Page Eighteen
THE STATE
February 22, 1936
Breaking Onto the Movies
THE .story of how Randolph Scott. North
Carolina's outstanding contribution to
cinema art. obtained his start at Hollywood
A FONDNESS for Rolf gave
Randolph Scott. native North
Carolinian ami one of the
newer stars of the movies, his start on
the road to fame in the land of ninkc
Indieve.
While on an automobile vacation
triji in 1028. Scott and his companion.
Jack Heath, of Charlotte, now his
hrothcr-indaw. «topped in California.
They became nr<|Uninted with a mov¬
ing picture director while playing golf,
and this chance meeting resulted in
both Scott and Heath living invited to
play “extra hits" in a picture the di¬
rector was producing at that time.
first role was exceedingly un¬
important, hill lie attracted the atten¬
tion of no h-ss a personage than ('evil
I!. DeMille, . . riling to li i- father.
(ii'otge (•. Scott. head of one of the
bureaus of tin- North Carolina Heparl-
liieiit of Revenue.
IXeMillc i« «aid to have told young
Scott that hi« screen “registration"
was almost perfect, and suggested that
lie study dramafie art for a year.
DeMille's advice was aecepled, and
Scott attended a unique School con¬
duced hy a retired actor. No tuition
f«4-« were charg'd at the school, but
those attending it would
ар|и-аг
in
plays and divide whatever profit, were
derived. The Community I 'layer», as
the group was known, were so mi .
fill that young Scott's share of the rev¬
enues during the first year amounted
to $3.000.
Scott appeared in a stage play.
“Broken Wings.” which had a highly
lucrative run of more than six months.
Its success attracted the attention of
ollicials of the I’jirniiioiint studio, and
the play was purchased hy that or¬
ganization for screen production.
However. Scott was not to play his
“‘Broken Wings” part in the movies,
although lie was signed by Paramount
for that purpose. Instead, he was as¬
signed lends in western .lories, most
of which had liven written by Zane
< ■ rev. He made fifteen of these “horse
operas,” as the western films are
known ill the profession.
Hi* success in the Grey pictures led
to a seven-year contract, and since lie
started playing “straight" roles, he
has made an even more favorable im¬
pression upon studio ollicials. His fa¬
ther recently said that one of Scott's
pictures netted over a million dollars
for Paramount.
Voting Scott has had a colorful ca¬
reer. including two years service with
the American forces in France during
the World War.
“Randolph returned from Wood ber¬
ry Forest school in Virginia in 1017
when he was only 1.1 years old." said
Scott*, father during an interview con¬
cerning hi* son. “It was just after
the I'nited States had declared war
against Germany. He was large for
his age. and. with a number of school
chums, enlisted in the army hy tell¬
ing a falsehood almut his age. He was
sent to Fran» following a period of
training, and participated in many
hard-fought battles, including that of
St. Millie). He had enlisted as
я
pri¬
vate, hut nunc home six months fol¬
lowing the Armistice as a lieutenant."
As a youth. Scott did not evince
any interest in becoming an actor, his
father said, and his entry into the
screen world was purely through the
dinner meeting with the movie direc¬
tor while playing golf.
"When Randolph came back from
the war." Mr. Scott said, “he decided
that he wanted to Iwcoine a textile en¬
gineer. He went to Georgia Tech for
two years, and then changed his mind,
saying that he wishes! to become a law¬
yer. He then attended the Univer¬
sity of North Carolina for a year or
so, hut did not obtain a degree. Re
turning to Charlotte, he worked in my
office until 1028, when he started out
on the automobile trip which was to
have such far- reaching consequence»."
Mr. Scott said that the impres*ion
that his son is a native of Virginia is
a mistake, although he actually was
horn in Virginia.
“Here’s how it happened," Scott's
father said. “Mrs. Scott went to Vir¬
ginia about a month l«efore Randolph
was
1югп.
and returned to our home
in Charlotte about a month after his
birth, lie was reared and educated
in Charlotte, and is as much a Tar
Heel as any of us."
SOLVING TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
(Continued from page one)
away with all of our stop-lights in
the cities, that everybody would Im-
more careful and t but there would !-•
a big reduction in accidents. And, as
I said lief ore, all that is necessary i‘
to do what we are supposed to do
obey the laws and enforce them.
Motorists are blamed for the high
rate of casualties on the highways of
North Carolina. In reality, however,
the hlnme rests with the authorities.
If strict enforcement of the law were
put into effect it would have a decided¬
ly beneficial effect from every point of
view.
READ
THE STATE
EVERY WEEK
And Keep in Step With tha
Progress of
NORTH CAROLINA
★
THE STATE
ALL LISTED AND UNLISTED SECURl T t F S
BOUGHT - SOLD - QUOTED
KIRCHOFER X ARNOLD
INCORPORATCO
CAPITAL CLUB BLDG .RALEIGH. N C.
DIRECT PRIVATE WlRI TO NEW YORK
