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Show Released by WNU Features. By INEZ GERHARD A LITTLE more than two years ago Howard DufT, a comparatively unknown radio ra-dio actor, was picked by Director Di-rector William Spier to be "Sam Spade" on the air. Wiseacres along Radio Row shook their heads, but Spier knew what that distinctive voice would do for the role. Later, Mark Hellinger said, "If his looks come anywhere near matching his voice, Howard Duffs going to be the HOWARD DUFF biggest thing In pictures in years." The looks match. Continuing on the air, Dud has turned in magnificent mag-nificent performances in Hellinger's "Brute Force" and "The Naked City," as well as in "All My Sons" and in the forthcoming "Wildfire.'.' Alexis Smith is known In Hollywood Holly-wood as one of the most beautiful stars under contract to Warner Tiros. However she's prouder of the fact that she's also known as the best braided-wool rug maker of Coldwater Canyon,- wheeve she lives. Una O'Connor, character actress whose latest role is in RKO's "Fighting Father Dunne," likes to puzzle acquaintances by telling them that, though she was born in Hollywood, she did not reach the film capital till she was in her twenties. The answer the Hollywood Holly-wood she was born in is s small town near Belfast, Ireland. She went to Belfast to go to school, decided to go on the stage, and went on to Dublin to learn about acting at the famous Abbey theater. Elaine Riley now can say "I told you so!" RKO signed her and let her go after one picture. She got a Paramount contract and now is free lancing, lanc-ing, so RKO called her to play Franrhot Tone's sweetheart In "Every Girl Should Be Married." Mar-ried." When Marlcne Dietrich was an hour late for a "Studio One" rehearsal re-hearsal it was obvious that producer-director Fletcher Markle was thinking she'd better have a perfect per-fect alibi. In radio circles you just aren't late. Hers was perfect; her grandson was just 25 minutes old, nnd Miss Dietrich had been up all night, keeping her daughter Marta company. Just four pictures have estab-' estab-' lished John Dull as one of Hollywood's Holly-wood's most talented and versatile actors. A sensitive Welsh student in "The Corn Is Green," a comedy role in "Something in the Wind." a Confederate officer in "Another Part of the Forest," a psychopath- ic killer in "Rope" those are the roles that have built his reputation. Larry Parks played his first jrenc In his own starring film, "The Gallant ' Blade," with a blanket over his head. It was for a rescue scene In which he was covered up and jerked backwards through a doorway to save his life. The Indian players who worked with Randolph Scott in "Coroner's Creek" took gnlf lessons between scenes from Scott, who qualified for the national amateur championship. champion-ship. He'd battle the redskins, Director Di-rector Ray Enright would yell "Cut," and Scott and the Indinns would dash off the set, grab their golf clubs, and practice until they were needed again. i All that lovely food you'll see In the gypsy cantina sequence in "The Loves of Carmen" is plastic, except for the turkey drumstick which Rita Hay worth eats. Columbia, Colum-bia, lining up with the government's govern-ment's food conservation program, uses real foodstuffs only if the script sayi the food must be eaten before the cameras. It's fake food in "The Gallant Blade," too. ODDS ASD ENDSSuta Peters ii iht star of 4 new ball-hour radio program tailed "Book Start Girl," being offered radio agenciet for fall production. . , . Dinah, tbi tat in Columhia'i new Terry Mnore-Clenn ford tomedy, "The Return of Otto her," uai trained for brr rolt from birth by trainer frank Innat leat that't what h tayu . , , Caltl breeder ' f.tra Stone it iht proud new owner of 4 H-monlh old thampion Scotch Ayreibirt bull. . . . "Lum and Ahner" i are but gelling into ihapt for iht national lit el thampinmhipt in Sep lember, by spending their u-eek-tndt practicing. |