Barbara Stanwyck turns 31 on this date. The actress, currently divorced, is being seen around town in the company of Robert Taylor, whom she will marry in 1939. [At this time she was hard at work on the RKO lot making ‘The Mad Miss Manton’].
Ginger Rogers passes the 27th year mark on this day. [On the screen across the nation in ‘Vivacious Lady’ and also in front of the cameras on the RKO lot, dancing with Fred Astaire].
News Around Hollywood
Mrs Marguerite Pughe of England, the mother of ice skating champion and fledgling movie star Jack Dunn, arrived in Hollywood today. She had been racing to be by the side of her dying son, only to be heartbroken to learn that he passed away twelve hours before. Dunn originally thought his eye infection was due to cigarette ash being caught in it. The doctors discovered too late that it was not a streptococcic infection, but rather tularemia (or rabbit fever) contracted through a cut on his hand when he was hunting rabbits up near Victorville. The normal treatment for this rare disease is a blood transfusion. The police found one of two men who had successfully recovered from the illness. The doctors used him for the transfusion, but it had no effect.
Columnist Jimmy Fidler filed a denial to the $250,000 damage suit brought against him by actress Constance Bennett. He claims his statements about her on his radio show were made in good faith and had no malice intended. At one time in the past he had been her publicity agent and asserts that she encouraged him to then to secure publication of certain items that are similar to what she is now complaining about. At issue were Fidler’s report about Bennett’s conduct towards fellow actress Patsy Kelly, and towards newspaper reporters.
Ahead of his newest film, ‘Union Pacific,’ Cecil B DeMille was elected to an honorary membership of the Railroad and Locomotive Society.
Eleanor Hanson, a student at a local voice studio, was signed by RKO last month, and has just completed a short film (Russian Dressing) with Ben Alexander, in which she was the feminine lead. She has a role in ‘The Mad Miss Manton’ which began production this week. [Though she had a speaking role in Manton, all of her roles for 1939 were uncredited – three more for RKO; then two for Fox. Ben Alexander had a lengthy career, starting out in silents, made the transition to sound which included ‘All Quiet on the Western Front.’ You may recognize him as the partner to Sgt Friday (Jack Webb) in Dragnet (1951 version)].
Reported on This Date
Errol Flynn has special plugs in both of his vehicles for his electric razor so that he can shave on the way to work every morning.
WB buys 810,000 feet of film stock per week, and monthly recovers 600 pounds of silver from its film lab.
Two movie stars were called upon to participate in a traffic study. Ronald Reagan and Rosemary Lane piloted two automobiles of the same model. They began on Vine Street in the center of Hollywood and drove out to Inglewood to the new race track. Each was accompanied (ride along) by a cop to observe. Reagan was told to ignore all the traffic laws and Lane was told to observe them. Lane made the trip in 25 minutes and 50 seconds. Reagan made the 11.8 mile trip in 33 minutes and 5 seconds. He accumulated 28 traffic citations from the police officer sitting along side him.
