Show Twice-Found Twice Actress Faces Acid Test M By Paul Harrison HOLLYWOOD The HOLLYWOOD The person most anxiously concerned with the success of Sam Go Goldwyn's dwyn's new picture picture picture pic pic- pic- pic ture The Westerner is Doris Davenport She's the almost unknown unknown un un- un- un known actress who plays the fighting pioneer gal alongside Gary Cooper Action epi epics seldom offer much for actresses to do but this one provides Miss Davenports Davenport's big chance And Arid certainly its it's her last chance to make a splash in Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Holly Holly- wood as a newcomer She has managed to be discovered twice so far but it couldn't happen again Having HalVing lived here since she was 5 Miss Davenport deplores habit of ignoring local talent while giving a big hand and the old eye to cuties from Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn Brook Brook- lyn and way points She knows lots of af examples And if she hadn't changed her r name and gone to New York to make a afresh afresh afresh fresh start the chances are shed she'd still be an extra A Boost From Eddie Cantor CantorA A flicker career looked pretty easy back in 1934 Fresh out of high school and with all the assurance assurance assurance as as- of 17 the symmetrical blonde answered a chorus call for Kid Millions and was selected as a Goldwyn Girl Then Eddie Cantor liking her voice chose her for the secondary role of his childhood sweetheart A lot of stars have had less ss auspicious beginnings But my luck had run out and I just couldn't find a job after that she recalls Pretty soon to keep from dropping clear out of pictures pictures pic plc- tures I was playing extra Finally I got a stock contract at Metro but it was doubly disappointing to find that it wasn't any better than extra work I soon learned it was no use begging be for something something something some some- thing to do They'd just give me that pained look and say you beefing about Youre You're getting getting getting get get- ting paid arent aren't you For about four years during in intervals intervals in- in of idleness the actress worked without pay at any little theater and radio station that would offer her a line to speak She best remembers the broadcast broadcast broadcast broad broad- cast of a miserable little skit in which she was supposed to be a ayoung ayoung ayoung young mother burying her dead baby at sea While sobbing in the mike she kept one hand in Ia a tub of ot water which she sloshed around to make the sound of waves Finally I realized I just wasn't getting anywhere in Hollywood she continued So I called myself myself myself my my- self se-lf Doris Jordan Jerdan and went vent to New Nev NewYork NewYork York and modeled modeled hat hat toothpaste toothpaste toothpaste tooth tooth- paste and and hoped to get into a show Instead along came Max Arno who was Interviewing models in the big Scarlett OHara O'Hara hunt I had read for lor him once at Warner Brothers and I prayed he wouldn't remember He So they put me under short- short term contract and sent me back here for tests I pretended it was my first visit visit made made all the trite touristy remarks about the oranges and palm trees and Unusual weather My mother didn't quite understand what I was trying to todo todo todo do because she tame came to the train to meet me and began waving and calling to me I finally got a I 4 l Doris Davenport Sam Goldwyn Goldwyn Gold Gold- wyn didn't recognize her chance to say Im I'm Im I'm not supposed to know anybody here Camera Crew Remembered Although she had lived within within within with with- in three blocks of Wilshire boulevard boulevard boule boule- vard yard most of her life Miss Davenport Davenport Davenport Daven Daven- port seemed to have a hard time following directions for getting to the studio Later on a sound stage and ready for a test she was flabbergasted to discover that all the camera crew and electricians were men f fro from r o m the Metro lot She was barely able to forestall forestall forestall fore fore- stall their happy cries of Hello Doris by tipping off the photographer photographer to her trick He passed the word along and all the technicians technicians technicians tech tech- winked and grinned The tests were good Not good goodenough goodenough goodenough enough to beat Vivien Leigh in inthe inthe inthe the Scarlett competition but they convinced Samuel Goldwyn who saw them later that Doris Jordan Jordan Jordan Jor Jor- dan was what he wanted for Gary Coopers Cooper's leading lady in The Westerner He didn't recognize her as a girl he had hired years before and he only laughed when she was revealed as Doris Daven Daven- port Said it was a stroke of good showmanship and that hed he'd be surprised if she didn't go right on onto onto onto to stardom |