Most Coveted Role in All Hollywood

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 258, 21 January 1928, Page 23

Most Coveted Role in All Hollywood

“Gentlemen Prefer. Speculation in Hollywod as to who would win the coveted role of Lorelei in the film version of ‘•Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” has changed now to discussions in every key about the little fairhaired girl, Ruth Taylor, who ha< at last been chosen. A glimpse of her in the Famous Lasky studios, under the sealing lights, seems to give promise of a. Lorelei as falsely demure and as sweetly practical as the little lady of Anita Loos's absurd, amusing book, writes Iris Barry, the “.Daily Mail's” critic, now in Hollywood. Miss Taylor, so little known to the cinema public, also has the advantage of being readily acceptable as a Lorelei, whereas a better-known film actress would seem much more of her own familiar self, much less the blonde •gold-digger.” Kuth Taylor has been in films for some time with the Mack Sennett comedy company / and has played opposite Harry Langdon, in the days when he made short pictures, Ben Turpin, and other laughmakers. She. is said to be the only Mack Senn«*tt girl who has never appeared in a bathing dress, as Mr. Sen nett thought her too slim. Other girls formerly with Sennett, like Gloria Swanson and Phyllis Haver, have made great strides. Ruth Taylor is probably the most envied young person in Hollywood at the moment, to snatch the world-famous role of Lorelei from every blonde, and n*»ar-blonde. in the film colony. She only secured it by the skin of her teeth, for Mr. Mai St. Clair, the 7ft. tali director o/ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” would not 'even glance at her when, -n company - with dozens of other blondes, she was being given a screen-test for the part. • Happening to turn round 8S she was 'going through her bit for the test, something in her babyish face and its oddly sophisticated expression struck him; and she got the part. Kord Sterling, that inimitable and ripe comedian, plays Mr. Eismann, and Alice White is to be Dorothy,