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Show Star BDiist Ties That Don't Bind "A" Gene Charms Royalty Listed for a Beating Hy Virginia Vale JOSEPH BENTON NORTH J has performed fifty-two marriage ceremonies, and not one of them had any lasting last-ing effect. He can recite the marriage rituals of forty-seven forty-seven varieties of religion, ranging from the voodooistic ceremony to that of the Church of England, but he uses a mixed ritual which he made up himself. As you've probably suspected by now, he is a minister without portfolio, one who officiates only in the movies. Of the many screen players whom he has "married" North reveals that Claudette Colbert exhibited the most nervousness; he thinks that was because be-cause she is the 'most religious. The calmest person, he says, was Rochelle Hudson; she took two of his ceremonies In her stride, and ;- a j ssv- CLAUDETTE COLBERT apparently thought they were amusing. amus-ing. Laura LaPlante cried, and Marlene Dietrich kept arranging her hair and dress. His most recent appearance on the screen as a marrying man was for "Wuthering Heights." Merle Oberon and David Niven were the bride and groom, and he used the ritual dictated by the period. The Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, Mar-garet, of England's royal family, were asked recently to name their favorite motion picture star. Ignoring Ignor-ing Norma Shearer, Janet Gaynor, Clark Gable, and the other top-otchcrs top-otchcrs (Including Shirley Temple) they replied "Gene Autrey." When Billie Burke broke her ankle she was considerate enough to pick a perfect time in which to do it. She tripped as she was leaving the "Maiden Voyage" set, and snap went the ankle. Being a seasoned trouper, her first thought was of the picture, and the delay that might be caused by her accident. But it happened that all of her walking shots had been made. She was due just to sit in the rest of the picture anyway. Ilow'd you like to look ahead to taking a beating? That is what Walter Ptdgeon has been doing. For "Six Thousand Enemies" is slated as his next picture, and the script calls for him to be soundly beaten by one of the six thousand with a husky pugilist selected by the casting cast-ing department for the role. Pid-geon Pid-geon has been using his spare time between scenes of "Penthouse" to practice up a bit, but he Is none too optimistio about his own skill, even though the script docs put a limit on the amount of damage that is to be done to him. i red Allen is one of the few radio stars who does not own a farm. He hasn't a car, either; he prefers to live in a hotel and ride in taxis. Most of the big-time radio stars feel that they can't get along without a country home. Frank Black, Paul Whiteman and Benny Goodman have farms in Pennsylvania; Lanny Ross and Lowell Thomas each own acreage in New York state; Tommy Dorsey's place is in New Jersey, and Morton Downey's in Connecticut. And if you don't believe that they really turn into farmers whenever they get a chance you ought to hear them talk! Those radio introductions are likely like-ly to go haywire, as did one in which Pat O'Brien was involved the other day. He went to the midget auto races in Hollywood with Norris Goff, who Is "Abner" of radio's famous "Lum and Abner" team. Barney Oldfield, the former auto racing champion, introduced them as follows: fol-lows: "Norris Goff, better known as 'Abner' on the radio, and Fat O'Brien, who plays 'Lum.' " ( ODDS A!SD ENDS The reason that movie sludiot aren't more lavish with their screen tests is that the average fp.il Cff4 $10,000 . . . The death of Ernie Hare deprives radio of one of its most beloved old-timers . . . Looks as if the "Castle Walk" would oust the "Lambeth W alk" as the most popular dance when HKO releases "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" with Rogers and A stair e. Western Newspaper Union. |