Lux Radio Theater # 3 - A Miscellany of Mostly Made Up Facts

I've been slowly making my way through the vast archive of Lux Radio Theater episodes and now, having listened to the existing shows from 1936 to 1939 I thought I would share with you some of what I've learned about Hollywood's top stars. In these early episodes, often the most interesting moments are the banal chats with either the Hollywood insider of the week or the stars of the play itself. Invariably during the heavily scripted banter we end up learning some minor fact about the lives of our Hollywood idols, and here, in all their sordid glory are a collection of the most trivial! Now, I'm in no way implying that any of these fascinating facts have any basis in reality or truth. Some are obviously studio propaganda, but some could be true. However, they struck me as either entertaining, stupid or just plain odd. Some of these titbits are interesting if you read between the lines, as they tell you a lot about what the studios wanted the public to think about particular stars, whilst others tell you absolutely nothing whatsoever. There are two stars that, based on the sheer volume of implausible (and the occasional plausible) facts given I've had to reduce their presence. The first is Errol Flynn, who I've included based on a few of the more obviously preposterous facts, while ignoring the many fictions given about his colourful life before movies. I'm not getting into that mine field of half truths, thank you very much. The other is Cecil B. DeMille, who if we are to believe him, invented everything, discovered everyone and inspired the making of every great moment in cinematic history. He may be right, but after a while it gets a bit tiresome, so he's been cut out. Anyway, here's the first instalment of interesting facts, a sort of "Everything I Wanted to Know about Hollywood I Learned from the Lux Radio Theater"

Lily Pons has the smallest shoes in Hollywood, size one and a half. She also has a village in Maryland named after her

Adolphe Menjou has a parrot that speaks English, French and Italian

Dolores Del Rio has never seen a football game

Shirley Temple’s life insurance policy is void if she takes up arms in defence of her country or if she meets death due to intoxication

Lionel Barrymore invented the moveable microphone

Ruth Chatterton sponsors air derbies

Warner Baxter’s appendix is on his left side instead of the right

Robert Montgomery carries on a perpetual game of backgammon with Frank Morgan

Edward G. Robinson can put an egg in his mouth and turn a hand spring without cracking the shell

Cecil B. DeMille is the landlord of the famous Brown Derby restaurant

Grace Moore is writing a book of international recipes

Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy never need to wear make up on the screen due to their natural tans

Ida Lupino prefers to wear sneakers and is an excellent mimic. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra have played her music

James Stewart is the owner of over 30 stray cats, who were attracted to him by his accordion playing

Victor McLaughlan has a sports stadium, drills and manages a troop of two thousand horsemen and sponsors a championship group of motorcycle riders

Charles Ruggles is a dog fancier

Errol Flynn was a member of the 1928 British Olympic boxing team

Reginald Denny designs and markets model aeroplanes

Ginger Rogers has installed a soda fountain in her home. She also likes roller-skating, knitting and saving old wrapping paper

Barbara Stanwyck paid for her stable boy’s wedding and danced there all night

Cecil B. DeMille started the first commercial passenger airline

According to studio trainers, the best boxers in Hollywood are Gary Cooper, George Raft, Sir Guy Standing, Jack Oakie and Ida Lupino

Joe E. Brown is spending a month being a radio announcer for the Chicago Cubs and has a sports column for the Los Angeles Examiner

Errol Flynn is a Dublin born globetrotter who first saw a Douglas Fairbanks film while at school in Ireland

Although he became movie star, Robert Taylor still regularly attends medical lectures as his father was a doctor who wanted him to go into medicine

Hollywood's most avid collectors of handkerchiefs are Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Joan Blondell, Jeanette MacDonald, Gracie Allen and Tyrone Power, who prefers silk ones

Fred MacMurray has given up the saxophone and now practises target shooting

Now, isn't your life more complete now that you know all that stuff about your favourite star? And personally I really hope that the James Stewart one was true...