Jack Lemmoii
CConrinued from page 7)
"Sure, a guy's popularity has a lot to do with it," Jack
explained. "Ability and accomplishment are responsible up
to a point; how well a guy is liked accounts for the rest
same as in a Presidential election."
Jack is certainly one of the best-liked actors in Hollywood,
not only because of his agreeable moods at parties but also
because of his general good humor. He rarely gets upset
about anything, at least not outwardly. He has never gone
in for tantrums or temperamental displays.
Jack believes that people behave as they do for a reason.
"I'm interested in why someone is a louse, if he is," Jack explained.-"For
some reason, he needs to be mean. It's more
important to know why than to get mad at him."
What Money Is Really For!
The financial rewards of his profession have never meant
as much to Jack as to most actors. When I asked him, "How
important is the money you make?" he looked at me as if
I should have known better than to ask. And I should have.
Any man who accepts a New York stage play for a few hun
dred dollars a week when he could have made a quarter-of-a-million
for a picture needn't elaborate on this question.
Moreover, Jack's generosity is something all his friends
have experienced at one time or another. -
When Jack first moved to Hollywood, he had some lean
times. The -move was expensive. He purchased a home. He
needed furniture and a car. Jack shopped around and finally
purchased a used sports car at a bargain price. He soon dis
covered just how much of a "bargain," however, when he
had to replace all the tires and half the working parts.
A year or so later, things were looking up a bit, and Jack
scraped together enough money to get a new car, so he
sold the sports car. Shortly after, Jack heard that the new
owner had driven it only a short distance before the engine
dropped out.
Under no obligation to do anything about it, Jack insisted
on paying the full repair bill, which amounted to nearly $300!
Possibly, Jack has most of his fun with his son Chris. I
iMiMaHHW'ii''u'-i-
f.
Skipper Jack Lemmon chats with Alvey Moore, his cook,
over a cup of java in "The Wackiest Ship in the Army."
recall an afternoon last summer when we took our young
sters to celebrate Chris' birthday. We were with the other
guests in the living room, when we suddenly realized Chris
and Jack were nowhere around.
Glancing outside, we saw a snorkel tube sticking out of
the water of the swimming pool. Jack had given Chris div
ing equipment for his birthday, and the two of them were
out in the pool while Jack taught his son how to use it
"It takes me a day to recover from Chris' visits, but I
wouldn't miss them for anything," Jack said. He regrets that
he doesn't have more time to spend with him one of the
unfortunate results of a divorce and a career that keeps him
away from Hollywood a great deal of time. '
"I'd like to have more children," Jack mused. "But I guess
I'll have to wait since I have no plans to marry soon."
"What are your plans?" I asked. i
"I'd like to direct," Jack replied. "Not great big pictures,
just a little one but a very good one. And, of course, I'm
always trying, to become a better actor."
Jack isn't at all miffed when people forget about the Oscar
he won five years ago for best supporting actor. "I'd rather
they notice more recent roles. It would indicate that any
improvement I've made since then shows, as it should."
If Jack wins an Oscar Monday night, as he very well may,
it would prove to him and the world that the improvement
does indeed show.
IN my. time I've met Jack Dempsey,
Gloria Swanson, Ivy Baker Priest,
Fran Allison, Peter Freuchen, Mrs.
Estes Kefauver, and a few other well
known faces.
Recently I spent an entire weekend
not meeting Robert Frost.
I found Jack Dempsey darling, Gloria
Swanson glamorous, and Fran Allison
fun. , . - -
I couldn't find Robert Frost at allT
When I knew he was coming to town,
I ran all the way to the nearest library
to add to my own accumulation of his
works. For a week I read and studied
and analyzed until what I didn't know
about Robert Frost he doesn't know,
either.'
When the Great Day came, Frost was
neither on the pumpkin nor in my
town. He was somewhere in Arizona
and forgot to go away from there. I
couldn't blame him. If I were in Ari
zona, it would suit me fine.
Meanwhile, back at my ranch, I was
becoming permanently attached to the
telephone. Nervously, I fingered my
copy of his poems. Nervously I fingered
the camera with which I intended to
preserve his portrait for posterity. The
. hours crept by on what I would call
little cat feet except that Carl Sand- -burg
said that and he does not figure
in this crisis.
Evening came and went, but not I.
I clung to the wall telephone, one eye
on my watch. The other eye began to
lose focus. "Something there is that
doesn't love a wall," I quoted.. I went
to bed.
I ate my breakfast on the telephone,
one eye on the telephone, the other on
"A Witness Tree." I read the morning
paper chanting: "Poetry begins with a
lump in the throat." Robert Frost said
that I had a lump in my throat, too,
but it was not poetry. It was indigestion.
By noon and no Frost, I lost my rea
son. I packed a lunch, the dog, and a
fish pole and headed for the kind of
place where time is but the stream I
go a-fishing in, except Thorcau said
that, and he has no part in this, either.
When I returned, there was a note
on the table.
"Robert Frost was here," it said, "but
you weren't home."
I remembered the time he wrote a
poem which begins:
"Some say the world will end in fire,
"Some say in ice . . ."
I sat right down and revised . it.
Through agonizing preview, I felt I had
the right:
"Some say the world will end with fire,
'!I say with Frost."
s
Family Weekly, April 16, J 961
STOP PMN
1NSTANTIY
COMBAT INFECTION
PROMOTE HEAUNO
WITH ANTIStmC
Campho-
Phenique
(moHOUHCte cAM-n-rtM-tt)
USE IT FOR
MJNORBURClre
SCRATCHES,
ABRASIONS
Quick ! Apply
Campho-Phenlque
' a nnce to minor
burns from hot
, cooking utensils, hot
water or steam . . .
stnna nnln hufaMfiV.
promotes rapid
healing. The same
thing happens wnen-
DU UMJ I
cuts, scratcnes anu mn-Campho-Phenlque
is highly
antiseptic, wunuenu.
tever blisters, cold sores, gum
bolls; to relieve noning ami
to guard against inieounu
- 1.1... T T-, nn nimilleS.
HCl II 1 1: n . . v.. i
Campho-Phenlque helps pre
vent tneir spreau C..V.
Inteotlon.
r:4
N9I
Take Dc Will's Pills to relieve such trouble.
often caused by sluggish kidneys. DeWiit'a
Pills increase kidney activity to flush acid
waste, from the svslcm. The result is relief.
blessed relief from backache, mild bladder
' irritations, restlessness at night, muscular J
riallill's AiMt .4jliv irliA 1u I
mild analgesic relief, often means an active 1
life with freedom from pain.
ARTHRITIS
RHEUMATISM
PAINS
Good, fast relief. Thai's what you want
whenever moderate, nagging Arthritis,
Rheumatism or Muscular Pains occur.
And that's what you get when you take
DOLC1N tablets. Thai's because noth
ing else in all the world is faster, safer,
better for such pains than DOLCIN.
HERE'S OUR GUARANTEE: Give
DOLCIN tablets a fair trial. Take them
...all of them ... the way the direc
tions tell you. You must gel last relief
or gel your money back.
Q 1WOO, Drilrln Curp.
DRIVE SAFELY
HOME
SITES
39B
Florida
Lovely V4 acre sites in Central Florida hills,
lake, grove area $393, no money down,
SIO a month Suburb of Oca la, high and
dry Roads, utilities 22 miles lo Gulf
Coast Fish, hunt Invest or retire.
FREE color folder Write Dept. 310-Q.
I Rainbow Park. Bo 52l,Ocata, Fla.