Show Crooner Hits Success Note In Shakespeare By FLICKER FAN Director Mervyn LeRoy started the he job Frank Borzage added some momentum And now the great Max Reinhardt definitely Is tak taking ng Dick Powell out of the crooner class It isn't exactly easy to imagine the he frolicking young crooner of oC second Forty Street Fo Footlight ht Parade arade and Dames portraYing a 11 role But BItt that is cx- cx what Powell is doing and doIn doIng dong do- do In Ing ng beautifully He is playing the theole role ole of Lysander in Reinhardt's screen creen version of ot A Midsummer Nights Night's Dream I If 11 Im I'm not an actor by the time I finish this picture people can caUme call caU me anything they like like even even a crooner Dick remarked as he walked out of camera range after doing loing a difficult love scene with Jean can Muir 0 Just then Jean patted him on the shoulder houlder You were great Dick Bh she he said Sure the actor fired back In hi his usual carefree manner Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakes peare eare had me in mind when he wrote the part That manner of ot complete non non- coupled with a l vibrant enthusiasm en- en enthusiasm which is just as apparent apparent ent nt In real life aa as on the screen is at once Dicks Dick's greatest asset and anc and worst vorst drawback It Is that quality that hat makes him so likable in any p characterization he attempts And for tor that t reason his studio bosses were perfectly willing to capitalize cap cap- cap I upon pon his personality and voice alone without giving him a chance realI really to do something That Thatis is s they were willing until Mervyn LeRoy jeRoy came alon along and proved with Happiness Ahead that Dick also possessed acting ability Right from the start I begged for Cor or pictures that would give me a 11 chance to act as well as IS sing Dick remarked as we waited for tho the electricians clec- clec to rearrange their lights I T knew that unless I was given something to do I probably would wind vind up right where I started started started-as as asa a master of ceremonies in Pitts Pitts- burgh Not that th I have anything against Pittsburgh but m my ambitions run runa a little higher than that Realizing his ambitions shouldn't worry Dick any longer longel His portrayal por- por rayal of Lysander Is satisfying Reinhardt And that should be I proof to any man that he is an actor |