Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 63

SCREEN RADIO WEEKLY A i lod ueen iuies ovie eioarama Gertrude Michael Usurps the Throne Which Bebe Daniels Occupied in Days of Silent Films 10 A I If By Whitney Williams A LADY Lochinvar has come out of the East to dip into melodrama until there's nothing to do but dub her The new a a venture oirl or the Screen. Bebe Daniels once held this post, all accounts, this should be even and right lively action she con-more exciting than either "Sophie rributed or the pay custoartfC La1Tg' or, "Menace too. Think -of excitement on the rJ "chfeI mto reco-imend her for Lady Raffl-s screen in those dear dead days of of the screen. She exudes a per-silent films, and the name of Bebe "Sonal b' amour and a healthy sense immediately popped into your ff adventure that one immediate-. ly associates with the character.

V- i There is a trim, tfasric beauty in Gertrude Michael does that now her finely-chiselled features and and -firethren and sistrenj the mAr "i .1. 'M-nm'-iX I rU rzzzzdJ fit I i I is. I I I Z- -C 4 Zh'SJf't 7 1'; -1 1 I I -rC 1 i. a 11 i I I- Ji on- sN jfv f-f a muj Xir I 1 I x- -v''' 1 I jA l-rftV 1 I I I I un i ne screen. gal has something to offer.

She she loks the part. A well develop-as good as Bebe at her best (and ed sense of humor and an athletic that's, saying something), and. appearance round out her qualifica-m or cover, has a more thorough tions. understanding of screen values than The actress only recently has un- Bebe possesed at that time. YouH r'ertaken these lively roles, but she bear 'much of this' fair-haired has her entire past life to dra actress from the Broadway stage upon for preparation.

There are in the year to come, as already you 3 ore talents and fast-moving have enjoyed her work during the drama compiled in this young worn- past season. an -than you 11 meet in many a day In tiie event you do not readily the list of her accomplishments place Miss Michael; recall "The simply amazing. Indeed, it was Notorious Sophie Lang." and. more be judicious use of an incredible "Menace-" Then. too.

she versatility that led Gertrude to 1 was splendid in "Cradle Song," as where she is today, a nan. and played Caesar's wife in Isabel Jewel once told me she "Cleopatra." She has other pic- con-idered Gertrude Michael one tores tp her credit, of course, but of the cleverest young actresses in these are sufficient for the purpose, the theater. Gertrude came to For this story, the two first named from- the New York are important, due to Gertrude stage, but acting is only one of having hit her stride in these, in many attainments. "Her life, from her new type of characterization, childhood, has been unusually full I seem destined to continue" A niano prodigy-at 12. a oniver- playing these melodramatic law student at 15 and director she said, as ve lunched in a booth a radio station at 17 the variety at Lucey's, one of Hollywood's her interests is.so extensive that smaller but better-provisioned few fields have been left unex- murderer.

If anything, the picture enabled me to give a more "strenuous performance than the last" HE day on which I interviewed Gertrude, she was starting- another picture' "Father Rrrtwn rv. 17 P'oreo. a perusal of her life story, date- covering possibly a span of 21 or. 22 years, leaves one gasping in sheer amazement. Bt UORM in Talla- fi attracKted Si ease witWht becaus-e whlch hfr committed 1 'Tlf fi 3 rSC, rCad t0 her: The first mklihg of extra- ordinary musical talent came when she reached her fifth year LS the, ne that added vi upstairs, called down to learn who the .7 7 (n her mohe that it was she at the niano.

and her other came down to see. Piano foUowed unmediately. as matter of course. "C1JL ir mg-n versitv OI Alabama law school, but studie de- cided sh "ouId noTbe happy that xalling. She had taken up the t- pleading be 5 ci oLfpcaicu iicr.

As all thoughts rpf a law career, Ger trude went to Converse College. lomwucu -luiisiuiiK scnooi Spartanburg, S. and continued hr musical studies. To complete her education, then, she enrolled, the Cincinnati Conservatory of aia distinguished herself to extent of wmnmg a scho ar- nve years sruay itaiy. Always interested in the theater, Gertrude had devoted much of her young life to amateur theatricals, xestaurants.

