Sunday, August 10, 2014

Movies #8


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Is this Wallace Beery? (Early in his career, Beery had worked as a bull hand.)

Roger Smith said...

Yes. There are a number of shots of him visiting shows, often in fine suits and two-toned shoes. With his rep confirmed by all as a slob and a coarse ruffian on set, it seems very much against type that he once had a radio interview show. He was sponsored by the Shell Oil Company and broadcast over what was then called the National Broadcasting System. Among the guests on his premiere show on Sunday, October 12th, 1935, was Mabel Stark. She had been attacked in Phoenix, by Nellie tigress on September 21, and was taken to the interview by stretcher from Methodist Hospital, in Los Angeles. Barnes show manager S.L. "Buster" Cronin scored an ocean of ink for this one, as shown in the aging pages of my source: Mabel's personal clippings book.