Show It Took Role on Br Broadway adway to Prove To Film Studios Kenny Could Act By Dy Erskine Johnson HOLLYWOOD Like NEA-Like Like a alot alot lot Jot of other ather people Kenny Baker Balter had to go to New York to prove to Hollywood that he could act Hollywood discovered a long time ago that Kenny could sing but a series of insipid screen characters inspired by his ing on the Jack Benny radio show convinced the movie makers that he should stick to singing I was stuck with insipid characters characters characters char char- in corny pictures Baker says and I couldn't get out of i them I was typed as a sap with I about as much backbone as a jelly fish i iSo I So a year ago Baker said f 1 to Hollywood shuttered up his I home drained his swimming pool and took his wife wiCe and 3 children to New York The rest you know I Kenny was a hit on Broadway opposite Mary Martin in One Touch of Venus He sang of course but what pleased him most was that New York critics were equally impressed by his acting He left leCt the show recently to I return to for a radio program and the title of R Radios dios dio's No 1 Tenor And hes he's pleased by I something else Several film studios studios studios stu stu- stu- stu dios are bidding for his services in straight acting roles One Touch of Venus convinced con con- convinced I vinced Hollywood that Kenny Baker could act and it also convinced convinced con con- vinced Kenny that stage work should be listed as essential to film careers I had sung with bands on the stage he said but I had never I had the chance to act before a live audience It was wonderful training I should have paid them for letting me work in the play Kenny Baker a Monrovia Cal boy has done all right since he switched from playing the violin to warbling In junior college college col col- col le lege e he made the discovery that he was a better singer than virtuoso I sang at so many Lions Rotarians and luncheons that I Iwas Iwas Iwas was known as the service club tenor The Baker home is in Beverly Hills But theres there's also a acre ISO Baker ranch near Santa Barbara where he hee spends most of his time Mrs Baker is Geraldyne Churchill the girl next door whom he planned to marry ever since they went to high school together |