letters. which could be fitted into tha foot-square letter spaces on theatre signs. Modern cinema signs, with illuminated letters, can accommodate almost any name, regardless of its length. In former days, an illuminated sign couldn't accommodate more than 18 letters and spaces, which was isuffieient for the Mary Pickfords, the Wallace Eeids, the Theda Baras, and others of the old-time stars.

Robert Montgomery's name is long, from the standpoint of the signs of former days. It contains 17 letters and spaces. Other lengthy names of to-day, which haven't had to be changed to "fit in »the lights" are those of Jeanette MacDonald. Elizabeth Patterson, Francine Larrimore, Johnny Welsmuller, Freddie Bartholomew and Josephine Hutchinson. On the other hand, there are many short names. John Boles has one sh'orter than the average. The shortest is Maia, the Eskimo actor, whose fourletter name is the briefest. Mamo is a half a letter longer, as the letter "M" counts ^ts a letter and a-half, and 3he has two of them in her name. Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, George Raft. Lynn Barry, Alice Faye, Lew Ayres, Lily Pons, Jack Hoit, are among the shorter names. Maureen O'Sullivau ranks among the long-named players, as does Charles Butterworth. While in the past names were changed, usually, to achieve a shorter one for "the lights," in rec.ent years they are changed only to simplify them, or make them more easily remembered; as, for instance, Arlington Brugh became Robert Taylor. I/ucille Lo Sueur became Joan Crawford, and so on. They can be either long or short, aml still be box-offi.ee names now. If you want to become a mot.ion picture star, pick a name with twelve letters. Of Hollywood 's 100 leading film players 23 per cent. have 12-letter names. Sixteen per cent. have 10-letter names. Fourteen per cent. have 11-letter names. Contrary to popular opinlon, very few players have names shorter than nine letters, a total of only 2 per cent. Outstanding among the 12-letter majority are Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Charles Boyer, Spencer Tracy, Wallace Beery Jaclde Cooper, Franchot Tone, Jean Hersholt, Robert Taylor, Sylvia Sidney and Reginald Owen. Leading the 10-letter list are Greta Garbo, Helen Hayes, Jean Arthur,

Clark Gable, Lewis Stone, Jean Harlow, Gary Cooper, Bing Crosby, Kent Taylor, Henry .Fonda, Bruce Cabot, Allan J ones and Eric Linden. Among the third most popular namelength, those with 11 letter names, are William Powell. Janet Gaynor, Groucho Marx, Luise Rainer, Stuart Erwin, Billie Burke, Gail Patrick, Joan Bennett, Roscoe Karns, Atliao Judge and Irene Hervey. Thirteen-letter names are no bugaboo in Hollywood. Six per cent. of the players have them, a few being Carole Lombard, Virginia Bruce. and Joseph Calleia. Miss Lombard, after consulting her numerologist, even added the final "e" on her first name to join this group. Mae West and Myrna Loy have the shortest names of two words.