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Arabella's Notes
This was basically a Lon Chaney showcase but the lead character of Simonetta was given to Loretta. The director, Herb Brenon, had seen her in “The Whip Woman” and liked her. However, the costuming for Simonetta called for circus outfits…leotards and tights. It was possible that since Loretta was so young, her figure and small legs would give her away. But everyone agreed her beauty would make it difficult for anyone to look at her legs. Another problem arose with the love scene. Loretta had to look at Nils Asther with longing passion, an emotion she knew nothing about at her age. Nils told her to imagine he was a gooey ice cream sundae. The camera got the desired effect! But it was the director who sent her off the set weeping. Brenon was harshly critical and often vulgar, something Loretta had never experienced until now. Finally the girl walked off the set and didn’t return for several days when she was forced to return and apologize for causing a loss of work time. It was the first lesson she had to learn about making pictures….you never caused your co-workers a loss of time and salary. Off the set: At home her “star” behavior was not appreciated either. Her sisters began to bow and address her as “Your Highness” or better yet, “Gretch the Wretch”.
Based on a Broadway play written by Jean Bart, it didn’t convert well to the screen. Korda was already an acclaimed director but unfamiliar with this new medium of sound. The cast was equally uninitiated. Myrna Loy was cast as the gypsy, Nubi who wreaked havoc on the family who gave her refuge and Loretta played Irma. If the film did nothing else it proved that both Loretta and Loy had what it took for talking pictures. It taught Loretta something else. It wasn’t fun. Hours were long and hard before unions came to the rescue. Actors often worked six days a week, day and night. Loretta should have been protected by California law that forbade minors from working more than four hours a day, not after 5 p.m. and a teacher had to be present. But Warners had the worst reputation for overworking their actors. When one of Loretta’s productions would get behind schedule they would ask her to come back after the teacher left the studio. Her reward was a stint in the hospital off salary. She learned quickly that she was the asset and needed to protect herself. Off the set: Both Loretta and sister Sally Blane were voted Wampas Baby stars. WAMPAS was the logo for Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers and starlets who won the contest were considered headed directly to stardom.
This was the film that made Otis Skinner famous. In the role of Hajj, the beggar king, he excelled. Loretta got the plum role of Marsinah, his daughter, who falls in love with the Caliph Abdallah’s gardener ( actually the caliph himself) played by David Manners. The backgrounds for the film were lush..the streets, the mosques and the palaces in all the Oriental splendor of old Bagdad. Filmed in experimental 65 mm wide screen and early Technicolor film, today it no longer exists and is considered a lost film. Off the set: Loretta was now finding out how wrong she was when she married Grant Withers. The estrangement with her mother was painful and arguments with her new husband happened daily. His contract had been dropped and she was paying all the bills while he continued to spend wildly and drink. Loretta learned that puppy love sometimes led to a dog’s life.
Based on Kenyon Nicholson’s play, this was a definitive Cagney film. Both the female leads, Loretta and Dorothy Burgess, were simply window dressing. As Matt Dolan, the hot tempered cabbie, Cagney was in his element. Loretta played Sue Reilly who married Dolan to change him but, even in movies, that never works. Cagney makes his debut dancing in this film as Matt and Sue enter a dance contest and place second. Loretta admits having a crush on Jimmy but also
acknowledged he was a very fine actor. Off the set: Loretta was still getting over her failed marriage. She was openly dating but conscious that she was the subject of all the gossip mavens.
Loretta had ended 1932 with two more programmers, the kind of films she didn’t want to keep making. Then Jess Lasky asked to borrow her for an independent production at Fox. He believed the role of the waiflike orphan in this story suited her perfectly. Up to now Loretta had never made an “A” picture where she was the integral character. At twenty, Loretta photographed younger with a childlike quality plus the experience behind her to use it to best advantage in developing Eve’s ethereal persona. She created a wide-eyed, shy and radiant Eve and carried the picture throughout. “Zoo…” was an assured success and it was the first Loretta Young film to play Radio City Music Hall. Off the set: Loretta was diverted from her loss of “Berkeley Square” by her best friend’s wedding. Josie Saenz married John Wayne in the Young-Belzer home and Loretta was maid of honor.