The light blueness of her dress accentuated the blond beauty of her hair. Without the slightest warning, the studio told me I was to do 'The Notor- ious Sophie 'It's light and airy they said, 'so mould your characterization ac- cordinriv' "I had never done anything like this before, but after a day in the part I began to love it. I could do away wit bihibitions, I could dash difficult." I luuiiu ioc roic more run man nou ever enjoyed while working before fun than i had the camera; and it made me young again." she added, with mist 1 i' trndl 74 trude car, be more than 24 or 25 I read the reviews with fear and trembling, though, for it, didnt Gertrude Michael takes a rest between shots at the studio. And the rest was probably needed, inasmuch as she has Decome one of the most active actresses in movies since her first role as an adventuress, in "The Notorious Sophie Wet," at the Eltinge Theater. Five candidates had proved unsatisfactory for the leading roleand Miss Crothers sent out a cfill for SO g'rls to read the rart.

Before lunch she informed the girls, among whom was the alert Miss Michael, that the part required the ability to play a part of Scriabin's "Symphony No. 1 in Flat" and read dialogue at the same time- "Throughout my entire musical seem possible I could receive favor- years oio. concert I reallv went able notices when all I did, in my Gtrtrudt had thc Pomt th7StTrt WhUe the mmister was on a four-own mind, was dash in and out of In WalTkSr Sock TcomDanv and week tion. I filled the pulpit scenes. I felt, thoueh.

that the nic- "eantaneahe had begun to SL-SI of the local Methodist Church and of the local Methodist Church and preached twice a week, as well as holding prayer meeting and doing other church work." At the end of the year she re- turned to Stuart Walker's com "I was invarably organizing 'shows- rr told me. was while studying at the conservatory that gained my first contact with the professional stage. At times when I was sunDosed to be attending Kv.r. and 1 didn appear before the foot- ugfats' fcy Png the piano when any actor was supposed to play the instrument before the audience. i -My mother took me to New xorK on a visit, and, while there I rm" StagC to.become IIkA0, v.

save ira au tnouents oi eome to Europe on my scholarship Shortly afterwards my father who was very close to me, passed away and I returned home to Talladega for a time. -During the year tbat foUowed I gamed much varied and practical experience. I started a little theater movement in my -community and founded a radio WFDA. pany in Cincinnati and soon was Imissed.my lunch but got the role-playing leading roles. She remain- An ardent devotee of swimming, fnr 1 1 1...

education I had never heard of Scnabin," says Miss Michael. "As soon we were for lunch, however, I dashed out to a music store ana touna tne composi- tion Miss Crothers had mentioned. fairly blooms with health and the joy of living. "There arc two plains, and others could well afford 1 1 1 ..11 self-eonsciousness and thinking in that Ut second between one-s cue and sneaking." In that formula lies one of the secrets to her success as an actress. Lady Lochinvar has coms out of tie East and she's Hollywood new adventure rl.

But then, life itself has been tor Gertrude Michael tore would be good, because we fh. whil, noni senpt, and the castwhde none of riVlESn nid veSf of oerieIt blnind thell The reviews were exceedingly kind, and almost: without 'excep tion every critic -said -something i 1 I very nice auoat inc. ucgdii iu icw ss though life were taking on a nr.ni-vo i- ur3c hi-anc th picture was so well liked that the studio cast! me again in a melo- dramatic role, this time in 'I didn't play the lady crook in this. but there were plenty of exciting scenes and a great deal of action. I might as well have been playing SophieLang, for all the rest the gave me.

I was continual- ly on the go, trying to elude a -headed for Broadway, the ultimate goal of every stok player. In her first summer sh; found though trying, experience playing 171:. where'most the audience was maJe mdi actors from nearby institution. IT was her ver- satility that obtained her her first real Broadway opportunity. In the winter of 1932, Rachel Crothers was casting her latest play, "Caught.