Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1944)
Mother To A Star Through courtesy of Esquire, Inc.. publishers of Coronet magazine, the Mail Tribune publishes today the second installment of "Mother To a Star." Sidney Carroll's personality sketch of Lela Rogers, mother of the glamorous film star. Ginger Rogers. Con cluding chapter of the sketch, pulbished in the July issue of Coro net, will appear Tuesday. The article is of particular interest to Mail Tribune readers as the Rogers Rogue River ranch it located only a few miles from Medford. Copyright, 1944, by Esquire, Inc. 919 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. (Coronet, July 1944) (Continued From Yesterday) In 1930, by dint of brains, per sonality, talent, and Mama's know-how. Ginger Rogers was big-time. She was appearing in George Gershwin's Girl Crazy on Broadway and making a t . thousand dollars a week. It was then that the movie offers be gan to come in. The story of Ginger's first movie test is a good example of the sort of des perate ingenuity any stage mother must be ready to exer cise whenever her child's career is threatened. Lela agreed to one movie test by a major studio. When the test was completed she asked to see it and decided it was terrible. She gave an an nonymous little man 50 dollars to secure the test for her, sotto voce, and one dark night she threw it into the East River. Ginger's chances weren't going to be wrecked by any half- baked movie test. . A short time after that bad start, Walter Wanger got in terested in the then red-headod comedienne from Girl Crazy and gave her a test which did her credit. Then he signed her to a contract. Lela arranged things so that Ginger could go right'on . working in Girl Crazy and make movies in nearby Astoria at the same time. Ginger made five movies in Astoria before she ever saw Hollywood. Ginger and Lela came to Hollywood in 1932. Ginger was not an overnight sensation. As a matter of fact, she was caught . smack in the middle of one of It's the last place on earth or off it to go fishing. Yet the Navy is sending out its blimps to go fishing in the sky! Not for submarines! Not for tin-fish! For real fish! The blimps fishing in the sky flash word to fishermen in boats where to drop their nets. They spot the schools, as fish swim below in the vast deep. The fishermen bring them in. Use of Navy blimps to help the fishermen super-lookouts in super-crow's-nests is a war sssignment.When these airships arc taken off other war duties to fish, it means fishermen and their services are important. By supplying salmon and barracuda, tuna and sardines, calorics and vitamins both to the armed forces and the civil ian populations western fish ermen from San Diego to Alaska are making history. Yet, for fishermen, history making is old stuff. The Vik ings roamed the seas because Norse fishermen learned to steer by sun and stars.The Bible story of the loaves and fishes cfcrnal Iy recalls how close they've al ways been to all peoples. Somehow, it's hard to quit thinking of fishermen as roman tic fellows with venture in their blood, and appreciate the war contribution they've made by hard work and scorn of danger. Vet there is a way. Let's ust think of the dif ference it would make if the starved children of captive Greece could get their cod-liver oil. Let's remember that thanks to the fishermen the children of America do get it. Thanks to the fishermen! I tie,, 1 101. i simi rnrt r 4 I pi , , . 4 Lela Rogers those studio reorganization bat tles that are the life blood of the industry. While conflicting forces wrestled back and forth with one another, Ginger and her mother sat in a hotel room, two rookies in the army of the un employed, waiting for an agent to get a job any sort of job for Ginger. After six months of watching and waiting and getting no where, Lela Rogers decided to look into the agent racket for herself. She went over to War ner Brothers, introduced herself to several of the presiding geniuses, and in a few minutes she had Ginger signed for a part in a super-musical called 42nd Street. The role she managed to get for Ginger was a small one and it paid just two hundred dollars a week. Everybody in Holly wood knows Rule No. 1 in the mythical book: An actress who has once made a thousand dol lars a week must never take less. But Lela Rogers was sick of the unwritten Hollywood rules by that time. "Ginger was get ting hungry," she said. "We had to go to work." Lela Rogers has what all great strategists have she moves boldly and decisively, but she has an X-ray eye for details. She moved boldly vhen she got Ginger that job in 4nd Street. The rolr; in the picture was that of a c!:wsts girl, and the pic ture was goinf: to be filled with chorus girls. Lela asked for a copy of the script, took it home, read it carefully, and re-wrote the role of that particular chorus girl. She suggested that Ginger wear a monocle, sport a long cigarette holder, speak with a phony English accent and carry a Pekingese under one arm. She submitted these suggestions, gratuitously, to the studio heads. These gentlemen saw the pos sibilities in her ideas and they agreed to dress the role up for Ginger according to Mama's ideas. Mama was no green hand with a movie script. Long before Gin ger was ever on the scene, Lela Rogers was writing scripts in Hollywood for four-reelers. As 42nd Street was being filmed. Lela continued to write new gags and new dialogue for Ginger. The studio heads were so happy to receice such contributions free of charge that they accept ed practically all of them. The re sult is history. 