Loretta had planned to take her first trip to Europe where sister Sally Blane was working on a film. But a chance to do a picture with famed director Frank Borzage was too good to pass up. Frank had seen Loretta in “Zoo..” and decided she would be the right choice to play Trina. Her leading man would be Spencer Tracy. The director of publicity for the studio recalled that “Even I was banned from the set…the scenes were too hot”. This was a pre-code Hollywood melodrama based on a novel by Laurence Hazard that takes place in one of New York’s East River shantytowns. Penniless Trina moves in with tough guy Bill (Tracy) and just as he is about to dump her for a showgirl with money( Glenda Farrell) Trina finds out she is pregnant. Of course, eventually true love blooms and, in this case, it bloomed on screen and off. Catch Marjorie Rambeau as the drunken neighbor and Walter Connelly as Ira. Off the set: Loretta and Tracy continued their romance after the movie wrapped and became a very hot item in the gossip columns. Now Loretta learned what it meant to be really in love. But no happy-ever-after was in her future.
It was a tense set. Clark Gable and director Wellman didn’t see eye to eye. One irritant for the director were the scores of women who followed Gable on location and whose greatest joy in life was just touching the actor. They braved blizzard conditions and ten foot snow drifts just to get a glimpse of him. And the cast had to dig out of those snow banks constantly as the wind kept blowing the snow and more snow accumulated. The original schedule of ten days went into weeks because of the brutal weather. But the star of the movie was Buck, the dog! Loretta recalls one night when it was very cold, they had to do a retake outside. Gable and the dog had become quite friendly so he was taken back when the dog nipped him. “What’s up with Buck”, he asked Wellman. “That’s not Buck, that’s his stand-in. It’s too cold out here for Buck”, answered the director. Furious, Gable grabbed Loretta and headed for the lodge. Off the set: Rumors were flying all over Tinseltown before the movie was even in the can about the sparks heating up between Gable and Loretta. But most believe it was Loretta’s broken heart that led to the affair.
Because “Call of the Wild” went weeks over schedule, Loretta was late getting to the set of this DeMille epic. She wore a long blonde wig for this film and looked stunning. But insiders said that under the makeup, there were shadows under her eyes and her mood swings were very uncharacteristic.
Her first argument was with the great DeMille himself over, of all things, the Virgin birth! The director had become irritated when Loretta corrected his religious terminology. “He was confusing the Virgin Birth with the Immaculate Conception!” DeMille demanded a Catholic encyclopedia be brought to the set and looked it up himself. Loretta was right, of course. On the set: Two extras were complaining outside Loretta’s dressing room about the long morning in the heat. One muttered “I wonder when that bald son-of-a-bitch is going to call lunch”. DeMille’s voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker. “Will the young lady ..stand up and repeat that remark?” Loretta advised her to do what he asked and the trembling girl repeated her remark. There was a hushed silence and then DeMille bellowed “Lunch. Back in one hour!” At least that was the way Loretta told it.
This melodrama was made in 1919 with Fannie Ward and again in 1931 with Constance Bennett and Lew Ayres with the title “Common Clay”. The storyline concerns the love affair and secret marriage between a housemaid and the playboy son of the family that employed her. Zanuck borrowed Robert Taylor from MGM in a trade agreement for loaning Loretta for “The Unguarded Hour”. Loretta enjoyed the film and working with Taylor. She also was pleased that the love scenes didn’t involve any “groping and grabbing” but were more sensitive and subtle. Taylor remarked about Loretta’s constant checking the mirror before each scene but, after seeing the final cut, he had to admit it wasn’t in vain. Off the set: The gossip columnists left Loretta alone while Taylor was her leading man. They had their sights on him and his current heartthrob, Barbara Stanwyck. The romance seemed headed for the altar.
