The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 30

1 Beverly Bentley Has Gwen Verdon Itches To Scale New Peaks tf-C THE NASHVILLE TENNES5EAN, Sunday Morning, March 29, T959 A Time and Place A Nose for History She's First Star of the Smellies, New Mike Todd Jr. Movie Scheme On or Off, She Can't Stand Still, So They Call Her 'Sam Tremble' rpHIS YEAR'S new clocks are highly effective decorative accessories as well as accurate timepieces. The news is in the emphasis on cordless battery-operated designs in polished woods, brass, lu-cite and leather, and on the variety of designs styled especially to appeal to men. seats and are synchronized with action on the screen. Beverly, with a list of Broadway credits, was chosen over 300 girls for the historic role.

How does she like making movie history? "I know I'm in for a lot of kidding," she says, "but it's a good script and done with tongua in cheek. I waa a little dubious myself until Michael demonstrated the process. That's what sold me. You can't imagine how much smell adds to a picture-especially if it's fragrant." i mm the first time lost daily stags fright, but she isn't relaxing either. Study in a variety of skills continues.

The role, in which she enacts a wax museum spinster who becomes enmeehed In romance and mystery, "Is like nothing I have done before." On two scores, however. Miss Verdon waa fortunately situated. She was on hand throughout the period when "Redhead" collaborators were working out the part "instead of getting into it after the character was all set." And In Director Bob Fosse, the star found a mentor of some magic, both for herself and cast. Gwen Verdon The hit of "Redhead" Hair Hobby i Array of Skills By JAMES BACON HOLLYWOOD (AP) Beverly Bentley, a blonde eyeful from Atlanta via Broadway, is about to make movie history in the tradition of Broncho Billy Anderson and Al Jolson. Beverly is the first star of the smellies just as Anderson was the first star of the movies, silent version, and Jolson was the first star of the talkies.

Some will argue that movies have smelled for years but Beverly will star in the first one that ever smelled on purpose. That's what makes her historic. She came to Hollywood for a few days to be fitted by Designer Helen Rose and is now en route to Malaga, Spain, to star In "Scent of Mystery," the first movie in Smell-O-Vision, the new process of Michael Todd, Jr. In the ecrlpt, Beverly, a. shapely beauty with more curves than the Dixie highway, is chased through Europe by an Englishman who has seen her only from the rear but has smelled a perfume she wore.

New Scent Michael Jr. says the audience will emell the perfume, a new scent, as well as 35 other odors. The fragrances are piped individually through the theater By WILLIAM GLOVER VTFAV YORK (AP) J- Gwen Verdon just can't stand still onstage or off. She has an itch to scale new peaks of skill. "I don't like to do anything badly," she explains.

"I could never let down." Miss Verdon Ls currently cap-pins her short but remarkable biptlme show career w-ith dazzling triumph as star of the musical smash "Redhead." It Is her fourth Broadway appearance since her debut in 1953, and each one has unveiled to cheering critics and fans an added dimension in theatrical skills. Gwen emerged as a dancer in "Can-Can," added huskily fascinating vocal skill In "Damn Yankees," displayed dramatic talent in "New Girl in Town." In "Redhead" she combines with these a deft grace at pantomime. Head Praise She concedes that heady praise from press reviewers may have Improved in some degree her working outlook, but basically she remains a strange mixture of confidence and worry. "My nickname has always been Sam Tremble," she says. In "Redhead" the blue-eyed, 5-foot-4 Miss Verdon has for 2 HOLLYWOOD (UPI) Lauren Chapin, who plays the younger daughter in the "Father Knows Best" TV series, amuses herself in her spare time by pursuing the hairdresser's art.

Her mother, certain that Lauren will become a beautician if ehe gives up acting when she grows up, says the girl is always fussing with false hair pieces washing, curling and combing them. When she's free at the studio, she invariably visits the hairdressing department to try on wigs, braids and buns. Having now displayed a four-way array of -skills. Miss Verdon won't necessarily come up with a fifth art for whatever she tries next. (Her 18-month contract In "Redhead" will undoubtedly be filled to the last day.) She would, in fact, accept an attractive part even if it meant temporarily shelving dancing or singing.

"I certainly don't want to stop." she says. "I may not be good sometimes, and there might be a failure, but I have a tremendous respect for the theater and its wonder." Mft i-v For top of a man's dresser, this Howard Miller bubble clock comes mounted on a two-drawer walnut chest. -wA tj mwi Look, Mom! HOLLYWOOD (UPI) A surprise gift from Llberace to his mother was a home In Palm Springs, built and decorated by the pianist. Bardot a Slave. HOLLYWOOD (UPI) Screen "sex kitten" Brigitte Bar-dot played a slave at the age of 16 in "Helen of Troy." Beverly Bentley Pioneer Beesley's open rjondays til 9 p.m.