42nd Street was the smash success of the year and Ginger Rogers, playing a comparatively small part, was one of the hits of the show. From that moment on, Ginger ascended the movie ladder, and reached her next peak when Mama manipulated things so that daughter should meet Fred Astaire. That legend is also well known how the two of them first appeared in a musical film called Flying Down to Rio and stole the film from the higher priced stars. They made The Gay Divorcee after that and for sev eral years their singing-dancing films were the big money-makers of the business. The direct result of the Astaire-Rogers films was that Ginger Rogers moved into the top bracket of movie stars and has stayed there ever since. With Ginger's growing fame there came added financial bur dens. Financial burdens are, to put it mildly, Lela Rogers' meat. Her h.-thdling of Ginger's con tracts would make a good lesson in cost accounting in any busi ness college. In the formative stages of Ginger's Hollywood career, right after 42nd Street, Lela was never banal enough to ask for an immediate raise in pay. She asked only for a five thousand dollar bonus with each HARMONY BEAUTY SHOP FLUHRER BLDG. NOW OPEN After Complete REMODELING picture and she got It. Then, at the end of every nine months, she would walk into the cashiers and demand, without further ado, that Ginger's salary be mUltiplied by two. It wasn't the orthodox Hollywood way of do ing things, but it worked. Lela had a product the studios want ed and she made them pay for it her way. Then, too, she has the strate gist's long view of things. When Astaire and Rogers were the hot test team in the business and Ginger signed a colossal con tract with RKO, Lela did a pe culiar thing. She inristed that Ginger be allowed to make one straight dramatic picture be tween every Astaire-Rogers musi cal made. Her reason was a simple one: she did not want her versatile daughter to be typed. That sort of reasoning has paid off terrific dividends. The Astaire-Rogers films had a long career, but" they ran their in evitable gamut. Ginger Rogers, however, is still on top as a dramatic star. (Concluded Tuesday) Olive Barber', h Observations We say the world is a small place. Well it seemed much lar ger than I wished it were as I read a letter but recently re ceived. For I wanted to take right off and have a visit with the writer. Yet how to trot across two states, get my visiting done and be back in time for an afternoon appointment I couldn't figure out. So although the world seems small some times, it's mighty big at others. "In May, 1887, when I was a boy of twelve and a half, a Ca nadian paper my parents were taking reprinted a poem written by a newspaper man in India; one R. Kipling. The poem had first appeared in the Delhi Mail. "Close by while I was reading it was a man watering a yoke of oxen at the well. This was in southern Kansas. The man was 'breaking' a tract of prairie. He wished it would rain, he said, but it was looking like a dry summer. My eyes fell to the poem: 'By the well where the bullocks go, silent and blind and slow. By plains where the young corn dies in the glare of tropic skies." I was just a boy, yet I saw Kipling might have been writing about the bearded Civil War veteran pumping water for his oxen. "My father came up; said to the man, 'This day 23 years ago in '64, our spring wheat was in and waiting for a spring shower to start it sprouting.' "The man looked up and said to my father, 'You remember that? Well here's what I remem ber: 23 years ago today I was lying with four rebel bullets in me on the Bloody Angle of Spottsylvania.' Then looking down at me he asked, 'What's the news, Tommy?' 'Not much', I replied: 'Everybody in Canada, is hanging out flags for Queen Victoria having been 50 years on the job.' 