Loretta was again teamed with Ty Power and the studio had another hit. Fans loved seeing these two together. This was the fourth film they did together and another was in the works. Gossips were trying hard to link them romantically off the screen but Power was seeing Sonja Henie at the time. Claire Trevor, who also appeared in the film, was fascinated by Loretta’s concentration on anything that would further her career. Even after an exhausting day on the set, Loretta would set up hours of posing for stills. The essence of what being a movie star is all about…get your picture in the paper! Off the set: Loretta was tired of doing dizzy comedies and wanted to do a heavy costume drama with “tragic emotion”. But her next picture was “Three Blind Mice” with Joel McCrea and David Niven. After that they did give her a costume part...as Empress Eugenie In “Suez”. She wasn’t pleased. The meatiest role was that of Ferdinand de Lesseps, architect of the Suez canal…played by Tyrone Power.
Polly Ann, Sally and Georgianna all join Loretta on the set for this one. Loretta wasn’t happy that Georgie was working at her young age and felt she needed to pay her “dues” before she took on such a role. Don Ameche played the title role and Loretta was his deaf wife. The girls, of course, were typecast as Loretta’s sisters. Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Gene Lockhart and Spring Byington made up the rest of the stellar cast. The love scenes were special because Loretta had put her hand over Don’s lips to feel the words or read his lips. Loretta found it challenging even though originally she hadn’t wanted to do it. However, it would be Georgianna’s last film. Off the set: On the home front, Loretta’s beau William Buckner was in hot water up to his eyeballs. The stockbroker was arrested by Federal agents and charged with mail fraud in connection with some Philippine Railway bonds. Newspapers had a field day but Loretta had no comment.
The screenplay was based on a novel by Lady Eleanor Smith titled “The Ballerina” and it was a pet project of actor-director Gregory Ratoff. The story was about Polly Varley, a 19th century London slum child who grew up to be a celebrated dancer Lina Varsavina. She married her dancing master out of gratitude but recalls (in flashbacks) the lovers of her past. The studio had great hopes for the film and it was booked into Radio City Music Hall. But the reviews were lukewarm and audiences small. It was December, 1941 and the country had gone to war.Off the set: Loretta had now been making movies for 14 years from silent to sound, and there seemed no end in sight. However, the new Mrs. Tom Lewis wanted it known that she was only Loretta Young on the screen. Off the set she was plain Mrs. Tom Lewis.
Alan Ladd was getting a big build-up for this film since it was going to be his last movie as a civilian. But Loretta, wise to all the tricks of the business, wasn’t going to let him steal the show. It was no doubt that her casting in this film had something to do with her volunteer work on behalf of China Relief and a family friend directing it. However, her opinions on how the picture should be filmed were often viewed as overbearing. But even though she had top billing, it was Ladd, bare-chested and carrying a machine gun that burst out of billboards and dominated magazine ads. The movie was a big hit at the box office. On the set: Ingenious Loretta maintained her glamorous image under extreme conditions. The constant rain used in the picture would have washed out many an actress. But Loretta kept her hair in place with colorless lacquer (a forerunner of today’s hairspray) and brushed oil on her eyebrows. She also added a protective coating to her lashes in lieu of mascara and put a light grease foundation under her makeup.
Loretta was not the first choice to play Katie. Ingrid Bergman had already turned it down (and she had a real Swedish accent) David O. Selznick and Dore Schary were battling over the casting. David wanted Ingrid, Dorothy McGuire or even Sonja Henie. Dore was holding out for Loretta Young. He felt she was the only one who could bring Katie to life. He was right. Schary also told Loretta she could win an Oscar with this part. He was right again. Loretta decided to do something she had avoided before….she bleached her baby-fine hair blonde. She had always feared what the harsh chemicals could do to it. She also worked for weeks with coach Ruth Roberts to acquire a Swedish accent. The movie was pure Dore Schary with its strong anti-prejudice theme (the villain was a bigot) but it wasn’t the usual Loretta Young film. No glamorous gowns or perfect coiffures. Katie was a no-nonsnse kind of gal and Loretta became Katie! On March 20th, 1948 Loretta Young won the Oscar for best Actress in a Motion Picture Off the set: Loretta began working with Father Patrick Peyton again. He was trying to get free air time to promote family prayer….”The Family that prays together, stays together”. He finally persuaded the Mutual Network to give him the time when he promised to provide real entertainment and not just prayers. Loretta convinced stars to volunteer. It was the beginning of “The Family Theater”, a smash hit that lasted ten years.
