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cJLllen s PRESS CLIPPING BUREAU Established 1888 LOS ANGELES San Francisco Portland - Seattle Chicago, III. Herald American (Cir. 970,397) JUN 16 fggs JUL ens PRESS CLIPPING BUREAU Established 1888 LOS ANGELES San Francisco Portland - Seattle Chicago, III. Herald American (Cir. 970,397) JU" I 5 1858 JaW Powell's Break ||With Mate Definite BY LOUELLA O. PARSONS MoKon Picture Editor, International News Service. HOLLYWOOD, June 15-*Jane Powell feels so miserable with * bad cold plus the emotional upheaval of divorc- MmMi~m^ ing Geary Steffen that she may cancel two night club dates and rest until she starts "Hit the Deck" with Vic Damone in August. Latest developments in the Impasse between Jane and Geary are: He packed up, bag and baggage, and moved <pt of the house over the weekend. Jane puts the home up for sale tomorrow. It's too big. It's been agreed that she keeps custody of the children, with Geary having rights of visitation. But the division of community property hasn't been settled, and that's still the big legal hassle. jams rowaub JACK WARNER is telling the world (if he'd told me first he'd have a-better break In this column) that he has closed a deal for the remake of "Moby Dick" to star Gregory Peck. The great sea classic, made first with John Barrymore, Will be produced and directed by John Huston under the banner of Moulin Productions and released through Warners. Elliott Hyman, head of Moulin, closed the deal with lack; The picture, which won*t start until Spring, will have all the trimmings, Three-D, wide screen, Warnerscope and the all-media camera?╟÷and everything else you Can think of. ?╟≤ ?╟≤ ?╟≤ WE STAYED at the^andsIfoteJUbLLas Vegas, a beautiful spot with excellent seTJteBTSKanks to the fine guiding hand of Jack Entratter, During the day, the pool Is the attraction. At night, the supper room is jammed with customers who love both hot and operatic music. Metropolitan Opera star Robert Merrill stops the show every night. He's followed by that sizzling master of the blues, Louis Armstrong, who brings the place down in a heap. ^Marie Wilson Signs for 4 RKO Movies BY LOUELLA O. PARSONS International News Service, Motion Picture Editor. HOLLYWOOD, June 16?╟÷Today Marie Wilson should be inking a contract for four pictures, one per year, with RKO. <> Marie's sparkling performance with Roz Russell in "Never Wave at a Wac," plus of course, her popularity on ?√ß^^^*^?╜2??E-^-?╜et*Jfi* radio and TV pr ?╜My Friend Irma"?╟÷makes her solid gold to RKO?╟÷or any other company lucky enough to get her. I've always loved Marie. But I don't believe I realized just how popular she is with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Public until I saw the way she was received by the crowds at a church festival in Pomona* Long before her spot in the charity performance, they were calling with affection, "Hello, Marie. We want Marie." |- JOHN WAYNE HAS DE- cided not to appear in the "The High and the Mighty." This le^Ves the role of the older pilot, Dan Roman, wide open, and it looks as if John and his co-producer, Bob Fellows, will offer it to MARIE WILSON^ Her popularity zooms. Randy Scott. He'd be perfect. Duke'stepped out of this airplane thriller for two reasons. Right after he completes "Hondo" in Mexico, he starts "The Silver Horde" for RKO. The second is, he has to have some time between pictures for his ^up-coming bitter divorce battle with Mrs. i*fM LINEUP of talent in Las Vegas is staggering. Every one of the night clubs has an expensive act plus a chorus of beautiful girls?╟÷really beautiful. 'A crowd of us, including Mr. and Mrs. Abe Lastfogel, Mecca Graham, Jimmy McHugh and Hershey Martin looked over the acts?╟÷Jimmy to hear some of the singers with the idea of adding to his act. At the Thunderbird, Jimmy Melton is holding forth. He has a young discovery, a girl from Kentucky, who, he believes, iss.|!??mg places. . As fop^tflton, himself, he and his trick French car (almost 30.^ears old) is one of the sights of the desert. He took me fo#aPride from the Sands to the Thunderbird and we only;b|ike*5down four times onThe way. But a deft turn of the *OTgj& each time, and off we went again. He and Robert Meriltl had their pictures taken wfth Gordon MacRae, I who with hp Sheila are a very popular ^duo. At tb^Sahara, Jack Carter does his popular monologue, I and with him are the Ames Brothers, who are just "great. I I hope they'll come to Los Angeles. At the Last frontier, I Paul Whiternan and his orchestra played myiavorite^'Rhap- j sody in Blue." With Paul is David Barry who gets a big I hand. Went to mass at St. Ann's and Father Ryan spoke of a I coming charity event which thejSanriri Hotel has taken over I to raise money for a school. Seems orchestra leader Ray! Sinatra is the moving spirit. ?√ßBBS B*tabli SAN **hsdlt Bv*BAU ^?·l eurek* 9>0S8 . <^rtiJ*Tin)es JUti 21 1953 2?8) Louella Parsons HOLyrWOOD, June 21 ?╟÷ There filler was a more frightened boy in this wide world jfpbjan Van Johnson when he made his debut as a night club entertainer. He said he was so scared that he had to.be pushed out onto the stage. "But that was just at your opening," I said, "Surely you weren't /nervous after reading all your wonderful; notices?" "That's what you think,'' he'replied, 'T was covered with medals sent me by Roz Russell and my other Catholic friends, plus one I was given in Rome while I was there making 'When in Rome.' I wouldn't go on stage without wearing them! "I ne-^pr realized," Van continued, "How nice it is to have a wife until I went to Las Vegas. Evie looked after' my clothes, gave me courage, saw to the lighting, and was always sitting out front at every performance. She only left me when she had to take the children home." ''M$$ "You mean the three chil- I dr'en were there?" I said, Jf " *+ "They were certainly there for the opening," Van said. "In fact, my daughter Schuyler wanted to get up on the stage with me, but I wasn't hep enough in the beginning to let her come up on the stage. I was afraid to do anything not planned. The boys ''and Van was speaking of Evie's sons by Keenan Wynn) were surprised." "But why?" I asked. "O h, they've always though I ran projection machine at the studio. They never knew I was an actor. You see, I run movies at home, and they've always seen me operate the machie. We want them to have a normal childhood, without a lot of publicity." Van was on his way to further nightclub engagements and had stopped to see me. In all the years he has been coming vto my house for interviews (and that!sysince he : joined Metro in 194*2)7 I've never seen him look as well groomed, ^s thin, and as alert. He usually arrives in slacks, his shirt open at the j neck, and wearing those in- j evitable red socks. This time he was a study in brown ?╟÷ j matching shirt and tie ?╟÷ and was done up to the teeth. "The last night o ?· my en- J gagement in Vegas," Van I laughed, "the waiters, mus- I icians, and all the men pos- | sible in the Sands club wore J red socks!" "" Jm Van says his good friendr!. Rosalind Russell has neveiH stopped insisting that he takJH time off and do a musical OrP** Broadway. "Judging from the people I you 'drew into the night f clubs," I said, "it migty be a f smart idea." He said he had not been on, I the stage in y^ars, "and don't j forget," he added frankly, i "then I was only a chorus | boy."