News Around Hollywood
- After good word of mouth coming out of a preview screening of RKO’s ‘Mother Carey’s Kitchen’ studio officials have taken an option on three year old Texan, Donnie Dunagan. [The tyke had a busy 1939, appearing in three films – ‘The Son of Frankenstein,’ ‘The Forgotten Woman,’ and ‘The Tower of London,’ all for Universal. His last film credit was for Disney as the voice of Bambi – which fact he hid when in the Marine Corps from 1952 to 1977. At one time Dunagan was the youngest drill sargeant in the Corps and as such did not want to be labelled with that nickname].
- Jessie Busley (age 69), a stage actress hitherto for 50 years, has made the move to the screen taking a role in WB’s ‘Broadway Cavalier.’ [Cavalier emerged as ‘The Kid from Kokomo.’ And Busley is not credited for it. Yes, she had a long career on the stage, but had made the move to Hollywood back in 1930].
- Norman Foster, under contract as a director at 20th Century Fox, signed a new one with them adding more responsibility – as actor, writer, and director. He had completed all but one of the recent Mr Motos. [For 1939, Foster did the last Mr Moto (the Japanese detective was adjudged a possible liability by the execs at Fox) and two Charlie Chans].
- Also Fox has exercised their option with young actor Robert Kellard by upping his salary. He was then at work on his sixth (actually the 11th) feature with them ‘While New York Sleeps.’ He will appear next in one of the B unit projects – either in a Jane Withers feature or a Charlie Chan. [The winner – with Jane Withers in the ‘Boy Friend.’ There’s a story that she and Kellard had had an encounter at a roller skating rink, in which he helped her with her skates. Out of gratitude she insisted that her studio hire him].
- Charles Bickford’s career is getting a boost at Universal where he will play a lead in their project entitled ‘SOS.’ Nan Grey and Barton MacLane are already attached – with Harold Young directing. [Instead of using the title ‘SOS,’ the film was released as ‘The Storm’].
- Also at Universal, moppet actress Juanita Quigley has landed a part in the next Deanna Durbin picture ‘That Certain Feeling,’ to be helmed by Edward Ludwig. Ludwig had given Quigley her first start in the business. [In the film credits for ‘That Certain Feeling,’ Quigley would be listed as The Pest. She would have recently completed a turn as the child version of one of the star roles played by Louise Campbell in ‘Men with Wings’].
- Paramount (and director William Wellman), having landed a reference to Howard Hughes’ around the world flight in their film ‘Men with Wings,’ were angling to add a mention of Douglas ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan to the film.
On the Move
Jack Benny is leaving town today for a three week motor trip to New York.
Outside Hollywood
In Dublin, Douglas ‘Wrong Way’ Corrgian said that he was ‘shocked’ about the offers coming in for him to go on the stage. So far he has been turning down all offers that involve money. He explained that he did not want to commercialize his flight. It is reported that he has turned down offers from MGM, 20th Century Fox, and WB.