A Christmas classic! Based on a novel by Robert Nathan about divine intervention into human endeavors, this was a theme close to Loretta’s heart. She had two leading men, Cary Grant who was supposed to play the bishop and David Niven the angel. But Grant convinced the studio to switch the roles! But if there was one thing that irritated Loretta, it was Cary Grant’s penchant for perfection. They were shooting a scene when Cary suddenly stopped and inquired “If it’s supposed to be cold outside and the house is nice and warm inside, why isn’t there any frost on the window?” Everything stopped (including Loretta’s concentration and mood) until the proper “frost” was applied. Years later, she was still complaining about it. Off the set: David Niven’s memorable performance is even more outstanding when you realize he had just lost his 25 year-old wife, Primmie. She died after a freak fall while they were visiting at Tyrone Power’s house. He loved her very much and work was his only solace.
Again, Loretta had two leading men. William Holden was cast as her husband and Robert Mitchum was the intriguing stranger. She also had her brother-in-law on board as director (Foster was married to Sally Blane). Mitchum wasn’t pleased one bit that all the cards seemed stacked in Loretta’s favor. But he remained his calm, stoic self on the set. Loretta pooh-poohs the story that he was the biggest contributor to her “Swear Box” (fines were paid for using the Lord’s name in vain). The film was shot on location in Oregon. The storyline was a homey tale about a homesteader Big Davey (Holden) who wanted a mother for his son and a housekeeper all in one so he bought a bondservant for twenty-two dollars and married her. Mitchum was his old friend who came to town and offered to buy the gal (Loretta) away from him. Catch Mitch as he sings and plays the guitar. Off the set: Mitchum was making news of the naughty kind. Arrested for marijuana possession, Mitch spent two months in jail and his box office appeal went through the roof.
Another Christmas classic! Based on a story by Clare Booth Luce about two French nuns who come to Bethlehem, Connecticut to raise funds to build a children’s hospital. Loretta was cast as Sister Margaret, the Mother Superior (some felt this was typecasting) and Celeste Holm was her companion. But it was on this film that Loretta won her moniker “Attila the Nun”. She corrected everyone from director to electrician. Celeste didn’t kneel correctly and was too flirty with the villains in the scene. The director just didn’t understand the way nuns spoke and behaved. The revised script made the nuns look like two stingy, crabby old maids. It wasn’t long before Darryl Zanuck complained she was trying to ruin his studio with her over-reigious treacle.l But when all was said and done, the movie was a smash success and Loretta was nominated for another Oscar. Off the set: Loretta and Rosalind Russell (the gal she beat out in the last Oscar race) let the wags know they were still friends by dressing as the Toni Twins for the Press Photographers Costume Ball. The theme was based on a popular home permanent slogan “ Which Twin Has the Toni?”
It was the first re-teaming of Young and Gable since the now infamous filming of “Call of the Wild”. The script was mediocre but there were high hopes the film would be a winner just on the box office strength of the two co-stars. Gable was looking older and a little haggard from overwork but he was still, at 48, the same dashing figure. The magic was still there. Production on the film was progressing smoothly until Loretta became ill. She blacked out during a scene with Clark and he had to carry her off the set. An ambulance was called and Loretta was rushed to Queen of Angels Hospital. The diagnosis was that she was three months pregnant. But she lost the baby and the movie was delayed until she was well enough to return to the set. Loretta was devastated at the loss. Off the set: Soon after filming was over, Frank Morgan who played Fire Chief Duggan in the film, died of a heart attack. He had just started ‘Annie Get your Gun” with Judy Garland. Later, the picture was scratched and recast with Betty Hutton in the lead and Louis Calhern in Morgan’s role. |
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