| Show l ri riL df l L 4 Looking ng at HOLLYWOOD n H OLL newest juvenile star star all all hands seem to agree on that that that-is is a year old girl who can say more with a 0 flash of her wondrous eyes than most veteran actors can put across with a full fulI page of dialog Those eyes deep d ep set pools of blue that probe right into your heart arc are the first thing you notice about Elizabeth Elizabcth Taylor The second is her indomitable will The two form an unbeatable com com- Elizabeth is a quiet beautiful beau beau- beautiful beautiful child who has willed her herway herway f way to Hollywood success With any less f determination she never would have w never won von her opportunity opportunity opportunity to portray Velvet the little heroine of National Na National National Velvet It Itis Itis Itis is her outstanding Elizabeth Taylor performance in inthis inthis inthis this picture that has lifted her to the stellar heights Since she first set foot on the lot almost two years ago Elizabeths Elizabeth's heart has been set on playing Vel Vel- vet The studios studio's had the script since May 1937 waiting for the right richt girl Hundreds had been tested and many announced but with no suc suc- success cess When Elizabeth approached Producer Pandro S. S Berman she was told Im sorry honey but Im I'm afraid youre you're not tall talI enough Besides Be Be- Besides Besides sides Velvet Velve has to ride a horse over overa a very difficult steeplechase course course Spirit That Wins I I can learn to do that prompt prompt- promptly ly declared the little girl And I Ican Ican Ican can grow too tool In the next three months she did To the amazement even of her fam fam- family family famay ily ay doctor she grew crew three inches This is explained by the fact that she suddenly developed an enor enor- enormous enormous enormous appetite after being a finicky eater for years and added two hours to her sleeping each night It was all her own idea and she stuck I to it Elizabeth already knew and loved horses She had learned to ride atthe at atthe the age ace of four while living in Eng Eng- England land Now during the three months she trained daily on jumps until she was clearing five foot hurdles with ease and grace When she confronted Berman again he too was amazed at her growth He called Clarence Brown and they watched her ride and jump and marveled some more A technicolor tech tech- technicolor technicolor test was made and Velvet had been found Elizabeth was born in London the daughter of Francis Taylor art deal deal- dealer er and the former Sara Southern who played the little crippled girl in Channing Pollocks Pollock's The Fool on the New York stage Elizabeth attended school at Byron By By- Byron Byron ron house in London She was seven when war clouds began becan to to darken Europe and her father moved his family to America They have since made their home in Beverly Hills Two years ago aco when her father fath r was on duty as an air raid warden Sam Marx l a Metro producer was moaning to a fellow warden about not finding a child for Lassie Come Home with Roddy McDowall l The Theman Theman Theman man said Taylor here has a ayoung ayoung ayoung young daughter that would be good for that part Sam said to Taylor Bring her over to my my office tomor tomor- tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow row will you Taylor did and Elizabeth got the part On Her Way After the Lassie picture she ap ap- appeared appeared with Roddy again in WhiteCliffs White WhiteCliffs WhiteCliffs Cliffs of Dover then was loaned to Twentieth for Jane Eyre as Janes Jane's ill-fated ill school chum Her death scenes marked the first real proof of her acting talent Follow Follow- Following Following Following ing this she achieved her goal of the title role in National Velvet in which she teams with Mickey l Rooney Her Ier I er next assignment was awaiting her and she's now nearly finished Hold High the Torch It is a part to delight any child and particularly Elizabeth In the cast with her areher are arc areher archer her old friend Lassie the collie dog star and a collection of wild life that includes a black bear beor coyote beaver silver fox squirrels chip chip- chipmunks chipmunks munks porcupines and even skunks The set is a little girls girl's paradise in which Elizabeth revels Her mother phoned me the other day and said Hedda Elizabeth is just dying to bring over her pet chipmunk to introduce him to your pet dog Wolfie Well since I love Wolfie as she does her chip I had to say Wait until you can get her herout herout herout out of the house without an animal animal- then Wolfie will love to see her and so will I. I With or without animals Elizabeth will creep straight into your heart and let me predict now no amount of praise will ever spoil her And Now Comes the Dawn Heres Here's postwar planning that'll set Hollywood on its heels An independent ent company is being formed by Leo McCarey l Frank Capra Sam Wood David Butler George Stevens when out of uniform and Gregory La Cava That's not bad BIng Crosby's already alre dy tied in it for one picture a year Only way actors and directors can have any money mortey left is by an independent deal it seems Warners were w re smart in giving giving giving ing Bette Davis one picture a year to produce I |
