The Lowell Sun from Lowell, Massachusetts • Page 65

Tutoring kid stars was an exciting challenge 9j LUORETIA STEIGEIt Oiffcj News Sendee HOLLYWOOD Facing a classroom Oiled with some of the world's most talented children Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, to name a few could be any teacher's dream. Bat it "just happened" to Miss Mary MacDonald nearly 40 years ago. "I had come back to Los Angeles from teaching in the Phillipine Islands," said Miss MacDonald, "and just walked into a job of teaching at Metro-Gold- wyn-iiayer studios. I was looking lor a teaching job in Los Angeles, because my father was ill there, and nought I could do some tutoring. Those depression days, and teaching posts were hard to come by." A phone can at one morning proved a taming point the young, dark-h a i teacher's life; because she could teach French, she was hired to tutor high school senior Jean Parker, a dancer then under contract to the studio.

"Ttiat was my first experience with studio teaching," Miss MacDonald said, "and it was a lot of fun because Jean, 17, got the red carpet treatment wherever she went, and I got it, too." She stayed with her student until Jean's 18th birthday, then oecame resident teacher at MGM, following her predecessor's retirement. IN HER LONG career as studio teacher, Miss MacDonald taught such fledging stars as Joan Brodel (later famous as Joan Leslie), Bonita Granvffle. Deanna Durbin, Darryl ffick- man, Dean Stockwell and Margaret O'Brien. "I was very strict, because I can't teach without discipline. If you're strict and have good Open nrl.

Sot. son. 2-Action pocked Hits OOBERMAN GONG" "PUPPET en a Chain" (PS) FIRST DRIVE IN A PRIC6S starring BRANDO PLUS SELECTED SHORT SUBJECT NOW UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT CHELMSFORD I I EHBE 2 Adult 'CLASS ALSO-HANG-Ur order, you can have a good time with kids "If you expect a lot, they'll surprise you, and surpass even that," said the teacher, who "only had to fail a pupil. "Those children had so much talent after all, they had been signed by the studio because of talent that it was unbelievable. Being creative doesn't mean you have to have fee highest I.Q.

in the though. I learned many a lesson in paintings and drawing from those youngsters," she said, pointing to a photograph of her students admiring a picture drawn by Elizabeth Taylor. "She (Elizabeth) was a beautiful child. I never saw a more beautiful child," Miss MacDonald said. She taught the young actress from sixth a through high school.

STUDIO CLASSES the state required a minimum of three hours per day were held in the Spanish-style bungalow formerly belonging to Louis B. Mayer. "It had big carved doors, recessed windows and a fenced yard," Miss MacDonald remembered, "and I used to get help, and a tot of visitors, from the board of Education. During the '4fls, the school staff expanded to eight teachers a day, "one for 'each 10 children or less she "We had a lot of parties, too," the former a a i "Christmas, Hallowe'en, birth- Studio tutor cm prized pupils Studio school teacher Mary MacDonald looks over some of young stars she taught tfca 3 Rs to over the years at the MGM studios. At right she tutors Joan Brodel (later famous as Joan Leslie) and Mickey Rooney.

Photo was taken in 1935. days when I see some of the pictures I saved," she said, motioning to a stack of photographs, "it seems that we did nothing but have parties, which wasn't true at all." She remembered "trying to avoid letting the studio photographers find out about the parties," she said, "because they'd be there in a flash to take pictures, and of course the kids loved it." The "show business children" Miss MacDonald taught proved their background'one day, when a group of members of. the St. Louis Board of Education visited the school unexpectedly. "Well, Ijworried about that," Miss MacDonald said.

"It was 'speech day' and although ordinarily I bad the children write their proposed speech topic on the board, I hadn't done it that CAN A MOVIE GO TOO FAR? BATED -Complete Show at 7:30 MARI, SEVENTEEN. YING. EVEN FOR ER THE WORS1 YET HOLIDAY SHOW NOW THRU 3 BIG HITS JUST ACROSS. THE STREET FROM LAST HOUSED LEFT HOT RECOmmERDEO FOR KRSORS OVER 3D! PLUS 2nd GREAT SHOW She's the All American girl. On the All American trip.

I The people next 3rd HIT "BABY LOVE" IN COLOR I 8 OCTOBER 8, 1972 day, and one of the girls in the class had a habit of coming up with talks particularly suited to the classroom. "But I had forgotten that these were actresses and ac- tors," Was MacDonald said. "They came through beautifully. The talks went like clockwork, and everything was perfect. All those kids ever needed was an audience." Fri.

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