i i A Overscaled "Sunflower" wall clock create! a shadow-box pattern with its laminated walnut and birch strips. George Nelson's cordless portable "eyeball" clock is powered by flashlight batteries, will run 365 days without attention. "Golden Triangle" is new cordless all transistor clock radio. It rotates to reveal its three faces clock, radio dial and radio speaker grille. Saddle stitched pigskin sewn in a star motif to tell the hours, and a teakwood and cherry frame beautify "Executive" battery wall clock.

fjeiTO I Good Housekirpin; Rosalind's Hidden Assets Clotheshorse 'Mame' Bids for Oscar COME SEE IT! notice that all the vital points are weiaca; check the long-life Nylon bearings; the heavy steel tubing; the beautiful baked enamel finish. Here is quality you can see and feel, and like all GYM-DANDY Units this SPACE PLAT-FORM GYM is ADULT-TESTED for Greater Strength and Greater Child Safety, It's designed to fire children's imagination, with GYM-DANDY's NEW SPACE PLATFORM GYM those lively youngsters will be (lying high, sliding, swinging and climbing all over this big, new 10-stagc play gym. MUs Russell, who was the sensation of last year's Oscar presentations when she turned up in a pajania-type evening gown, said she might attend this year's ceremonies in a re-shaped drape. s3 OVERALL LENGTH 16 FEET A COMPLETE HOME PLAYGROUND with more fun plays for everybody: jr 3-foot space platform for spacemen to view the universe. "jr 6-foot double-curve galvanized slide for a fast back-to-earth ride.

jt Tubular space swing for that high flying feeling. High orbiting SKY-5KOOTER with exclusive SAFETY CIRCLE grips. jr Plus two swings, acting bar and gym rings, -fa 9-foot Top of 2-inch tubing. 7'j-foot Legs of 2-inch tubing. GYM-DANDY GYMS aro MORE FUN THAN ANYTHING! Leftover Dropes Buy any gym set for only $400 A Month $1995 By RICK DU BROW HOLLYWOOD (UPI) Rosalind Russell, a victim of well-clothed parts throughout her movie career, confides at this late date that she is really something to see in a bathing suit.

"It's not bad, kiddo," she said, arching her eyebrows. "I actually wore bathinjr puits in two pictures, but mont of the time I was the pood old career girl or the clothes horse." At the moment, Miss Russell a candidate lor an Academy award for playing the most glorious clothes horse of them all, "Auntie Mame." But the statuesque, fast-talking actress, a four-time loser in the Oscar derby, is positive she'll finish out of the running again on April 6. Her money is on Susan Hay. ward's performance in the role of an alleged murderess who meets her death in the gas Chamber in the film "I Want to 4-ive." "Comedies seldom win," Hoz ld, "and besides. Riman was NWXv Uood Rosalind Russell She's victim excellent.

Next year I potta try a Ras chamber with all those rrnzv pellets." "We just finished redecorating a couple of rooms," she said, "and we gotta do something with all that leftover stuff." She said that playing the madcap "Mame'' delighted her because it reminded her of the wackier, earlier days of moviemaking. "Once, a number of years ago." she said, "I was actually 10 days into a film before I found out I was reading from the wrong script. We used to write the script day by day, and they were all so much alike it didn't make much difference. "Anyway, the producer had fired the original writers and hired two new ones, and I didn't know it. The crisis came when I told one of the leading men 1 loved him, and the director eaid, 'No, you're supposed to love the other And I Mid, 'The heck I do.1 That's when we found out." Slow Starter Miss Russell ld he wgg particularly pleased with "Auntie Mame" because it almost never canie off.

"First," she said, "and you won't believe it, 23 publishers turned down the book before it was accepted. I didn't even know there were that many. "Then I tried desperately to turn down the part. I've wanted to retire for 10 years. I'm a frustrated writer and artist, and I wanted to write and paint.

I just about fell on my knees in the lawyer's office, trying to get out of it. "But in husband (producer Freddie Brlsson) convinced me that if someone else did the part and the play was a failure, I'd always think I could have saved it and if it was a success, I'd always regret now being In it." This compact, budget-model GYM-DANDY Gym will give) jour youngsters plenty of healthful, body-building exercise. It's a safety-engineered for long-lasting fun. All-steel leg sockets are welded to the top bar, hold legs with vise-like grip. Only quiet nylon bearings are used for swing hangers and Sky-Skootcr.

Safety-shaped Sky-Skootcr seat has rounded edges, is made of enameled wood. Heavy steel tubing. (CTf7 G'iniontetd by GYM'DAH DY( lPAPCidTy vfiood Housekeeping J' 11 BEWARE of FLYING ANTS TIIEY COULD HE TERMITES Call For A FREE INSPECTION Our Men Are Highly Skilled TERMITE PEST CONTROL SERVICE 4 More fun than anything! That's how your youngsters will feel about this new GYM-DANDY Gym. 9 exciting plays, including the famous 2-placc Sky-Skootcr pumper with new SAFKTY CIRCLK Grips, 2 fast-flying swings with durable plastic chain sleeves, an 8-foot, double-curved slide, trapeze bar, adjustable gym rings and 2 acting bars. It's a GYM-DANDY the name ou sec advertised in Good Housekeeping and Parents' Magazine.

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