Show I HER FORMULA FOR FO R FAME IS BARED I t Sona Sonja Henie Hene he laughed at Sf her but her pictures proved the biggest moneymakers i Sonja Henie's Success Traced To Honesty and Hard Work By SHEILAH SHEILA GRAHAM Copyright 1938 for The Telegram HOLLYWOOD D Jan 8 8 I I was directing Sing Baby Sing said Director Sidney Lanfield over mince pie at the Brown Derby and cand anda canda a looking foreign-looking blonde came on on the set one day Dye mind if I vatch ze actors she said in a terrible accent Who is she l' l I asked someone Sonja Henie Henle I was told going to star in One in a Million Later LaterI I heard that Norman would direct the picture I condoled with him on his bad luckA luckA luck A few days later Darryl Zanuck Zanuck Zanuck Za- Za nuck called me into his office and gave me a thick script Your next picture he said You know with know with Sonja Henie I rolled on the floor in pure anguish But to cut a long misery short One in a Million l made more money for Twentieth Century- Century Fox than any other picture of the year year with with the exception of Miss Bliss Henie's Henle's next picture Thin Ice Also directed by Lanfield The ace has a simple explanation for la Ia Henie's astounding astounding astounding astound astound- ing screen success Honesty People like honesty Sonja has it also it-also also Shirley Temple Sonja is not a great actress I doubt whether she has ever felt anything very strongly in her life but but she is honest hard working working- has a wonderful smile And of course she can skate Other newcomers guided to success success suc suc- cess by Lanfield include Walter Winchell Ben Bei Bernie and the Ritz Brothers Brothers' And he recently stage managed a comeback for Simone Simone Simon Simone has the most terrible in inferiority inferiority inferiority in- in complex Ive I've ever encountered encountered encountered said Lanfield She is terribly terribly terribly ter ter- ter- ter sensitive and thinks everyone in Hollywood has a down on her Someone warned her against me atthe atthe at atthe the beginning of Love and Hisses and for two weeks all I could get gether gether gether her to say was Yes Yes' and No Then she went on strike strike said said she couldn't do the scene in which she had to talk French and En En- glish There were people on the set and it was all very em em- So I took Simone into a corner and said Look here here Im Im I'm trying to make this picture a suc suc- cess Why dont don't you From then thenon on we were the best of friends and there were no more temperamental outbursts According to Lanfield Walter Winchell was like putty in iii his hands hands in in the first picture they made together Wake Vake Up and Live The atmosphere was as harmonious harmonious but but not as carefree for for their second film Love and Hisses He was not in as good health for one thing The difference in working hours upset his sleep sheep And he does not like set times to be here and there Winchell was never called to the studio before 1 p. p m. m each day Average getting getting- up time for Walter Winchell when in New York 6 p. p m. m Walter was very amusing continued continued continued con con- Lanfield At first he didn't want to use make up make up didn't want to look like an actor I let him have his own way But when he saw the first rushes rushes rushes-he he is naturally natural natural- ly pale pale pale-I I had no more difficulty getting him to use make I remember the first day dar 1 I directed Constance Bennett re recalled recalled recalled re- re called Lanfield I said to her They tell me youre you're ous That's okay with me All AllI I care about is is to take a n good picture liars Connie replied And behaved like liko a lamb throughout the film The Ritz Brothers created history history history his his- tory in their first film Sing Baby Sing with Lanfield when they begged not to be introduced until the end of pf the film They thought it was the same as vaudeville A dot portrait of Lanfield Born 38 years ago in Chicago Married silent star Shirley Mason Has one daughter Sheila daughter Sheila Mary Was a member of the first jazz band a gag man and writer at Fox before turning director Specializes in musicals musicals and and making money for Boss Darryl Zanuck |