FILM FAILURES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 January 1941, Page 9

FILM FAILURES

WHO MADE GOOD. WHEN THEIR NAMES WERE CHANGED. Film moguls who wrestle with the unpronounceable names of screen hopefuls in an endeavour to convert them into something the public can tackle with their tongues will testily that the simple but catchy names arc best, not only far theatre marquees, but for picturegoers' memories. In seven out of ten cases, the names made famous by Hollywood stars are not their real names at all. It was thus ever since the star system commenced. .Mary Pickford was born Gladys Smith, Claire Windsor was Olga Cronk, and Theda Bara was Theed osia Goodman. And so Arlington Brugh became Robert Taylor; Lily Chauchion Claudette Colbert; Archibald Leach is now Cary Grant; Fanny Zilverstitch is Francisco Gaal . . . and on it goes. There arc, however, in Hollywood a number of one-time film failures who have won a new lease of screen life by the simple expedient ot fading from camera range for a short while and returning with a new name, sometimes in a new guise. Decorative Brunette. Exhibit A is Ann Sothern. Ten years I ago Ann, as Harriette Lake (her real name i and then a languorous-eyed brunette, was under contract to Metro. For months she did little more than lend a decorative touch to the background of the company's comedies, pose for leg art. and conduct round the lot big business men from Baltimore, senators from Washington, and the many others who managed to crash the studio gates.

I At length, in despair of making any • headway in pictures. Harrictle accep- | ted an offer mg ( into a Ziegfeld show. I In five years she- changed her name to I Aim Sofhvri:. bleached her hair. mid J managed to make somethin,”, »■ mime for iter. < If - .". in < ..J.v Soor. the- Hollywood f,-lent scouts ‘were “o her track mid Aim letunwd to the film colony, eventually to win a contract with the x» ry studio by whom ‘ siiv n. d formerly ben overlooked. (collected six months* salary for lending I her decorative pres nee to the studio . preemie*.-' Sm- war. - m-t :--.-v-.-. i pmt.[of shoes waiting aroimd Mr 'die chance she got in “Stag. D- r but i she had to chm'.gu her mune t > Amr ■ < Leeds to do it. i Maybe you remember a ibiTi)■ d. | sleek-haired ymmgswr dancmg in •"George White’ ii; mid i ■Dante’.* lnfv”nt».“ mm h w F x tried i and failed to build up Rita Ci.nsino wa coming pvr:mmb’.’ She jm-t <iu:n t • mt’kv the gruGe, It Wo- three ye. m- bi foie Rita put in another appesratic but n t-mm-i except f-r a f<-w himdoui.- m Smith • America is nrac'icMly ■•mthmg So, al- ........ ... ...... . -a

'god! No longer is she a sleek-haired ! Moxican-looking senorita, but a gkim|orous typical American girl who has ( changed her foreign-sounding name to ’ the more English appellation of Rita j Hayworth. And as Rita Hayworth she's making ! quite a name for herself on the screen. ' Even Carole Lombard knows what ; fillip to a screen career can be given ; by a changed name and appearances Accident Sequel. ( Carole was once Jane Peters, on the I screen and oil. In a motor accident jshe suffered facial disfigurements i which were corrected only by the application of plastic surgery. She enter- ; ged different person, determined to carve a new career for herself on the rcreen. ‘ Numerology gave her a fresh name and the peroxide bottle a diilercnt personality that has paid a huge dividend. including Clark Gable. Ellen Drew was once known on the screen as Terry Ray, June Lang was formerly June Vlasek. but their new titles have brought them far greater success than they enjoyed when known by .their original and real names.

Only two actresses in recent film history have changed their names to avoid the unsavory publicity connected with their earlier professional careers. Hedy Keislcr stirred up a hornet’s nest of trouble by acting in the Continental film. "Ecstasy." so when she came to Hollywood her studio thought it advisable to rechristen her Hedy Lamarr. It is a far prettier name anyway.

To save questions being asked by the Hays office and American women’s uplift organisations, strip tease dancer Gypsy Rose Lee became Louise Hovick when she stepped before the cameras Louise Hovick. incidentally, is her real name.