'Well, let her keep it; she might do worse', he said and returned to his plowing. " 'But the plowman settled the share more deep in the grudging clod', ran the poem and boy though I was, it came to me that Victoria's world might be far away yet in a part of her kingdom, India, life was follow ing the same pattern it was right there in Kansas oxen plowing, grain waiting for the rain. They were in the same boat, so to speak, though neither was 'eat ing from the Captain's table', Kansas and India being what they were." Other memories, had the writ er, some of which I'll tell you another time. Still more I'd re ceive, and pass on to you, were the world smaller; small enough for me to trot across two states and get back before lunch. THE GRANGE Central Point Grange H. E. club of Central Point Grange will meet with Mrs. Warren Patterson at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23 Mrs. Pat terson will be assisted by Ethel Freeman and Mrs. Brenner. Mrs. John Bohnert will furn ish a recreational number. Pcp$l-Cola Company, Long l,hnd City. X. V, franchised Bottleri Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Medford Private Jennings Cited 1 Ibv- sV . u v, & ft. "jtf 't v . ; - Pvt. Robert G. Jennings, selected the outstanding man of his recruit platoon at the San Diego Marine base, is shown here re ceiving the honor badge of efficiency award from his commanding officer. Col. John Groff. Mrs. Jennings and their two children, who last resided at 413 Arcadia street, are currently in Illinois visiting relatives. Cars in Brazil Use Charcoal Gas, Bananas Cost But 25 cents Stalk; Perdue Writes Parents of Visit Mark Perdue, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Perdue of 207 McAn drews Road, who is serving in the Merchant Marine recently wrote his parents an interesting letter telling of his experiences while at a Brazilian port, and his impressions of the country and its natives. Perdue returned to duty Aug. 15, after a short leave spent with his wife and small daughter in Guthrie, Okla. He is one of four sons of Mr. and Mrs. Perdue serving jn the armed forces or merchant ma rine. His letter follows in part: I've seen lots of beautiful countries and traveled about 13,000 miles in all. We stopped in Guantanama, Cuba and Trini dad, a British island off the coast of Venezuela where they drive on the "wrong" side of the car and also the "wrong" side of the street. You get in a car and start down the street and you'll be ready to get out and walk after the first block be cause you just know someone is going to crash right into you. In Brazil the automobiles burn charcoal. They have two large burners on the back bumpers that form some kind of gas, and they drive like drunk Indians. They had lols of fresh cocoa nuts, bananas at 25c a stalk, and almost any kind of fruit or vegetable. Wish you could have seen some of the souvenir shops and the people there. Many of the people speak English and some of them can't speak a word of it. The workers there who un load the ships wear hlgh-heelcd flat wooden shoes with nothing but a toe-strap to hold them on. They really make a cKitter when they get in a hurry. We are painting the ship In Santos, Brazil, and I had my shirt laying down on the raft we were painting off of. A bunch of Brazilians were around, watching us paint. One of them wanted to buy my shirt, which was a short-sleeved blue one. I asked him how much he would give me; he said five milrays, or 25 cents in American money, so I sold it to him. They really got a kick out of that. Then he wanted to buy my belt for 5 milrays so I sold that to him also and he gave me his belt made out of snake skin. He had a ring on his finger which he said he would give me the next time I was there. They are real friendly people and would do almost anything for you. It was supposed to be mid winter down there but was about 80 and real nice. The weather varies from 70 to 95 de grees the year around. Although they have plenty of silk stockings, Nylons and alarm clocks, they are really high, as they have learned the Ameri cans don't have them at home any more. They are becoming more mo- ft Li" I "J dern down there all the time, and are building lots of new up-to-date buildings. I am en closing a Brazilian nickle. Their nickle, quarter, half dollar and dollar are all green, folding money. I went up on top of their Sugar Loaf mountain on a cable car across a valley you could scarcely see the bottom of. The mountain is of solid granite. Other sons of Mr. and Mrs. Perdue are Herbert I. Perdue, seaman second class on duty with the navy somewhere on the Pacific ocean, Pvt. James T. Perdue in England, and Carl A. Perdue, apprentice seaman at Farragut, Idaho and who will soon finish boot training. TREAT FOR GOURMET Brazil, Ind. (U.R) James Ste venson of Brazil thinks he has found something which might make him a fortune if he can propagate exactly the small greenhead frog he found. It has six legs and four of them are hind legs, greatly prized by gourmets. Discriminating buyers are sometimes disappointed when they call at their dealers and ask for Blitz-Weinhard by name. But they know that their favorite Hcer will again be on the shelves in a day or two . . , and they also know that it is most definitely worth waiting for. Because for more than three quarters of a century, the Blitz-Weinhard Company has brewed one fine beer ... of unvarying