The Screen's Star-Crop For 1939

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 30, 6 January 1939, Unnumbered Page

The Screen's Star-Crop For 1939

Many Promising Players Coming Forward ‘To Meet Demand For New Faces |

an American cinema organisation which, regularly once a year, chose a batch of ambitious youngsters from among the hosts of unknowns, who are for ever clamouring at the gates of screen fame, and nominated them as likely candidates for stardom in the coming year. I can never remember the full name of that organisation, but its initial letters gave the licky chosen few a label which will not have been forgotten. They were ealled, Wampas Baby Stars. Sometimes the -select few managed to justify the choice; and there are a few famous personalitics on the screen today who got their first real chanees when the brand of the ‘Wampas organisation was plaeed upon them. But, generally speaking, I scem to recall that Wampas Babics were always beautcous and blonde, but not always particularly talented. 8 OME years ago, there was The custom of choosing Wampas Babies appears to have disd out now, possibly because it served no very useful purpose. Yet the fascination of trying to pick Winners in the film field remains almost as strong as that of trying to pick winners on the race track-and considerably less expensive. Also, the chances of success are roughly about equal. Tas is the season of the year "when, in all walks of life, people are weighing up the shortcomings of the past and iryin® to assess the prospects for the future. Having chosen the ten best pictures of 1938or had them chosen for themmost film fans are now becoming interested in what the new year will bring, and naturally the question of who are likely to be leading sereen personalities of 1989 comes uppermost. Who, then, are candidates for stardom jn 1939? But before trying to answer that question, it should be pointed out that the siar-crop for 1939 is likely to contain an even larger proportion than usual of players who, at the moment, are comparatively

unknown. The reason is that the great picture-going public is tending to become slightly wearied by its established favourites. More than ever, it seems to be looking for new faces, fresh personalities to worship. . You'll probably remember the furore caused fairly recently when some exhibitors in the U.S.A. had the temerity to brand several of the bestknown Hollywood stars as ‘*box-office poison.’? Whether or not one agrees with their verdict regarding any of the particular stars who were men-tioned-personally, in several cases I think they were, wrong -the fact remains that the general indictment is sympto-. matic of the publie’s new critieal attitude toward sume of the biggest stars, and of its desire for unfamiliar faces, ALIVE TO THIS ATTITUDE, MOST OF THE STUDICS ARE NOW

SEARCHING FOR NEW PLAYERS TO TAKE THE PLACES OF STARS WHO SEEM TO BE ON THE WANE. -G-M is a studio very partial to foreign importations. Not all have been the success anticipated, but to this statement Iuise Rainer is a notable exception. Miss Rainer is not the hig star now that she wus a year ago, but M-G-M have another sensational foreigner on hand in Hedy LaMarr,

who is to be co-starred soon with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. Actually it was not M-G-M, but United Artists, who introduced Hedy LaMarr to the Hollywood screen, following her appearance in the banned Austrian film **Eestasy.’’ In ‘‘Algiers,’’ with Charles Boyer, she brought sultry sex-appeal back to the screen, coupled with. unmis-

takable acting ability. She is certain. to leave her mark on the coming year. There’s a_ real ‘‘success story’’ behind the fact that Ellen Drew, of Paramount, is now a prominent candidate for stardom. She’s known as the ‘‘eandy-store Cinderella’’ because she stepped from behind a counter in a Hollywood confectionery store into the lead opposite Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray in ‘"‘Sing, You Sinners.’’ Crities and studio officials alike expect big things of this girl, who’s soon to be seen with Ronald Colman in "*Tf IT Were King.’’ At Universal, Deanna Durbin is likely to remain the studio’s biggest asset during 1939, but they have at least two promising newcomers in reserve. One of these, Dorothea Kent, is not exactly new, having specialised in ‘‘dumb blonde’’ parts for some time in

B-grade pictures; but there are now signs that she’s coming to the fore as a comedienne. The other is Danielle Darrieux; French girl, who was given a not particularly auspicious launching in ‘‘The Rage of Paris.’’ Much wiil depend on how La Darrieux shapes in her forthcoming Hollywood drama whether she’s just another foreign flash-in-the-pan or a_ lasting asset to the sereen-and Uniyersal. But in view of her (Turn to Page 2.)

Screen’s Star-Crop For 1939---Cont. from Page 1.

suceess in her native France, the chances ave in her favour. We haven’t seen her yet in New Zealand, but 20th Century Fox are pinning high hopes on Nancy Kelly, 17-year-old recruit from Broadway, to be seen in "Submarine Patrol,’’ ‘‘Jesse James,’’ and ‘‘Tail Spin’’ and possibly ‘‘Belle Star."’ Target for Marxmen N ‘‘Jesse James,’’ Nancy Kelly takes the role of heroine to Tyrone Power formerly alloeated to Arleen Whelan. The latter, you may remember, was hailed as a sensation by the studio when launched in ‘‘Kidnapped,’’ but apparently wasn’t quite equal to the claim. Among the new faces of 1939 from RKO, watch for Lucille Ball.. She’ll be seen in ‘‘The Affairs of Annabella,’’? and as a target for some of the Marx Brothers’ madness in ‘‘Room Service."’

Not so much a_ sensational ‘‘diseovery’? as a young actress who has steadily consolidated her position by excellent work is Andrea Leeds, who. eertainly cannot be omitted when any claims to stardom are being considered. As talented as she is beautiful, she attracted very favourable notice in ‘‘Come and Get It,’’ and ‘‘Stage Door,’’ and followed this up with stand-out performanees in ‘‘Letter of Introduction’? and ‘‘Goldwyn Follies.’’ Youngest of the five daughters of Dr. L. A. Mullican, dentist of Indianapolis, is Pris-

cilla-better known as Priscilla Lane, and likely to ba even better known in coming months, because she carries a lot of the hopes and money of Warner Bros. So do her'sisters, Rosemary and Bola; but Priscilla (nicknawmt ‘‘Pat’’) is favourite. Already seen in "Varsity Show,’’ she has now won favourable recognition in ‘Pour Daughters.’’ Will also be seen in ‘‘Love, Honour and Behave’’ and ‘‘Brother Rat.’’ And the Men? THAT, to my mind, disposes of the most obvious potential feminine stars. When the

movie astrologer gees — stargazing in the maseuline portion of the film firmament he is rewarded by fewer new econstellations. But I would east a very favourable horoscope for 1939 for Lew Ayres, a young veteran, who is achieving a truly remarkable eome-back. Remember him in ‘All Quiet’??? Then he went into eclipse, made a number of insignificant pictures, and is now brilliantly in the ascendant again, following his performance im ‘‘ Holiday.’’ Even if the sereen weren’t as hard up for male leads as it is, Lew Ayres would be sure of a high place in 1939. And, while I am in this prophetic mood, I would suggest that Charles Boyer is likely, in the coming year, to

win more of the prominence and popularity he so richly deserves. And Jon Hall (Terangi of ‘‘The Hurricane’’) looks to be the stuff of which stars are made. But such a lot depends, doesn’t it, on cireumstancesvery often circumstances over which the people most eoncerned have comparatively ‘little control? Bad stories, bad direction, scandal over love affairs-anything like that is enough to throw ascending stars out of their courses. | ONE THING IS CER. TAIN, THOUGH-199 WILL BE A MORE THAN USUALLY INTERESTING YEAR FROM A STAR. GAZING POINT OF VIEW.