Show New Holds Unique Star Stor Contract ContractS S B By Y John Todd HOLLYWOOD INS INS Gregory Gregory Peck star r of ot The Keys Key of ot the Kingdom says very frankly he was WM strictly bush Lh league lugue right up to the time he hit the majors He had three Broadway flops before with a star set setUp set up in jn pl pictures i The role of Francis Chisholm from the A. A J. J Cronin classic novel now in hi work at t Twentieth Twentieth Twentieth Fox Century-Fox was waa one of or the most moat sought after parts parta for 19 1944 But before Peck got It he had some Bome ro rough gh going He e was waa a callboy callboy callboy call- call boy in his hia early theater days days days- they date back only to 1939 Peck Incidentally is 27 years yeara old Aa As callboy I became the champion champion champion cham cham- I pion stair upper climber-upper says sas the tall swarthy young chap who holds the most moat unique unique- star atar contract in Hollywood Hes He's signed for 12 leads t to be made during the next four years year all by major studios studio Id work in ini theaters where the dressing rooms would be in tiers five stories high nigh Aa As callboy Id I'd rush rum up and down the stairs staIr rapping rapping rapping rap rap- ping the actors out on stage In between Id I'd be muttering my own It was wa s. s great No wonder I wasn't want afraid to buy a mountaintop mountain- mountain top home home I I could scale an alp after aeter that go in Inthe the theater Before Peck made the grade as callboy he was was' wasa a guide in Radio City at 45 per week He graduated graduated graduated into that from a ajob job as barker of an auto ride concession on the amusement zone at New Yorks York's world fair He got 25 a week for that one and barked himself hoarse in ill a month Today he pays paya Uncle Sam t tax x on a weekly salary that runs into four figures PeckS Peck'S first picture Days of Glory in which he plays the role of a young Russian engineer is as asyet WI as WIyet asyet yet unreleased Two movie companies companies com com- are at present dickering with his hia contract ct holders to get Peck for star roles The Keys of the Kingdom keeps him at Twentieth for three months months' more Hes He's under contract to do four pictures for Fox in addition to his other commitments |