MIRIAM HOPKINS PLANNED LITERARY CAREER.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 451, 19 June 1937, Page 2

MIRIAM HOPKINS PLANNED LITERARY CAREER.

Miriam Hopkins would probably nevtr have- become a film star had t not been for a twice broken ankle. Nor, incidentally, would United Artk?.s shod ly be releasing Alexander Korda’s “Men Are Not Gods,” in which the lovely blonde actress is featured with Gerstru.de Lawrence and Sabastian Shaw. Her earliest ambition being to pursue a literary career, Miriam studied so hard towards this end that she was obliged to take up dancing as some form of relaxation. Two hours before she was due to take the 1 part of a dancer in a play produced by her school’s dramatic society, Miriam slipped and broke her cnkle Returning .to her studies and securing her El erary diploma at the end of two years,, she attempted to wrest a living from New York publishers and editors who, however, seemed strangely incppreciative of her writing ability. In despair, she sold or pawned all her available possessions i nd invested in a course of dancing lessons. On the very eve of her sailing for South America in the chorus of '?■ ballet company, Miriam fell and shattered her ankle for the second time. It meant the end of la-11 her dancing aspirations, but such is the •pirit of youth -that within a month the would-be ballerina was touring variety thectres in ?. dramatic sketch. Her par; was a small one, but it wassufficient to catch the. eye of a wideawake talent scout, and from then on her future was 'assured. She had become one of America’s leading stage actresses before Hollywood finally claimed her, and since that time has never once looked back, to-day holding the reputation of being one of the most intelligent and hardest-working stars on the screen.