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Show khAj Locking at HOLLYWOOD '"pHE hand that rocks the cradle A geti the spotlight these days. Our movie stars "have lost nothing j they've even gained much by be-! be-! coming mothers. They were out in the vanguard of the vogue Betty Grable, Alice Faye, Gene Tierney, and Lana Turner all glittering names in movieland. And with sin-cerest sin-cerest flattery the minor glamorettes whipped into line. .Gone but Not Forgotten A star who has a baby is gone from audiences a year or more, i That is, only so far as actually seeing her mov- les is concerned. I She can open the ' newspapers or ) magazines any old time and read Betty Grable as much about herself, now that baby - having is the rage, as if she were standing stand-ing before the Alice Faye cameras on an eight hour day. Box Office Betty Grable's latest pic-iture, pic-iture, "Pin Up Girl," was finished in i September of last year. But Betty stayed in the hearts of fans who fol-I fol-I lowed her progress avidly in every detail. The Trail Blazer Let's go back a few years. It was Vorma Shearer who really put babies on the cinematic lap. She was called the first lady of Hollywood then, and, as you know, the first lady can do no wrong. She was also the wife of Irving Thalberg, our top producer. Twentieth Century-Fox recently put out word that Betty Grable's next picture will be "Diamond Horseshoe," a gilded musical based on Billy Rose's night club. Her costumes cos-tumes will outdo anything Betty has ever had. - Wanted The Details But your fan comes back with "Is it true Betty wore butcher boy smocks when she was carrying Vicki?" or "How about that formula Victoria Elizabeth James thrives on?" If you meet Betty she'll talk only about the baby and Harry. "Wait until you get into harness again," I said. "The music will get into your feet. The costumes will bring that certain heady feeling why, even the smell of the makeup will become incense in your nostrils." nos-trils." "Sure," said the glamour madonna. She was yesing me, but her mind was not there. Only the Beginning And I keep remembering her remark re-mark to Harry James when she found she had a girl baby: "I'll have a boy for you, Harry honest I will." Just thinking of the loss in millions that those babies will mean is what turns movie moguls' hair gray. Georgie Jessel is doing a bitof worrying, too. He's wondering about "The Dolly Sisters." He wants Alice Faye and Betty Grable together in that one, just as they were in "Tin Pan Alley." Alice finished "The Gang's All Here" on July 3, 1943. One year as the calendar goes could be dangerous danger-ous to a star. But Alice's mail builds, although she's made but two pictures in the last three years. Her fans write about how much more beautiful she is now than before Alice Al-ice Jr. was born. Even so, it's time for Mrs. Phil Harris to be thinking of her next starring vehicle. She can make one before "The Dolly Sisters" goes on the schedule. Time Out What of Gene Tierney and Lana Turner? They proved quick-change artists from baby tending to picture routine. Lana was gone from Metro 14 months. Came back to "Marriage Is a Private Affair" when Cheryl Christina was six months old. Steps into "Women in Uniform" in two weeks' time. "Heaven Can Wait" was closed out April 10, 1943. And "Laura" began be-gan April 27. 1944. In between those dates Gene Tierney lived a down-to-earth interval at Junction City which included keeping house in an army settlement for husband Lieut. Oleg Cassini. She gave birth to Daria on October 14 last in a Washington Wash-ington hospital. If any of you girls think you're bright and capable, top that one. Gene plays the title role in Laura" at the moment; wears the most bizarre modem costumes. Roasted Wrong Turkey Jerry Lester tells about the end of his father's newspaper career. : His father wrote about a new play, 'saying "This was a turkey peddled two mouths before Thanksgiving." He did.i't know his publisher had helped finance the play. . . . Dame May U'hilty finally gets a good part in 'Thrill of a Romance" with F.sther Williams and Van Johnson. And they'll all have a thrill when Lp.uritz Melchoir starts singing. ; He's in the same opus. |