HOLLYWOOD FOOLED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1939, Page 5

HOLLYWOOD FOOLED

A BOGUS EDITOR. How poor Hollywood loves to be fooled. And a captain Winterbottom O’Reilly really fooled the stars. With a thick Oxford accent and a Bond Street flair, the said Mr Winterbottom O’Reilly (the name should have been enough to put Hollywood on its guard) invaded the film colony some weeks ago and introduced himself as the Sunday editor of the “London Express.” Hollywood took the personable young man to its bosom and showered him with attentions. He was smart enough to steer clear of the publicity departments of the studios, because he would hqve had to show authentic credentials. But the stars were taken in by his suave style, and they dined and wined and feted the big London newspaper editor. Here was a chance for some good British publicity, they thought, and “he’s priceless, my dears, simply priceless,” the glamour girls told each other. Even British stars like Errol Flynn rushed the newcomer, because some publicity in dear old Lon? don is not to be sheered at. Everything was rosy for TVinterbottom until the accredited representative for the “Express” cabled his hpipe office for extra money to entertain the Sunday editor. The home office cabled nim that he must be “spoofing.” They had no Winterbottom O’Reilly. It was then that Winterbottom took what our Arqencan cpusins vulgarly call a “runout powder.” He dropped his bags out the back window' of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and vanished. 0f course he left an unpaid hotel bill and many very red faces among the pub? lipjty-seeking stars. The police would now like to meet Winterbottom.