HOLLYWOOD MY HOME TOWN

[Music] radio made a great impact on Hollywood in the 30s Sunday night on The Ether waves could mean only one thing Edgar Bergen and his two alter egos Charlie McCarthy and mtima SN and some of the most exciting moments of these Sunday night shows were when this gentleman Tangled with Charlie McCarthy in radio's most famous Feud WC Fields I took this picture outside of his dressing room at Universal Studio it's one of my prize [Music] possessions I got to know Bill very well over a period of years and contrary to the general impression that Fields was an Ara old kaj I found him to be a lovable kindly gentleman thanks to radio this fell also came to Hollywood Bing Crosby is a real old friend in fact he sang at my wedding I've got a lot of pictures of Bing Through The Years here's one in front of his dressing room when he was making his first movie here he is on the set of an early talkie directed by David Butler Alan Jin was in that that picture too also El brendell incidentally I think that Bing probably more than anyone else helps to popularize golf in the movie Colony here he is with that great golf pro Jimmy Thompson that's Viola Dana a big star in the silence watch Bing take his right hand off the club and put it back on before he hits the ball [Music] John Barrymore was also practicing that day and here's another young lady who enjoyed a swing around the links Jean Hollow those bell bottom slacks certainly tab the era don't [Music] they I took up golf myself in the late 30s this was my first celebrity tournament and man I was really nervous of course those hecklers didn't [Music] help you'll notice that I have a swing that's neat but not gy I had a big Gallery with me that day maybe my partner had something to do with it old ski no that hope is the luckiest man on a golf course where do you see this putty makes look it doesn't go in the front way it doesn't go in the side it comes around the back and go in and he's so sned about it of course in the early 30s Polo was a very popular game I used to live right above the Riviera polar field and every Sunday I got a chance to take some exciting pictures Will Rogers was responsible for spearheading the popularity of this game and he attracted some of the biggest personalities of the movie Colony as teammates on this particular day Leslie Howard was playing that's Carol Lumbard with Russ Columbo Will Rogers of course was the big attraction here he is making a goal I used to practice a little stick and ball myself never great but I got so that at least I could hit the ball of course it's much easier if there's no opposing team trying to stop you but I never got to play like these fellas from right to left that's Johnny MC Brown Spence Tracy Will Rogers Leslie Howard and James gon receiving the winning trophies from Carol Lumbard tennis has always been popular in Hollywood here's Bob Cummings you know he's quite a health addict I read his bestseller titled how to stay young and vital but I must have skipped some of the pages I don't look like that this was taken at the Racket Club in Palm Springs I don't think think there's any place in the entire world where the stars relax as much as they do at this desert Spa here's a little horse play between edgen and Spence Tracy nice guy another very popular sport in the 30s was badminton this was taken at dick Powell's home I took a crack at this game too in fact I took a crack at everything I think I read someplace once that you weren't really in the Hollywood swim until you've been pushed into your own swimming pool with your clothes on so here's my next door neighbor Mary ASA [Music] obliging I promise you this was not rehearsed naturally some of the best film I have was taken on vacation trips One Summer Glenn Ford flew a party of friends up to cely Lake Montana this is the most beautiful spot I've ever seen here's a couple of Isaac Walton who made a bet on who's going to land the first lunker that's Sunny tuus you know this is home movies at its best I'm sure that everyone who takes pictures has a shot like this scenes like this seem to capture a delightful Carefree quality that is almost impossible to get in the [Music] studio this was taken at a nearby Indian Reservation incidentally this next shot was photographed by Glenn that's that's Charlie Ruggles doing the shyenne chaa with the [Music] Squall Sunny tough says it's time to go but Glenn wants to shoot the Indians just once more [Applause] [Music] van hefin was up there making a picture here he is rehearsing a scene his wife Francis was there watching her husband emote Ward bar was also in the picture and of all things Boris carof was playing an Indian Susan Haywood was the feminine star and boy does he have it rough this is not a heated swimming pool in the studio this is the real [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] thing but we all got a lot of good pictures Charlie Ruggles Glenn in fact even the Indians got good [Music] pictures later that summer I took a trip to Catalina on John Hall's boat you know John is an expert [Music] [Applause] swimmer our old friend dick Paul was board he's a lot of fun and a good [Applause] sailor when we arrived at Catalina the first one we ran into was luk Castell with his new boat an 80t Cruiser blue certainly enjoyed that [Music] boat imagine trying to explain to a fish who's on first arrol Flynn was over on the island you know what he's pointing at his new boat the zacha coming in to pick him up on the way home man did that channel get rough I have a shot here it's a trick shot but it shows exactly how my stomach felt [Music] [Applause] yes I was the first of the sick [Music] comedians probably the reason I have such a warm spot for my hometown is that in the 40s Hollywood afforded me the opportunity of establishing some sort of record in My Chosen profession the stage from 42 to 49 I had a show called blackouts which was literally the playground of the Stars yeah we played to everybody from the old Master DW griffi to The elusive Greta Garo who sneaked in one night after the show started and sat in the balcony I met a lot of friends during that time and I got a lot of good [Applause] pictures our leading lady was the Luscious pinup girl Marie Wilson to the six million people who saw the show one of the most popular acts seemed to be this movie dog Daisy K9 star of the Blondie series and her five puppies here's part of the act exactly as it was done on the stage of blackouts for over 7even years the idea was to try to make all the puppies sit up at the same time and as Frank sonat would say this was a guest well anyway this is the way it's supposed to look when it's finished [Applause] [Music] when the war came it changed a lot of lives in Hollywood this was taken at cam Pendleton near San Diego 4 days after it opened that Drill Master is private to Rome power these are authentic pictures they are not Clips out of an old [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] movie over in the Barrack shining his shoes like any other good Marine was another Hollywood Refugee Blen for here's another interesting picture this was taken at the naval base in Alam that's ensen Bob stack who of all things was an aial machine gun instructor machine guns huh looks like Elliot NES was getting in some good practice Hollywood canteen Christmas 19 1843 Betty Davis was there Eddie kandle was Santa Claus when movie stars get together for a charity baseball game you can always be sure of a great turnout but I've never seen such a crowd as showed up for this one at Wrigley Field way before the game started all the seats were filled and hundreds of fans had a stand on the field they saw a great show a lot of stars there are the two captains Frank Sinatra and Andy Russell at this moment they're announcing that all attendance records have been [Music] broken here's the Batgirl Jane Russell you know I think Major League Baseball could use an innovation like this there's the Umpire coming out of the Dugout I'll bet Leo D Roi wouldn't argue with this [Music] guy yeah even the three Studios were there they were trying to watch Bert Lancaster at bat Bert hits a good one and legs it out to first base I didn't get a chance to shoot many plays but this next one is a pip Mickey Rooney was at bat Mickey hits a butt and runs to first base the first baseman misses the ball and Mickey runs to Second the second baseman muffed the ball and Mickey ran for third three bases on a bun he starts for home changes his mind goes back and they call him out well that that that's the Empire Jack Carson I thought they were going to kill [Music] [Applause] him shortly after the war I participated in another baseball game but it wasn't at Wrigley Field it was on a sand lot in Beverly Hills it was a father and son game B Crosby pitted against his boys I was the Empire you know I was around when Bing started this club I walked the floor with him the night that boy Gary was born that's really collecting cigars the hard [Music] way and there's Philip coming in Phil hit a good one that time a three bager you know only in Hollywood could this happen probably the greatest entertainer of our time playing baseball with his sons on a sand lot in back of a church and going [Music] unnoticed that's [Music] Lindsay here's another fellow who takes time out to play with his kids Bob Cummings Bob has the most unusual method of teaching his youngsters to swim almost before they can walk he puts them on his back makes them hold on and swims underwater with them look ma no snle [Music] she must have liked that she couldn't wait to get back in the pool here's another interesting shot taken from the bottom of Bob cumming's [Music] pool watch this little girl's face as she holds her breath the title of this next picture is are you sure Marilyn Monroe started this [Music] way during the blackouts run I got a family started myself this is my youngest son CAU there a very amusing story about that little guy a few years ago I was doing a television show in the East and I had him visit me he was seven at the time and had never appeared in public before like any proud daddy I wanted to show him off so I thought it might be very cute to have a little girl sing a love song to him while I think that CT liked the idea of appearing on television he was not very happy about this love stuff especially when I suggested that the little girl lean over and kiss him during the number well anyway this is what happened they try to tell us where to Young too young to really [Music] [Applause] be can't to know the mean and we not too [Music] young this long [Music] years [Music] and we were not too young at all and yet we're not [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] well so far you've seen almost three decades of film that I've taken since I decided to make Hollywood my hometown as you probably noticed I I didn't take every shot and I might have mixed up some of the dates and places but you know it's very hard to remember everything that happened in 35 years but I'm giving you the same treatment I gave my folks after all I was never one to spoil a good story by the lack of a few facts I still like to take pictures matter of fact