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Show f4 Looking at HOLLYWOOD! HOLLYWOOD'S newest juvenile star all hands seem to agree on that is a 12-year-old girl who can say more with a flash of her wondrous eyes than most veteran actors can put across with a full page of dialog. Those eyes, deep set pools of blue that probe right into your heart, are the first thing you notice about Elizabeth Taylor. The second is her indomitable will. The two form an unbeatable combination. com-bination. Elizabeth is a quiet, beau- tiful child who has "willed" her way to Hollywood success. With any less determination she never would have won her opportunity opportu-nity to portray Velvet, the little heroine of "National "Na-tional VpluAt " Tt I 'a h I is her outstanding Elizabeth Taylor performance in this picture that has lifted her to the stellar heights. Since she first set foot on the MGM lot almost two years ago Elizabeth's heart has been set on playing Velvet. Vel-vet. The studio's had the script since May, 1937, waiting for the right girl. Hundreds had been tested and many announced, but with no success. suc-cess. When Elizabeth approached Producer Pandro S. Berman she was told, "I'm sorry, honey, but I'm afraid you're not tall enough. Besides, Be-sides, Velvet has to ride a horse over a very difficult steeplechase course." Spirit That Wins "I can learn to do that," promptly prompt-ly declared the little girl. "And I can grow, too! " In the next three months she did. To the amazement even of her family fam-ily doctor she grew three inches. This is explained by the fact that she suddenly developed an enormous enor-mous appetite, after being a finicky eater for years, and added two hours to her sleeping each night. It was all her own idea, and she stuck to it. Elizabeth already knew and loved horses. She had learned to ride at the age of four while living in England. Eng-land. Now, during the three months she trained daily on jumps until she was clearing five foot hurdles with ease and grace. When she confronted Berman again he, too, was amazed at her growth. He called Clarence Brown, and they watched her ride and jump and marveled some more. A technicolor tech-nicolor test was made, and Velvet had been found. Elizabeth was born in London, the daughter of Francis Taylor, art dealer, deal-er, and the former Sara Southern, who played the little crippled girl in Charming Pollock's "The Fool" on the New York stage. Elizabeth attended school at Byron By-ron house in London. She was seven when war clouds began to darken Europe and her father moved his family to America. They have since made their home in Beverly Hills. Two years ago when her father was on duty as an air raid warden, Sam Marx, a Metro producer, was moaning to a fellow warden about not finding a child for "Lassie, Come Home," with Roddy McDowall. The man said, "Taylor, here, has a young daughter that would be good for that part." Sam said to Taylor, "Bring her over to my office tomorrow, tomor-row, will you?" Taylor did, and Elizabeth got the part. On Her Way After the Lassie picture she appeared ap-peared with Roddy again in "White Cliffs of Dover," then was loaned to Twentieth for "Jane Eyre," as Jane's ill-fated school chum. Her death scenes marked the first real proof of her acting talent. Following Follow-ing this she achieved her goal of the title role in "National Velvet," in which she teams with Mickey Rooney. Her next assignment was awaiting her, and she's now nearly finished "Hold High the Torch." It is a part to delight any child and particularly Elizabeth. In the cast with her are her old friend, Lassie, the collie dog star, and a collection of wild life, that includes a black bear, coyote, beaver, silver fox, squirrels, chipmunks, chip-munks, porcupines and even skunks. The set is a little girl's paradise in which Elizabeth revels. Her mother phoned me the other day and said, "Hedda, Elizabeth is just dying to bring over her pet chipmunk to introduce him to your pet dog, Wolfie." Well, since I love Wolfie as she does her chip, I had to say: "Wait until you can get her out of the house without an animal then Wolfie will love to see her, and so will I." With or without animals, Elizabeth will creep straight into your heart, and let me predict now, no amount of praise will ever spoil her. And Now Comes the Dawn Here's postwar planning that'll set Hollywood on its heels. ?Vn independent independ-ent company is being formed by Leo McCarcy, Frank Capra, Sam I Wood, David Butler, George Stevens j (when out of uniform), and Gregory La Cava. That's not bad. Bing Crosby's already tied in it for one picture a year. Only way actors and directors can- have any money left is by an independent deal, it seems. Warners were smart In giving giv-ing Bette Davis one Dicture a year to produce. |