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."