quality and flavor ... a beer so good it's guaranteed satisfying. ew. GOP INCUMBENT RETAINS OFFICE Portland, Aug. 21 Mrs. John Y. Richardson, Portland, was re-elected vice-chairman of the Oregon state republican central committee in the only contest of the biennial election Saturday, which also saw Niel R. Allen Grants Pass, re-elected chairman by quick, unanimous vote. Kenneth Nielsen, Eugene, secretary, and Howard Wall, Portland, treasurer, were elect ed unanimously and without op position in tho election held at the Portland hotel, with all but one of Oregon's 36 counties rep resented in the balloting. Crook county was the one not rep resented. Plans for organizing republi can war veterans clubs over the state, announced by Carl Moser, executive secretary, In his re port to the group, were given the approval of the committee by a vote to authorize the organ ization of such clubs. Change Called For The committee also went on record in favor of a change in the structure of the committee which will double its size if the plan is carried out. ,rhis plan calls for automatic Inclusion of all county chairmen and vice chairmen on the committee, and Is advanced for the purpose of improving liaison between coun ty and state groups. The action of the committee .was a vote to recommend to the slate legisla ture that this change he made. The state organization goes into the campaign with a cash balance of $12,199.11, and its all-time biggest financial job ahead of it, according to the re port of Treasurer Wall. Party Finances Eyed Biggest stumbling block In the way of party finances, Wall; said, is the provision of the in come tax law which classifies campaign contributions as net in come, rather than gross Income. "When a man In tho high In come brackets makes a $1000 contribution to the party," Wall said, "he is actually shelling out about $1900." 1 Speaking at the week-end meeting of the committee Rep. Everett M. Dlrksen, R. 111., charged "New Dealism" with providing government by direc tive, and of daily assuming more jurisdiction from U. S. courts. Constitutional government may be lost if the trend toward ex ecutive domination is not arrest ed, he said. j Use Mall Tribune Want Ads. BLITZ WEINHARO CO. ORTUlA). OREGON f w HI Keep Asking lor It by Name Monday, August 21, 1944 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE THREB i t9. is 1 i . s 1 . b ' , m Capt. R. C. Ashley, United Air Lines pilot, and that Samoy ede dog he is holding have something in common. Both are accustomed to the Arctic Capt. Ashley in his flights for the Air Transport Command over Alas kan territory and "Eslooto" Is a descendant of a rare breed of dogs from northern Siberia. Capt. Ashley raises Samoyedes as a hobby in between his flights in the north. The Ashley kennels are in Seattle Inciden tally, "Eslooto" is Eskimo for brave. Alaska Air Pilot Raises Samoyedes, Little-Known Dogs When not flying over Alaskan territory for the Air Transport Command, Capt. R. C. Ashley of ; United Air Lines has a hobby, that is the envy of his fellow' fliers. 1 The veteran pilot, who has more than 1400 aerial hours to his credit over the frozen Arctic, raises Samoyede dogs, a breed SEE US RIGHT NOW if you RFPAIR A Tools of all kinds. Roofing, Wire Fencing, Nails, Staples, Paints, Enamels, Turps and Oils. LOWEST PRICES! ieewu mmmuE co. 225 East 6th St. Medford, Ore. si.'' ' 'x fc ' feci i . . a. 'im. ,i i .. - i .... 1 j Slams' iiirriNt UiblSi4 Distributed by SNIDER DAIRY & PRODUCE CO. almost never seen In the) eon tincntal United States. The animals originally wer from northern Siberia and ar said never to have been seen by white men until they were dis covered by members of one of the original Arctic expeditions. Two later were taken as an ex periment to the famous Colby Kennels in England. Named after the Samoyeds tribe of northern Siberia, th dogs are described as having a disposition similar to those little. known people. The Samoyedej were poor and, seldom having enough to eat, always left a little of the food offered them so that the next person would not go entirely hungry. Captain Ash ley claims Samoyede dogs to this day have the same trait, and no matter how ravenous, will never lick their food plates entirely clean. WEATHER Northern California Clear today, tonight and Tuesday, e cept for fog locally along coast. Slightly cooler In interior today. Peace of Paris marked the end of France's colonial empile in 1763. "Helps Nature Fence MONTHLY ALE PA You who aufTer such pain with tired, nervous, "clrtiRsed out" feeling all duo to functional periodic dis turbances start at onc try Lydl E. IMnklmm's Vegetable Compound to relieve such symptoms. Made especially for women it help tw turel Alao a grimd stomachto tonlo. Follow label directions. VFoETWlf COMPOUND PARTS and SERVICE , for all Makes o! WASHERS and REFRIGERATORS YOUNGER'S APPLIANCE SERVICE CO. 31 N. Bartlett Phone 2419 f - Www. -V -'1 nc sat r-isiix
