The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 28

Surrounded by the arms and affections of Ann Rutherford, Judy Garland and Lana Turner, grinning Mickey Rooney acknowledges his undisputed title of the "world's greatest Less fickle is Marvin Stephens, chief contender, who gets calf-eyed over June Carlson. By Lucie Neville HOLLYWOOD AFTER a generation of ignoring the younger generation, movie makers are beginning to show some interest in the terrible 'teens. Young romance is being taken literally, if not seriously, and puppy love is frolicking on every studio lot. Hie current picture in Metro's series steps right out and announces its plot with the "Love Finds Andy Hardy," and Mickey Rooney is torn between three heart interests. The bird-brain blond of Twentieth-Fox's "Jones Family" wangles a goodby kiss from her soda-jerker swain.

Edith Fellows finds a grimy but staunch young Avenue A knight in Columbia's "City Streets." Deanna Durbin is scheduled to choose between a rich and a poor suitor on Universale production program this year, and "That Certain Age" will be followed by a film with the undisguised title, "First Love." At Warner Brothers, Bonita Granville has had her first screen kiss, a chaste salute from Jackie Cooper. The youngsters who were the classic sweethearts of "Tom Sawyer" are again to be teamed by Selznick. It has been a long time since such pictures as Lila Lee's "Puppy Love" and the "Babs" series with Marguerite Clark stories that catered frankly to the high school audiences with plots about adolescents and stars who were quite properly 'teen, not tot, age. Since them there have been no memorable films for, of and by juniors to bridge the gap between "Our Gang" and "Jezebel." If juniors wanted to see themselves portrayed on the screen, they just had to keep on wanting because nobody, especially producers, listens to Seventeen. However, producers listen to reason when their big-money moppets begin to get gawky.

Too much is invested in their buiid-ups and training to let them go into retirement through the gangling age, with the slim chance of a comeback at 20. Even studios that never have specialized in child stars are beginning to catch on. If adolescents are to be the vogue for the ext few years, every studio is going to have a puppy lover or two. Twentieth-Fox is a pioneer in "family type" pictures, with its "Jones Family" series, which is making money steadily and increasingly. Metro has followed suit with its "Judge Hardy" series, and other studios seek similar clans.

ICKEY ROONEY calls these "human" pictures. This 'teen veteran has played everything from Puck in "Midsummer Night's Dream" to the tough cabin boy of "Captains Courageous." Currently, he is the Great Puppy Lover of movies, in the "Hardy" series, and not at all abashed at the title. Nothing has been discovered to date that can embarrass or discomfit the irrepressible Rooney, though a number of people are looking for his vulnerable spot. One of the most adept scene-stealers in films, he has seemed prominent enough for stardom for some time, and his studio seems to be considering this step by giving him the title role in "Love Finds Andy Hardy." Lighting momentarily between scenes on the set. Master Rooney discussed the adolescent trend with patriarchal gravity.

"Why, sure, I think it's a good thing for the business," he declared, teetering his chair on its hind legs. "I know I like to watch other kids in pictures, myself. But what I hope is, they won't overdo it. Y'unnerstand, it's very easy to run these pictures with human plots into the ground. You can get as tired of them as neighbors." The veteran trouper set his too-small gray fedora on the top of his skull and pawed at his yellow cowlick.

"There's quite a lot of puppy loving in this picture. Y'see, the idea is the kid referring to myself is cu-razy about the girls. He wants to kiss all of 'em! "Now, in one scene he's with his father and he says, 'Dad, were you ever like I And his old man says, 'Why, yes, I suppose so. What do you And the kid says, 'Why, I want to kiss all the beautiful girls. Do you think I'm Stuff like that you know.

That's human. "But as for my being the world's greatest puppy lover I'm not that crazy about girls. In private life, I mean. But if it will help my screen prestige, I'm gonna be the champion puppy lover of the movies Adolescent heart trouble not only has to be human, as its portrayer argued, but it must be comical, according to George Seitz, who directs LOW In THE AWKWARD AGE the "Hardy" family in the Metro series. We have to be very caretul not to serious with this young-love type of be he said, "and especially to have no suggestion of adult sex about it.

It must be kept true puppy love. We can't let any writer sneak in the least hint of sophistication. But if we play it too broadly, it will offend the junior audiences. I have two youngsters who have been through all this, so I think I know how kids feel and act. In addition to the imperturbable Mickey Rooney, the director has three girls to handle in the current "Judge Hardy" cast: Lana Turner as the vamp, Ann Rutherford as the steady date, and Judy Garland as the purely platonic girl friend.

The first two are kissed, but Miss Garland only gets to hold hands. oris, liy JOvory Wi'i'k Hollywood is learning a new way to tide its maturing child stars over the 'teen period-and a set of puppy-love films is the result tin "4N- i- i III -I TN private life, the wild Irish Romeo usually dates these types. He hasn't much time for off-screen twosoming, what with studio work, his senior year in high school, rehearsing his orchestra, and keeping up with sports. But when he does step out, he doesn't like too adult a companion. Of Jacqueline Laurent, the young French actress who appeared in one picture with him, he said, "She's too sophisticated for me.

It killed me, the gossip columns saying were going together. "Do I get kidded about these parts? Oh, yes, many times. But I don't really pay any attention to it." Also hardened to such jibes arc 14-year-old June Carlson and Marvin Stephens, just turned 16, who arc the puppy lovers of the ones family. they are mooning at each other for the third time, though June has been the younger sister in all eight pictures of the popular series. Both youngsters are cheered by the prospect of uninterrupted careers, especially Marvin, who spent several years off the screen.

They were put to good purpose, however, with a paper route and junior high athletics. Currently, basketball is his obsession, while June lives only for the roller skating rink and her ambition to become a dramatic actress. Though they spend working hours yearning at each other, off-stage there is a spirited exchange of continuous razzing. June vows she wouldn't be seen with Marvin at a dog fight. Marvin prudently asks in advance if she and her pals will be at the skating rink, and if her answer is "yes," he says, "Then we won't be there." "Thal'd be a fine mess!" he said scornfully.

"Have 'em saying, 'What little Jones Family boy is going with what little 'Jonc Family and get me in bad with my steady dates.".