Show Nina Foch Hollywood Newcomer Earns Recognition in Films on Ability to Act By Erskine Johnson HOLLYWOOD HOLLY NEA Its It's quite a shock for a Hollywood columnist columnist columnist col col- col- col to be told that a film studio has hired a young lady because she is s a good actress and not J she looks sensational in a sweater or because she had her photograph on a magazine cover or because the ahe won a beautiful legs contest After recovering from the shock we looked up the girl year old year 20 Nina F Foch Foch-at Foch ch-at ch at Columbia studio We Ve were delightfully surprised q True rrue rue Nina Foch Foell wasn't a girl girl and and she admitted it but it-but but she wasn't a spook you'd hire to haunt A R house howe either cither She was a charming charming charming charm charm- ing young lady with a well scrubbed face a au nice smile and a theory that the ability to act could have something to do with success in Hollywood It was tough sledding though she ahe he said for a girl gir who hadn't won Any beauty contests Warners brought her to Hollywood Hollywood Hollywood Holly Holly- wood from the Broadway stage and then fired her before she ever appeared in a picture They said sald I was a good actress but that I didn't photograph They tried to make me look like a girl The They put my hair on top of my head and so much lipstick lip lip- stick Uck on my mouth it Ul looked like pi F r. r s sF F FY Y Nina Foch She believes the ability to act should have something something something some some- thing to do with success in Hollywood someone had just thrown a ripe tomato at m my fa face e. e Columbia stu studio however saw sawa a test she made with John Garfield Garfield Gar- Gar field saw the girl could act and immediately signed her to a long term contract She made her film debut in The liThe Return of the thc Vampire Vampire pire and is now playing in Nine Girls Is a highly dramatic part which calls for good acting Her next will be bc with Paul Muni and Merle Oberon in the life of Chopin Tonight We Dream Nina Foch is is the daughter of one time Broadway stage star Consuela who played Rudolph Valentino's leading lady in Camille Her father was conductor conductor conductor con con- ductor of f the tho London Civic Symphony S Symphony Sym Sym- m phony the Amsterdam Civic Symphony Symphony Symphony Sym Sym- phony and the Vienna Strasser Strass r Symphony She w was s born in Leyden Leyden Leyden Ley- Ley den Holland but was raised by her gr grandmother in New York Her parents were divorced when she was only 10 After a series eries of ot progressive schools an art course at atthe the Art Students' Students league and little theater work she made her debut as a professional actress in Cleveland with Western Vestern Union Please Please in 1941 Her ability soon took herto her herto herto to Broadway in Life Is Like That followed by No One of Im Im- Im- Im Then de determined to come to Hollywood Hollywood Hol Hol- r lywood she he made the rounds HOI I of the New York film fUm offices I never dressed up much at anytime any anytime i time she said so I was wearing a pair of old moccasins a suit a sweater and a trench coat on my first interview When I told them themI I wanted to be in pictures they said Are Arc you kidding l' l and threw me out of ot the office Everybody kept telling me But youre you're not glamorous And I kept saying I 1 know it but it-but but I think I Ican Ican Ican can act Dont Don't they act in pictures pictures pictures pic pic- tures too No one seemed to have an answer for that She was still sUll wearing moccasins a suit l a sweater and a trench coat when she got around to Steve Trilling Trilling Trilling ling casting director for Warner Bros who was visiting New YorkI York I told Mr Trilling what I had done he looked at me and said When will you be ready to leave for Hollywood l' l Gosh I almost fainted But Warners fired her before she ever appeared in a picture At Columbia they're letting Nina Foch be herself They're letting letting letting let let- ting her act too and the boys in inthe inthe inthe the fro front t office are saying maybe shell she'll turn out to be another Bette Davis or Ingrid In rid Bergman |