The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 87

si 'ft i -1 iff hi 1 RABBITS BEST FRIEND Frank Fay, starring at Rill, more tvith the original Harvey, reveals how his invisible pal became visible for single performance. Let Rabbit SOUTHERN DRAWL VITAL, AFTER ALL CLEO MOORE, 21-year-old platinum blonde, was born in New Orleans. She drcided she'd like to be an actress, came to Hollywood and took diction lessons to get rid of her hampering southern accent. Her first screen role was a feature spot in Warner Bros. "Embraceable You." The she starred opposite Don McGuire in "Congo Bill" for Columbia.

She just completed a' series of short subjects at Warner Brothers. Cleo was considered for "A Seed in Spring," but it is set in the' South and Cleo would have had to take diction lessons all over again to get back her accent. Out I Only Once "'HBr PHILIP JC SCHEITER Frank -'Fay, who owns one of the show places of exclusive Brentwood; has been able to occupy it only 17 weeks out of the past five years. The reason is a ubiquitous rabbit named Harvey, whom Fay has been humoring, in Boston, New York and on the road, since October, 1944. While he's doing the humoring, Fay, who is currently at the Bilt-more here with the rabbit, cafls himself Elwood P.

Dowd. ii rrt inAa-A i Jlni-grrif 'atrifrnriB vf fritft maun flah.KiJfaiwhifr-J Fay's Brentwood showplace Is Angela Prefers Dazzling Roles BY EDW1.V SCHALLERT With all speed possible, Angela Lansbury is developing a brand-new format for her picture career. When she came to this country nine years ago she was a teen-ager whose complete with houses, swimming pool, gardens and gym. We sat in the dark-paneled bar of the main house, neither of us drinking, and Fay went on about Harvey. 1 Fantasy Goes Out The rabbet, standing 6 feet IVi lnche3 high in his bare hind feet, ia supposed to exist only in the imagination of Elwood P.

Dowd, 4. SPECTACULAR LADY Angela Lanbury, recently in "Samson and Delilah" and "The Red Danube, mil go to England soon to seek inspiration for further glamorous roles. but one audience the first ac mature beauty belied her ex- kosangclcs Ctmes Sunday morning, june 12, 194? PART rv treme youth. Now in her early OCo eViA Via miA tin Vt a Neiv 'Little Miss Marker Gives tually saw him as a man in a rabbit suit. The audience was composed of GIs in Boston.

After the performance Fay said, "The fantasy goes out. I don't want it." out acx jo w' jiiijuiu to fulfill dreams and ambitions she has long Mary Chase, the author, said she Realism to Part of Forlorn Tot would like to see the stuffed Har "As a first step I am going to England," the said. "I will be vey Just once before a regular and Fay replied, "All 'rirht but I won't, be here." So BV MARY A XX CALLAX "hat to be filmdo'm's little married there to Teter Shaw, who has quit acting to be a general girl era of ringlets and bows is now the age of realism, in which a Harvey has' never been seen since by anyone except Elwood. I asked Fay, if he. as Elwood, also sees Harvey.

He answered, as usual, obliquely, like a man contractor. We want to have our motherless child looks like a motherless child. And that's the honeymoon in Europe, and my mother, Moyna Macglll, is there chief difference between the 1931 whose thoughts get ahead of his eagerly awaiting our arrival. We Shirlev Temple and the 1919 Mary don't seem to think she's anybody different and she isn't. Mary Jane was picked from some 4000 youngsters.

Too many of these were junior glamour girls, the "buttons and bows" type of movie children who hid the real quality scouts were seeking. Today Mary Jane wants to be a ballet dancer, but tomorrow, says her mother, she may want to be a nurse. She'd rather don a pair of white duck shorts than a frilly dress. As for acting, Mary Jane has Turn to Page 3, Column 6 home for lunch, unless there's something special to do at the studio. After lunch she rest3 an hour and then until 4:30, bathes, eats and is in bed by 7 or 7:30.

ChoAen Among 4000 Children her age aren't scarce in the court. She was able to rattle off the names of at least a dozen neighbors who share her bike and belong to the "commando" group in the cops and robbers set. These j'oungsters, some of whom have seen a preview of her picture, A Lot of Horsefeathers Jane Saunders, who plays almost have booked air passage on both the same part in Paramount June 15 and 25. The reason is Sorrowful Jones" that Shirley that I have to wait until 'The did 15 years ago in "Little Miss Red Danube is previewed, and Marker." "A lot of phony actors try to tell you they live their parts. That's a lot of horsefeathers.

