Joe E Brown and Dick Powell ‘climb the bat’ at the charity baseball game.
NEWS AROUND HOLLYWOOD
The third annual charity baseball game at Wrigley Field [this is the LA baseball stadium, not the Chicago Cubs one] on this date takes place – between two teams – Comedians vs Leading Men. Thirty thousand people were in attendance. Jack Benny coached the comedy team and was their starting pitcher. It was captained by Joe E Brown. The Leading Men team was coached by George Raft (who held down third base). Dick Powell was their captain. The three Ritz brothers umpired. Mary Pickford threw out the first pitch. [The LA Times reported – “It took almost an hour to play the first inning, and two hours later, one of the teams — it may have been the Comedians — announced that they were leading by a score of approximately 25 to 2. The opposing Leading Men’s team said the score was approximately correct, but that they were in the lead rather than the comics. It is safe to say the score will never be known.” The story was carried by all the news reels of the day.] Stars Play Baseball In Hollywood (1938) – YouTubeYouTube · British Pathé3.7K+ views · 9 years ago
Norma Shearer was interviewed by Ed Sullivan at MGM before the release of ‘Marie Antoinette.’ She was wondering how her performance as the French queen would be accepted by the public in general and her fans in particular. But perhaps foremost in her mind was the topic of the role of Scarlett O’Hara for ‘Gone with the Wind.’ The preponderance of her fan correspondence was against her accepting the role. She told the columnist that they were telling her that they could not reconcile the part she played in her 1932 film ’Smilin’ Through’ with the part of Scarlett. And she at last concluded, “They’ve been more than kind to me for a long time. If they don’t want me to play Scarlett, that’s enough for me.” [A more fleshed out article than the one mentioned for July 25].
Murray Silverstone, general manager of United Artists, has announced that more than 1.5 million will be made available for Walter Wanger to enlarge his production activities.
Alice Faye has been given over to the care of a physician today, after an attack of ptomaine poisoning yesterday sent her home from Twentieth Century Fox. Production was halted until Monday. [She had been at work on ‘By the Dawn’s Early Light’ under the direction of Gregory Ratoff. There were a lot of problems with the project – which will be noted in future posts. It would not be released until December 1939 under another title].
Rita Hayworth has taken riding lessons in preparation for her role in the RKO film opposite George O’Brien. [See July 20]
OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD
In Boston, Shirley Temple was confined to her bed today at the Ritz Carlton after complaining of feeling ill upon waking this morning. Her parents called in two doctors from Massachusetts General Hospital to look at her. They diagnosed an upset stomach and mild headache. Shirley’s tour of the historical sights was postponed pending her recovery.
After appearing in The Merchant of Venice later this summer, Helen Hayes will take a year long sabbatical from theater and film and join her husband Charles MacArthur on the African continent where he is reporting from such places as Tunis and Morocco.
Jascha Heifetz has returned to New York last week from LA. He had performed his last recital there, after trotting the globe for the past five years. On which he had flown in every single commercial airline in the world. He has postponed his winter tour until Novemeber as he will be starring in the Sam Goldwyn production of ’The Daring Age,’ dealing with the problems confronted by youth after college graduation. He will be arriving next week in Hollywood. [See June 16 – another iteration on the way to production for ‘They Shall Have Music’].
