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Show STAGESCREENADIO Released by Western Newspaper Union. By VIRGINIA VALE JANET BLAIR, in pigtails, calico dress and high button but-ton shoes, reported for a test for "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 was supposed to look 11, and she did She says it was the first time sht wasn't told that she looked toe young to play a role. Janet started her career as a soloist with Ha! Kemp's band straight out of higt 'I k 'v ; I i J , i : v i V K " 1 JANET BLAIR school, broke into pictures before she 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" set the picture won an Academy Acad-emy award. And on the set oi "Caesar and Cleopatra" In London, for 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-vanians, Pennsyl-vanians, who have a schedule calling call-ing for six half-hour broadcasts a week (five mornings and Tuesday evenings) have found time to transcribe, trans-cribe, a special 15-minute show for the Veterans' administration. If a tune's danceable, singable and has an appealing idea, the ihances 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. "Of course," he added, "a Bing 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 HoUday." Walter Pigeon ("Mr. Minniver," "Pierre Curie," etc.) will shag, truck, do the Susy-Q and Big Apple Ap-ple with Claudette 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 loan Crawford, known till now as "The Secret." It looks like another top-notcher for her; Van Hcflin plays opposite her, Raymond Mas-sey Mas-sey and Joan Chandler have important impor-tant roles. Johnny Desmond sent a carton of lis latest records to Princess Elizabeth Eliza-beth of England at her request. She jecame a Desmond fan when he ang for her in Bedford with the Slenn Miller army air force band, ind asked that copies of his first recordings be sent to her. It was reported later that Desmond was ler "favorite crooner"; she'd heard lim sing his "Soldier and a Song" jver the armed forces network. Meredith Willson has been named ;o the music advisory committee of he Atwater Kent radio auditions, ne of the radio's oldest and most lonored radio institutions, which was started In 1927, but was dis-:ontinued dis-:ontinued during the war. Relumed Re-lumed this year, it is designed to mcover young talent in singers ind musicians, and has given a itart to many a successful career. ODDS AMD EDSCBS Kewg Reporter Re-porter Bob Garred has completed nar-ntion nar-ntion jor a Columbia I'ictures xhort, ind executives plan to put him under I year's contract for similar picture ! -hores. . . . Thilo Vance" has been bnucht to replace Bill Gargan's "Mur ier K ill Out," uith the role of "Ser. leant Heath" played by Humphrey Davis. . . . Dan Seymour, rotund char-icter char-icter actor in "Cloak and Dagger " used lo be a circus stroncman. . . . Bin Crosby's been notified that he's the fa-i fa-i vorite vocalist of American occupation troops in Europe: next in order ; Frank Sinatra, Vaughn Monroe and the j King Cole Trio, according to a poll. |