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About Roseburg news-review. (Roseburg, Or.) 1920-1948 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 1936)
Older Man Ideal Companion Declares Tap Dancer Eleanor Powell Has No Time For Dates, zv Jljsp Doesn't Like Company Of Young Men. 'V$f v ' ' " ' "S-jaE 'wjt James Stewart and Eleanor Powell J" v 1( V i C"' talte a stro" betwecn scen" f ,lieir -'5,?. Vf-A Ji,i:(tvtJ fTV M(iS new film, "Born To Dance." Others -t - 1 Y'FV'ttN. VI VPll in the cast are Virginia Bruce, Buddy Eleanor Powell figures out some new Mm't.r.'-.yjl'.- ( yr V.t'-s routines for her latest musical picture, Y S V,"fc u 1 V--- j t "Born To Dance" by having mental iTfc tTfflS'l1' - ' f . ""o figure, of herself go through the I P'SJf VC'- . f motions. t S ' X -' i jr " V 1 1 1 S .'""'"v I ' . i . By Linda Lane I Si-' s - Iff . "T ' 1 ss Powell, the J j V. , t ' I world's finest feminine 1 I m F ' - - i I Jr tap dancer, will wear IB f ' I ' iF out fifty Pa'r of danc- JL f Jj )S ' JF ,nK shoes in the mak- JHJ I ij. J motion picture. A I I'M free, white and 21. I can cook. 1 can sew. I'm agreeable, I hope. My face and figure are average. I have my own income. And yet I have never married. I have never been engaged. A glance at the list of tappers in America shows that I am one of the few who havo never said the sacred vows. Fred Astnire, Huby Heel er, Ray llolgcr, Dill Iiobinson, Charles Collins and Ginger liogors have all been married, and with the exception of tho latterutbey are still married. But I remain bottoms in marriage, even though I'd like to be married. I've been too busy for love, and before that I was too bnshful. The first 12 yenrs of my life, I was too bash ful to even glance at a boy. My mother decided ,to send me to dancing school in Springfield, Mass., when I wns six years old, so I could lose that baahfulucss, and be able to meet people, knowing that it would be a very lonesome life for me without male companionship. So, frightened to death, I took my dancing shoea to the school and under the tutelage of Hal ph McKcrnan, learned my first "heel and toe" steps. Days, weeks and months passed, and I lcwt my bashfulness, hut 1 also lost my interest in other people. Thnt must have been the turn ing point in my life when I decided thnt I loved dancing moro than almost anything else in the world. BACK In school, the other girls were going to parties with their boy friends, but I was at MrKernan's school wearing oi.t r.hoo leather. Even when 1 wns 12, my dnily schedule wns overflowing. 1 helped with the housework in the morning, making beds, putting up lunch and generally aiding mother. At school 1 wns busy with my lessons and sports. After school came threo hours of danc ing, then homo to help with dinner and Inter to my room to study. Hoys called at my home, but I was just too busy to accept their attentions. At 13, 1 went to Atlantic City to visit my grand-parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Torrey, and it was there thnt I mot my first fellow. Hut the romance only lasted three days, for one dny a producer, Gus KdWards, noticed me dancing on the sand. lie finally talked mother into allowing me to make a nightly dancing nppearance at the Kits Cafe. Ami thus ended my first romance, even before It actually got started. All summer, 1 practised on the beach and danced at tho dub during the night. Returning to Springfield for school I still couldn't find time for boys. For tha next two summers, I returned to At lantic City to dnnco at the cafe. Then I finished high school. The big question In the mind of the Powell family was my fu ture. Should I go to college or go to New York and take up a dancing career In earnest! Danc ing won, so at the ago of 16, mother and 1 started off to New York. No dates in New York during tho first months, for I was too busy trying to see producers In order to get a job. And I couldn't accept In vitations because I didn't have enough money to keep a full wardrobe. IN fact, mother and I were living on such a slim budget that we had to cut down on our food in order to take out J20 so that I could take 10 tap lessons. Finally I was given a principal role In the PAGE FOUR musical, "Follow Thru. Now I had enough just enough, money to buy the clothes I would need for social life in New York, ltut now that the clothes were in sight, I was too busy to find timo to use them. This still seems to hold true. When I re turned from New York recently, I brought a lot of new clothes, but I have been so busy working In "Horn to Dance," that I haven't taken them out of the closet. Then I went on the road. Living out of a suitcase, making one-night stands, always on the go, I found It impossible to make the kind of social contacts that I would enjoy. Back to New York again I passed most of my waking hours in front of the footlights and in rehearsal halls. I appeared In "Fine and Dandy," with Joe Cookj Ziegfeld's "llot-Cha"; "Tim Varieties", as the lead opposite Pert I.ahr and Harry Richman; In George White's "Scnn dais" and in "Craiy Quilt." By this time. I wns In love with dancing and nothing else. Men had stopped trying to get "dates" with me bcatiso the answer was always the same; "I've got to practise a new routine tonight." Then I came to Hollywood to appear In the motion picture version of the "Scandals" for Fox. This was Just a small part, but it was my first motion picture and I was so busy get ting used to camera technique that I didn't even get a chance to visit the beaches, much less to go to any of the Hollywood night spots in the company of the men of the film city.