Consider the careers of Hollywood's "mother-made stars," whose ranks include Ginger Rogers, Anne Shirley, Anita Louise, Olympe Bradna, Tyrone Power, Marx brothers, Shirley Temple, June Long and Irene Dare, and you must agree that "mother knows best'—at least in the film town.
These are a few of the more outstanding cinema celebrities whose careers were largely shaped by acting as coaches, counsellors, business agents and managers.
Some movie mothers have stood quietly in the background, advising, encouraging, manipulating a string} here, making a move there to furth the offspring's career. Others have taken over the exacting chores of negotiating contracts, instigating pubplicity, fending off romances.
Anyone familiar with the Hollywood scene knows that most of these mothers have realized their own frusted ambitions in the successful careers of their children.
Lola Rogers, mother of Gin-whom RKO Radio has just reunited with Fred Astaire in "Care-up her own career to red-headed daughter's. She was society and drama editor of the Fort Worth "Record" when Giner won the Charleston contest which catapulted her, by consecutive impulses, into vaudeville, the New York stage, pictures and stardom.
When Ginger started her theatrical career Mrs. Rogers accompanied het as manager, chaperon and adviser. Not until Ginger was established as a top-flight star did Mrs. Rogers resume her own career.
Mother of Marxes Called Greatest Of the Marx brothers, it has been said that the greatest of the Marxe: was Minna, their mother. daughter of a musician who toured Europe in a waggon for 50 years, at each stop giving demonstrations in legerdemain while her mother played the harp. Minna came to New York, worked in lace and fur factories and married Samuel Marx, east-side tailor who had crossed from Alsace. To them vere born five sons (named by a vaudeville monologist), Chico, Groucho, Harpo, Gumma and Zeppo. She dedicated her life to training them for the stage—became their gag writer and business agent As fast as one was old enough to go on the stage their mother prepared a place for him, wrote material and organized the acts in which they appeared. Gumma and Zeppo have now gone into other business, but the three others are carrying on the matriarchal tradition in their current RKO Radio production "Room Service," acquired from the New York stage for their special talents.
One of Hollywood's classics is the mutual devotion of Anne Shirley, currently appearing in "Mother Carey's Chickens," and her mother. For twelve years Mrs. Mimi Shine: determined that she would establish her child as a star, fought the Holly wood battle against the well-known astronomical odds. Often the two went hungry, living under the shadow of eviction in tiny, shabby apartments. Even when they had a streak of comparative good times they limited themselves to a budget of $10 a week. When Anne was selected as star of "Anne of Green Gables" the long grind was over. The Shirleys have been in the chips ever since.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.