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Show Rlard by Wntern Newspaper Union. By VIRGINIA VALE JANET BLAIR, in pigtails, J calico dress and high button but-ton shoes, reported for a test or "Regina" in Columbia's "Gallant Journey"; Producer-Director William Well-man Well-man said she was the first girl he thought of for the part. She wai upposed to look 11, and she did. she says It was the first time she wasn't told that she looked too young to play a role. Janet started tier career as a soloist with Hal Kemp's band straight out of high JANET BLAIR school, broke into pictures before ihe was 20. In her colorful gay 90s costume she grows up charmingly charm-ingly in the picture, with Glenn Ford, who's 19 when the picture begins, be-gins, romancing with her. Between scenes of "Angel on My Shoulder," Claude Rains covered his own shoulders with a worn tweed coat. He's superstitious about It. He wore It on the "Casablanca" ! let the picture won an Academy Acad-emy award. And on the set of "Caesar and Cleopatra" In London, tor which he got the highest salary ever given an actor, $1,280,000. "Happy Hollywood Homes" will be the title of a Columbia Screen Snapshot, showing film players and directors and their mates who've been married for more than 10 years. Producer Ralph Staub expects ex-pects to have about 60 such couples in the picture. Unprejudiced observers think maybe he's sticking stick-ing his chin out, since Hollywood marriages have a way of breaking up even after 10 years. Fred Waring and his Pennsyl-i Pennsyl-i vanians, who have a schedule calling call-ing for six half-hour broadcasts a week (five mornings and Tuesday evenings) have found time to trans-; trans-; cribe a special 15-minute show for the Veterans' administration. 7T If a tune's danceable, singable and has an appealing Idea, the chances are It's set for the "Hit Parade," according to Harry Warren, War-ren, who wrote "On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe," "Down Argentine Ar-gentine Way" and other hits. "01 course," he added, "a Blng Crosby Cros-by or Frank Sinatra to sing it won't do any harm." He's currently writing writ-ing the music for M-G-M's "Summer "Sum-mer Holiday." Walter Pigeon ("Mr. Minnlver," "Pierre Curie," etc.) will shag, truck, do the Susy-Q and Big Apple Ap-ple with Claudctte Colbert for a jitterbug jit-terbug routine in "The Secret Heart," now before the cameras at Metro. Quite a change for the dignified dig-nified Mr. Pigeon! "Possessed" Is the new title of the Warner Bros, picture starring Joan Crawford, known till now as "The Secret." It looks like another top-notcher for her; Van Heflin plays opposite her, Raymond Mas-sey Mas-sey and Joan Chandler have important impor-tant roles. Johnny Desmond sent a carton of 1 nis latest records to Princess Eliza-j Eliza-j beth of England at her request. She ! became a Desmond fan when he j sang for her In Bedford with the i CJlenn Miller army air force band, i and asked that copies of his first 1 recordings be sent to her. It was reported later that Desmond was her "favorite crooner"; she'd heard dim sing his "Soldier and a Song" 3ver the armed forces network. Meredith Willson has been named to the music advisory committee of the Atwater Kent radio auditions, me of the radio's oldest and most nonored radio institutions, which was started in 1927, but was discontinued dis-continued during the war. Resumed Re-sumed this year, it is designed to uncover young talent in singers and musicians, and has given a start to many a successful career. ODDS AND ENDS-CBS Newt ft porter Bob Garred hat completed nar ration for a Columbia Picturet short, and executive plan to put him under a year't contract for similar picturt i chores. . . "f'hilo Vance" hat been i bouthl to replace Bill Gargan't "tur i der If ill Out," uith the role of "Ser i eant Heath" played by Humphrey Davit. . . Dan Seymour, rotund char arter actor in "Cloak and Dagger," utea I to be a circut ttrongman. . . . Bing j Crosby't been notified that he't the fa j vorite vocalist of American occupation , troopt in Europ; next in order j Frank Sinatra, Vaughn Monroe and tht I King Colt Trio, according to a poll. |