My job is to sell the rabbit that sells the play, to make the audience see him. Naturally, I have to Mary Jane is a youngster whose we can be ture that no further work will have to be done on the eyes have the "I love you, pal" look of a cocker spaniel and a use a certain number of median voice that rollicks along like, a welcome stream in July. If" fash ical devices, actors' devices, but I musn't try any Fay tricks. Oh, we all have them but they must ions in the moppet set have kchanged as, much since 1934 as Producer Bob Welch says they never show up to the exclusion cf the rabbit "It's like singing a ballad to an have, mom and pop and the kiddies will turn newcomer Mary Jane into a pretty big star. imaginary girl; I can't identify her or tell you what she looks like, but there, she is.

(Inci Has Xatnral Charm You see, in "Sorrowful Jones" she doesn't pretend to be any dentally, that's the trouble with torch singers today. They think of the phrasing instead of the song or the girl.) thing more than a heart-tugger by the name of "Shorts" whose hair could always stand a good "Or it's like talking to your MGM picture. We have tentatively set our wedding date for July 1." In Different Field This will be Miss Lansbury 'a second marriage. She was briefly the wife of Richard Cromwell, the actor. She feela this will be an Ideal union; is convinced it is better that Shaw hat entered a field different from her own.

"I feel that Peter and I have known each other long enough now so (hat we have a sound basU for our future ahe said. "I am anxious to go to England to find out exactly how people feel about me in my professional work. I have recently received an adaptation, of an Anton Chekhov play, "Ivanov," from Robert Morley, the actor, and Noel Langley, the writer, who collaborated on "Edward, My Son." I am pretty sure they intend to do this as a picture, and there is a wonderful part for me. Another Viewpoint "I have no idea whether I can combing. The 6-year-old has a natural self- in the mirror while shaving.

We all have, more or less, an imaginary rabbit who listens. From Irish Folklore clfarm that covers you like sun shine. On the way to the inter view I soft-pedaled my optimism with, "Look, don't expect too much "But everybody's rabbit is a little different. That's why I've been against having Harvey drawn in pictures or used for ad vertising; he musn't be a set rab bit, a set thing like like Foxy Grandpa or Krazy Kat. After all.

he's a pooka from Irish folklore, Xi A r- JLf- 1 1. Inevitably the talk got around to vaudeville, by which Fay, who is understatedly described in the do a picture in England becaupe of my MGM contract, but I do theatrical "Who's Who" as "ac tor and vocalist." had, around 1925-26, been paid as much as want to discuss the whole thing with Mr. Morley and Mr. Lang-ley, and furthermore any other pictures that may be planned from the kid. WTatch her play for a while, then get the facts from her mother." Well, the facts are that blond, little Mary Jane has a quick way of winning you into exploring the next-door vacant lot, holding her kittens, playing checkers with her and reading the cue lines for her first radio broadcast.

And then, once in a while, between hopping a clod and petting a kitten, jou get to ask her a question. In Modest Apartment How is the impending eclipse of privacy affecting the Saunders? She and her folks still live in a very modest apartment-court between Eagle Rock and Pasadena where Mary Jane was born. Her mother, a small, attractive brunette, vows her only daughter has never had any other baby-sitter than Mrs. Saunders' own mother. Mary Jane starts off her day at 7:30 with a big breakfast.

Right now, with no shooting under way, she attends the studio school from which might be offered. I want the benefit of a different viewpoint, which England might present, on what I might be able to do on the screen. Doubtlesa I .1 $17,500 a week. In one 12-week stretch at the Palace, New York, two-a-day, he found himself on so continuously that the term "master of ceremonies" began to be applied for, he says, the first time in show business to him. And he believes he was also the first to use stooges.

Xo Old-Tim Showmen "Vaudeville come back?" he repeated, turning to the Palace's current experimental revival. "Whowith?" "It's not vaudeville's fault that people aren't talented and I'm not saying this by wai of critl- will have to return to Metro before undertaking any work over there, but it is possible they wtll later be agreeable to an arrangement." Miss Lanbury has been mentioned as a probable star with Robert Taylor in "Devil's Doorway," which Is to follow "Ambush" on the MGM actor's ached-7 Tarn to Psg Coliis 4 FILM HEEL Dan Duryea, uhom lledda Hopper calls real-life model husband, gets beating from Shelley Winters, 'shoftn uith him, in forthcoming picture 9 o'clock to noon. Her mother NATURAL TALEST Mary Jane Saunders. 6. who plays in Paramount' "Sorrowful -s Jones, typifies filmdaiiis realism age.

She fills the that introduced Shirley Temp' to moviegoer "Liitlt UUt MvUr in 193 She tea picked from 4000 youngster picks her up then and takes her Tvrn to T9 t. Column.