NEW FILM STAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1939, Page 4

NEW FILM STAR

i WOULD WORK FOR NOTHING. William Holden, or William Franklin Beedle Junr. —“Beetle” for short — is still amazed at his good fortune and sudden jump "from the stock ranks of ( the Paramount studios to the starring i‘ position in the most sought-after role | j of the year, that of "Golden Boy.” I ‘ “How did it happen?” he repeated I' when interviewed. i “I think it was like this. To get my ( 50-dollar-a-weck job with Paramount, i J I had to take a test. To save money i ‘ and time, I had to take the test with I a girl who was also after a stock job ; t at Paramount. Shortly afterwards, I' 1 heard the wonderful news that I was 1 r

to get a part in Paramount's 'Million Dollar Legs.’ “The part consisted of two words — 'Thank you'—but I was pretty excited about it. And when I heard talk about Columbia’s search for a 'Golden Boy,' I didn’t even join in the conversation. I had my part and 1 was sticking to it.” Not so the girl who took the Paramount test with Holden. She wanted the role of the sister in “Golden Hoy" and sent her test to Columbia. “We had given up hope of finding an unknown boy for the part and had practically decided on Lew Ayres oi Richard Carlson. 1 was looking at some tests for the sister and saw Holden hovering somewhere in the background. Gtir search for a 'Golden Boy' was over." explained Director Reuben Mamoulian. EARNS FIFTY DOLLARS A WEEK, j The girl, incidentally, did not get j the sister role! Holden, born in Illinois, is twentyone years old, blue-eyed, brown-haired! and wit!) no romantic attachment —as I yet. i For his role of prize-lighter-violinist, i Holden has had to shave his chest, dye | his locks dark, curl them every morn-I Ing because he washes them out every, evening before going home. He spends one hour a day learning ■’ Italian, one hour learning to box, and I one hour learning to play the violin. 1 The rest of the time he is acting or | pinching himself, to make sure it | isn’t a dream, and, he still earns fifty j '■toliars a week —which makes him the ; all-time lowest salaried star. But he 1 doesn’t care. He says he would do it, for nothing! I