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Show Looking at HOLLYWOOD n ADIO has become the established t Kjpringboard for a graceful diva jnto the Hollywood swim. Before the death of vaudeville the 1 (hree-a-day circuit was the training : ground for most of the early stars of stage and, later, screen. Now joap operas and nightly variety gljows are proving to be a cushy school for future screen stars. y- The jump from radio to screen is I f3sier for the unknown actor than it is for a head- fcer. The little- fflfifaj &own performer $$ has an opporium- gr ' ty to portray and ;; Usin valuable ex- ffa ':MM 1 perience in many ;;' j types of roles. IMTt ( ' ?i . . ' f j Jane Powell j- febsev y Fred Drady is ! i, :''". .'J l the newest screen r : 'i'es&f:-: discovery. Fol i. AL-'-"" ':; J lowirjg his coast ' a '"y'k! .'.I 10 coast shows, I,- . " talent scouts con- Frank Sinatra tacted Brady for a screen lest. Ha scripted the test himself and was signed to a long-term M.G.M. acting contract. The Younger Set Janc.Pwe11 is another sensation direct from the ether. The 15-year-old Portland singer appeared for one performance on "Hollywood Showcase," then sat .back and took her pick of studio contracts. She was a hit in her first screen role and is being starred in her second fianisical, "High Among the Stars." 1 From announcer to dramatic actor act-or sums up the quick film success of likable Bill Goodwin. Bill's voice ! is recognizable to thousands of lis-' lis-' tencrs. Soon they'll hear Bill's voice and be able to see him in ! scenes with Ingrid Bergman in "The ! House of Dr. Edwardes." John Ilodiak is still another new Hollywood star whose voice was , heard long before his face was seen j. in "Lifeboat." In contrast, air headliners have a i more difficult time than unknowns' in establishing themselves as movie e stars. You unconsciously build up i your own mental picture of the face e behind the voice. If the actor's per-L per-L sonality doesn't project from the i screen in accord with the mental ! picture created by the air waves 7 it's a quick curtain on the Holly-t Holly-t wood career. a Rudy Vallee was a Hollywood i casualty. The Connecticut crooner I experienced an early version of the l Sinatra landslide. He was forced into films by his fans. After a series of i unfortunate pictures, which I must sdmit were pretty terrible, he returned re-turned to the air lanes. However, j lust before his induction into the ! United Stales coast guard he fin-: fin-: ished two highly successful screen a roles as a comedian, mainly be-cause be-cause a bright young writer and di- rector named Preston Sturges de-i de-i cided to make an asset of Vallee's i liabilities. the Voice Came Through Remembering the Vallee fiasco, film producers were cautious when the bobby sock brigade flooded S Hollywood studios with letters deft de-ft mantling that they see "the Voice" i the screen. For Sinatra's debut 3. BKO gave the crooner hit tunes, a 3 cot too dramatic role, a good cast, jp then released the picture and held r their breath. The fans swooned and 5 sked for Frankie again and again. Two other famous voices to suc-csi suc-csi cessfully travel the same route were Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCar- Through -the puppeteering mas-toy mas-toy of Bergen and careful photog-nPby photog-nPby the one-man show became a t tarring screen team. Amos and Andy donned burnt cork j stepped before the movie p wes, with but slight success. But i MioU and Costello acted out their "Wines in front 0- a Universal i mera and the gold rush was oner on-er ,ai still js. jj "wo Heads Better Than One (( OUen and Johnson now make one ,i Picture a year. Lum and Abner J Rened a long-term RKO contract xpcct to balance their career wween air and screen. Following i trend, Fibber and Molly McGee re finally roped into the HoUy-Dt HoUy-Dt 1 corral. The list goes on unendingly. if Q television will do after it makes its debut at war's end no one 0)i n as yet foresee. But I predict li k sulls wiU be as startling and riJfJ preaching as when sound came to rfft ae movies. www ' 2'e Bandwagon , j ben Abbott and Costello were J 1?duced at a dinner given recent-ce recent-ce I toastmasler went overboard ti c m; " now give you the most sue-& sue-& ?J, tcaiTi modern time Ab-P Ab-P JJJ an. CosteUo." Bud stood up a1 saiti' "Whatever happened to jcri: 1 team Ei&enhowcr and Mont-Kmcry?" Mont-Kmcry?" , t Groucho Marx, look-h look-h Vhis dau8nler Marian's new u ,J,ch had a big bird sitting on Jlald. "1 don't mind the hat. but h,:.?ld "ou have to buy one I'll 9 flvetofeed?' |
