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Show sta6e:screen!:RADio By VIRGINIA VAI.K Helen. it' it by Western Nevsp;yier Union. rl TROUGH Rise (pronounced 1 Roo-snh) Slovens has sung five seasons with the Metropolitan Metro-politan Opera company, radio can claim her in a way; she made her first public appearance appear-ance ns a singer on the "Sunday Morning Children's Hour." produced pro-duced by Milton Cross. In 1935 she was a seniitlnalist in the Metropolitan Metropoli-tan Opera Auditions of the Air, was offered a contract and refused; felt that she wasn't ready for it. Paramount Para-mount signed her for "The Count of Luxembourg"; when it was delayed, she was asked to appear opposite j x , , J If ) i K y L i j RISE STEVENS Bing Crosby in "Going My Way?", in which she sings several operatio arias. Describing her, people say: "Really, she's not a bit like an opera star!" When Johnny Longden, the jockey who rode Count Fleet to victory in the Kentucky Derby, visited the set of United Artists' "The Hairy Ape," he brought along a good luck token. To William Bendix, the male star, and Alfred Santell, director, he gave the shoes the great horse wore in the race, as a lucky piece on the opening stretch of their shooting. J. Carroll Naish saved a marine's life the other day on the screen. Naish is in "Gung Ho!", Cniversal's film based on the book written by Capt. W. S. LeFrancois, USMC. The script writers had the captain die In their version of the story, Instead of being wounded and decorated, as happened in real life. But Naish played the captain so brilliantly that the script was revised. Gary Cooper, who rose to film lame as a strong, silent man, sings on the screen for the first time in "The Story of Dr. WasselL" The song, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," was spotted by C. B. DeMille for the picture on publication. The new Sinatra picture has no title so far, but it's under way, George Murphy, Adolphe Menjou and Gloria De Haven have been signed for it by RKO; Wally Brown and Alan Carney, comedy team, will appear as stooges to Murphy. Eleanor Powell's dancing partner for the grand finale of "Sensations of 1944" recently arrived in Hollywood; Holly-wood; she's "Starless Night," is five years old, and is rated by her owner, Capt. William Heyer, as the finest dancing horse he's ever trained. Virginia O'Brien, noted for her "deadpan" portrayals, will change her screen personality in her new picture, "Dear Barbara," which MGM is producing with Susan Peters in the lead. In the picture Frank Morgan will play a character similar to that of his telegrapher in "The Human Comedy," which won him praise from the critics. Jimmy Durante and Margaret O'Brien also have important roles. Dennis Day, singing star of Jack Benny's radio show, has been signed by RKO to a contract calling for his appearance in two films yearly. "While still unknown. Day followed Kenny Baker as the singer on the Benny program, and almost overnight over-night became a top attraction. Acting Act-ing roles on the air show helped him along, and first thing he knew he was in pictures. The latest "March of Time," exclusive ex-clusive film material which reached America on the last plane out of Sweden before air travel there was suspended, shows how the Swedish people, living in precarious peace, are meeting the pressure of Nazi threats with growing defiance. ODDS AND ENDS There's a rumor that Greta Garbo's next picture will team her with Charles Boyer for Universal Uni-versal . . . Ginny Simms has mailed Valentine cards to servicemen who have appeared on her program . . . The role of Stanley, the cigar-store proprietor proprie-tor on the Burns and Allen show, is phiyed by Bill Wright, who co-starred with At I'earce for years in the "Eb and Zeb" comedy series . . . Don Ameche, loo busy in pictures to follow the "What's New" show to New York, acted as master of ceremonies at a feast at a Hollywood restaurunl for his three young sons, by name: Ronny, Tommy and Lonny. |