News Around Hollywood
- Rita Hayworth set to return from her five months vacation and start her new contract at Columbia costarring with Paul Kelly in ‘Juvenile Court.’ [Hayworth had been dropped by Fox, the first studio to give her a contract. An oil man turned promoter, Edward C Judson, (who became her husband in 1937), got her some parts in some independent productions, and landed her initial contract with Columbia Pictures in 1936. She would have a good role in 1939’s ‘Only Angels Have Wings’].
- Selznick mounts a peculiar PR ploy by having Carole Lombard place long distance phone calls to four other celebs to ask them their thoughts about the pairing of Norma Shearer and Clark Gable in Selznick’s upcoming production – ‘Gone With the Wind’ – all in the presence of a bunch of invited newspaper reporters. The Duke of Windsor was not in; George Bernard Shaw was not taking any calls; Mrs Roosevelt wasn’t available. She did reach the editor of a London newspaper, but rang off when the operator warned that additional time would cost $10 more. Along with the print reporters were those with their cameras, who got shots of the actress with her feet propped up on the desk.
- Jack Dunn, world champion ice skater, is laid up at the Hollywood Hospital with steptococcic infection as a result of cigarette ashes in his eye. His mother is racing from England to be by his side. At one point she caught a mail plane which was launched from the decks of a Hamburg-German ocean liner. [See June 25 for a different diagnosis]
- Small film company Monogram Pictures is planning to establish its own studio.
Outside Hollywood
- Helen Runo, an honor graduate from Hollywood High School, has just completed her fifth film in Finland. There she is known by her Finnish name Tuulikki Paananen. [Born in Finland in 1915, her family moved to the US in 1919 (her mom was from Michigan). Tuulikki returned to Finland in 1935. She has four film credits there for 1939, but returned to the States again when war came].
Item of Interest
Police have added more details on the movements of cameraman King David Gray before the discovery of his body. A detective from Hollywood police homicide detail tracked down the liquor store from which the bottle found in his car had been purchased. The item in question is a quart of wine. However, this has only complicated the mystery because all of Gray’s friends report that he never drank. Prior to this information they only could account for his movements until 9pm. Now after talking to the dealer, they know where he was at 11pm, when he made the purchase.