I've been at it so long I can't kick the habit just uh just recently a couple of photogenic friends of mine left for Rome it was very early in the morning but uh I was there [Music] [Applause] [Music] la [Music] [Applause] [Applause] as I drove back from the airport that morning I was inclined to disagree with those who contend that Hollywood has lost all its glamor to me even after living here for years the people of Movie Town are still some of the most glamorous personalities on the world stage yeah whenever I see a tourist with a camera I have an inkling of what motivates him I bet you can't guess who these kids belong to no they're they're not the McGuire Sisters I'll give you another clue there's their daddy and mommy yes those three little mopets belong to this gentleman Pat [Music] Boone Pat and his family represent the new Hollywood he's a a sincere solid citizen whose interest in community as well as business Affairs would make him welcome in any town he's a good sport too has a wonderful sense of humor when I was taking these pictures I bet him that he couldn't put on a disguise and walk through Disneyland without being recognized but he did the white sneakers almost gave him away [Music] you may not have recognized this star in Disneyland but I'm sure you'd have no trouble recognizing this one in Beverly Hills he's one of the finest actors on the screen you know who that is that's Thomas Mitchell hey Tom that's Jack Benny's home back there Tom lives just up the street what a gracious [Music] gentlemen this is Sunset Boulevard the fabled highway of the Stars don't look now but isn't that Jane Mansfield could be she lives on this street that is Jane Mansfield she had her hair dyed for a picture I went over to her house and got some very interesting shots you know she's the only one in town who has a hot-shaped swimming pool [Applause] despite her much publicized player for maintaining the tradition of a glamorous siren she is really a serious-minded young girl with a swell husband Mickey hagate and three beautiful children that's the youngest one man oh and I almost forgot she also has 10 dogs and Two Goats if you ever come out our way and want to find out where Jane and the other movie stars live all you have to do is buy a map from one of those guys along the road no or is it well at least I'm sure that's Jack Lemon I took this picture myself very early one morning as he was going to work he was making a picture called The Notorious land [Music] lady you'll notice that has a house now he's given up the apartment yes if you get up early you can see Jack Lemon going to work and if you stay up late you might see him coming out of a Premiere you might also see Jimmy Stewart Hollywood is very proud of him he's not only a great actor but he's also a general this is the studio where Jimmy Stewart worked for so long I went over to visit an old vaille friend of mine who was making a picture with Lana Turner called Bachelor in Paradise they told me at the gate that he wasn't on the set he was riding his bicycle somewhere around the studio but I finally tracked him [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] down Bob said to be sure and get a good picture he was expecting to win his first Academy Award this year hope calls me the CB the mill of home movies this is where I made the first mistake letting another comedian take my picture [Music] I didn't want the camera back with that picture in it I'd rather have the bicycle uh-oh for a moment I thought I was going to take one of those Chapman Falls remember this gate we really should have a title here saying 30 years later well the studio looks just the same that's more than I can say for that actor I went over there to see Frank cpra who is making a new movie I caught him just as he was coming off the set I figured we ought to get some pictures and we might as well let him take them anybody can do a better job than that hope the first to come out was my old fishing pal Glenn FD he was surprised to see that I had put kaer to work it was nice to see Glenn again but I didn't want to detain him too long even movie stars only have an hour for lunch [Music] [Applause] then out came probably the greatest dramatic actress of our time the one and only Betty Davis with hope Lang another star of the picture Betty was surprised to see me there if she seems heavily made up it's because she's playing Apple Annie in this Frank CA picture pocket full of Miracles incidentally hope Lang had just finished doing a crying scene so Capra kept up a steady stream of funny gags trying to make her laugh I tried to Hoke it up with the apples but you can't top that [Music] CA I had my two little daughters with me that day it was their first time inside of a studio and before we left I took the kids for a walk down Paramount's Weston Street I tried to explain to him that one of the first talkies I ever remember seeing was the Virginia it was a class Western the first of a long row which Gary Cooper was to make during his [Music] lifetime it was made on this street [Music] you know each time one of these Giants of the screen leave us forever Cooper Gable bogot the sense of loss is a great deal more pronounced for men like Coupe were childhood Heroes and their image was never shaken on through adulthood I sometimes wonder if our children growing up will have such heroes from the screen men that they will recall for a Lifetime with affection and pleasurability I hope so good [Music] [Applause] [Music] night Hollywood Hollywood [Applause] magic everywhere you find it Inwood [Music] la [Music] [Applause] [Music]