- I was tested by Metro-Goldwyn-Mnyer. They liked my work so 1 was given the leading role in "Broadway Melody of 1036." Acting and singing as well as dancing made it imperative thnt I almost live at the studio. Again I had no time for social life. Returning to New York to fulfill my con tract to do a leading role in the stage musical, "At Home Abroad," I must have surprised my friends by having "dntes." i was seen here and there with the orchestra leader, Abe I.yman. For me to have a date was almost the same as an nouncing that I was engaged, at least that's the way the papers felt about it. But both Abe and I agree that it was just a friendship that had been going on for many years. Back to Hollywood I came to play in the musical extravagania, "Born to Dance." Still unmarried, still unengnged. Then my name began to be linked with James Stewart, who is also in the new musical. We had a few dancing dates, but we are just friends. I will soon be back In New York, and for the first time in my life It will be for a vacation. I'm wondering what will happen. Now that I have signed with M-G-M, have my home In Beverly Hills and am moving my grand- Swinging Into the spectacular fi nale routine for the "Swinging The Jinx Away" number in the musical "Born To Dance." Miss Powell starred in several broad way musical shows before going to Hollywood. parents to the Pacific Coast, I have been think ing about marriage. I FEEL that a career and marriage can be mixed If the couple have the correct person alities for such a combination. But I think it's better if marriage is made the only and most important career of the woman. I've decided one thing, and that is age. 1 want to marry an older njnn. I enjoy their company more because years seem to have made them more considerate than the younger men. If I were to marry a young man and continue with my si-reen career, I'm not sure that it would work out successfully. Young men are not inclined to renliie thnt a woman can be just as tired at night from her work as a man from his. During the few "dates" I've had, I've found that older men were better company. They seem to realize more clearly that there is more to life than always being on the "go." I really have never tried to avoid love or get ting engaged, but it seems that I have been too busy, I could set a million rules as to when, where whom and why I will marry, but I think I'm wise enough to let my heart rule my head. Only time will reveal the outcome. Five Star Critic Appends Powell Story HE World's Greatest Feminine Tap Dancer!" That's Eleanor Powell's title and she earned it by winning the championship award of the Dancing Masters of America. Bill Robinson won the male award. Miss Powell first came to Hollywood to ap pear in a small dancing role. She was prepar ing to return to Broadway when she was offered a screen test for a dancing bit in M-G-M's "Broadway Melody of 1936." Until then, no leading woman had been chos en. Many screen tests had been made, but final decision had not been made. Louis B. Mayer, the studio head, was viewing the many screen tests when a new face and figure leaped upon the screen. Mayer asked her identity. He was told she was Eleanor Powell whose only screen experi ence had been one small dancing part. "That is our leading woman!" Mayer ex claimed. Miss Powell was called in. Mayer advised how to improve her make-up, how to change her hairdrcss. He instructed the building of sets to fit her personality, how to photograph her and gown her and Eleanor Powell emerged a full-fledged star overnight. She has always been a great lover of sports. Her favorite was horseback riding, but her mother realized that this was too risky for her talented daughter, so Eleanor took up swim ming and has become a champion, having won several medals in races. ELEANOR is a very jazzy, modem dance queen on the stage but at home she's the opposite. She likes to make hook rugs and work in her garden. After rehearsing definite routines all day, she finishes by doing a half hour of her "favor ite" steps for her own amusement. She is tire less, having been known to make many a veter an piano accompanist cry "quit." Joan Crawford is her favorite personality. And like the noted actress she names gardenias as her favorite flower. Blue Is her favorite color. She could eat roast beef and ice cream every day of the year, she says. She sleeps eight hours but admits that she needs ten because of the energy she uses during the dny. Loves to read. Her favorite modern authoi Is Louis Bromfield, and Noel Coward gets that award in the modern playwright class. Enjoys reading about Henry the Eighth, and likes Mc Clelland Barclay's drawings. She doesn't smoke or drink. Believes in good lurk pieces and carries a solid gold elephant. Eleanor won't have to do her tap dancing routines at home by herself any more, for the other day she purchased a German shepherd police dog that can actually do a tap dance. Eleven months old, the dog wss being trained for show purposes when the star visited his ken nels, not to buy a dog, but to get some equip ment. Seeing the police dog, she could not resist buying it after it did a tap dance to music. hleanor a going to have canine tap shoes made for 'kink," so his clicking can be heard. c , '-"' 'fiends call her "Sweleanor."
