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Show STAGE-CSCREENttftADIO By VIRGINIA VALE Released by Western Newspaper Union. TIME was when Franchot Tone was a prominent member of Hollywood's stay-up-late set. But no more. He's now a leader of the proud parents association. On the set of Benedict Bogeaus' "Dark Waters," Papa Tone exhibits snapshots of Pascal Franchot, age nine months, to Merle Oberon, Thomas Mitchell and Fay Bainter till they cry for help. It was hot news when Pascal grabbed the edge of his crib and j stood up and then wouldn't sit j down again. Mrs. Tone is Jean Wal-I Wal-I lace, a beautiful blonde, under contract con-tract to Paramount. The Tones bought Robert Montgomery's house when he went into the navy; Mrs. Tone's sister lives with them, and when servants aren't to be had, Tone buckles down and washes dishes. Jerry Colonna, of the black walrus mustache, will accompany Bob Hope on a tour of Pacific fighting fronts when he finishes work in Re- t - t j "5 -1 v . of" r - ; JERRY COLONNA public's "Atlantic City." He's a man of many faces in this one even appears ap-pears as an oversized infant with blond curls! Handsome Bill Johnson, Metro's new white-haired boy, was taken to the coast to act as master of ceremonies cere-monies for their "Screen Test," oft the Mutual network. He won the assignment as-signment on the strength of his singing sing-ing ability, but in Hollywood he was promptly given a major role in Wallace Wal-lace Beery's "Airship Squadron 4." The radio show will serve as a buildup build-up for Bill. Elizabeth Taylor, the 12-year-old actress who made her screen debut In "Lassie Come Home" and has the lead opposite Mickey Rooney in "National Velvet," will be starred by Metro in "Hold High the Torch." It's the story of a child and a war dog, the third of the Lassie pictures. The role was originally meant for Margaret O'Brien, but Elizabeth has proved talented enough to inherit it. Following more than 40 tests for the part some by well-known film stars Jack L. Warner chose Joan Lorring for the coveted role of "Bessie" "Bes-sie" in "The Corn Is Green." She's 18, was born in Hongkong, and has been in this country only five years. She's acted on numerous radio programs. pro-grams. Yank soldiers in Italy are becoming becom-ing patrons of opera, according to reports received by Dr. Frank Black, NBC's general music director. di-rector. "It started after the first Italian campaigns were successful," success-ful," he said. "Many cafes were out of bounds, Italian films had no English Eng-lish titles, and the USO entertainers hadn't arrived yet. The boys were desperate for entertainment so they went to opera, and liked it." Within 24 hours of the production of his radio theater, "Action in the North Atlantic," Cecil B. DeMille's plea for recruits for the merchant marine brought about an enlistment of 86 men from the listening audience, audi-ence, practically enough to man a Liberty ship. It's the experience of a lifetime to tag along when Parks Johnson is doing do-ing "Vox Pop" at a military hospital. hos-pital. The men love the genial Parks, who has a son in the service. serv-ice. And during the show before the broadcast it's something to see a wounded man and a pretty nurse doing one of those stunts children do at parties, while Johnson stands by with a handful of dollar bills, to reward the winner. As a result of a publicity agent's dream, Basil Rathbone, who's "Sherlock Holmes" in the radio, mystery series, was credited with a collector's interest in sculptured hands. He's been the unhappy recipient re-cipient of hands from fans all over the country. ODDS AND ENDS According in present plans, Dick "Henry Aldrich" Jones will make a picture during the six-week vacation of "The Aldrich Family" Fam-ily" from the air nates; he hasn't made one since he played the young Ulark Twain. . . . Don Woods, star of NBC's "Those W e Love," has signed a long-term contract with IT'arnrr liros.; his first picture will be "Roughly Speuk- j ing." . . . Ann Sothern gave up a vaca- ! lion to play the leading role in the Walter Vidgenn show dramatization of "Tovarich." . . . Helen Walker's soldier-husband soldier-husband has been writing her for lots of pin up pictures 0 I'aulclle Gocldard, Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake. 1 |