Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 2 June 1936, page 24


AMERICAN ACTOR FOR AUSTRALIAN FILM.

VICTOR JORY'S PLANS.

Victor Jory, who acted as Oberon in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and takes a part in Miss Grace Moore's next picture, "The King Steps Out"; who composed the popular

songs, "Walting For You" and "Sundown Trail"; who wrote the New York stage suc-cesses "Three Who Were Mad" and "Bodies by Fisher," is coming to Sydney for Colum-bia next month, lo make a film from "Rangle River," a story with an Australian setting, which Mr. Zane Grey wrote during

his recent holiday In Bermagui.

IT IS a rare actor who is equally well-liked by

both sexes, for both men and women admire different traits in their screen favourites, but Mr. Jory is one who enjoys this reputation. He is more than 6ft tall, weighs 13st, and is dark and handsome, which is, perhaps, the reason for his popularity among women picture-goers.

He was born in Alaska, in 1902, in a trail-side roadhouse, just three weeks after his parents had packed over the hazardous Chilakoot Pass. His mother was one of the few newspaper women in Alaska, while his father had brought the first band of horses into the igloo country.

The boy's earliest ambition was to possess a pair of cauliflower ears, and it was in Vancouver that he first attempted to achieve this aim. He never did retain the scars of battle, but he won the amateur light-weight championship of British Columbia before he tired of the ling.

It was in 1918 that Mr. Jory made his professional debut as an actor, and so began a roving theatrical career, which lasted 12 years. During those years he acted in 515 plays. He appeared in one-night stands, operettas, musical comedies, and visited all the important cities in the United States. He made his Broadway debut in "Berkeley Square," which was followed by many successful plays, in-cluding "To-night or Never," "What Every Woman Knows," "Death Takes a Holiday," and "The Com-mand to Love."

CAREER IN FILMS.

While visiting California, in 1932, Mr. Jory drifted over to Pasadena to greet his friends at the play-house, and was persuaded to play the leading role in "Louder, Please." He acquitted himself so creditably that Hollywood scouts offered him screen tests which resulted In a long term contract with Fox Films. His first picture was "Renegades," and during the next two years he was featured in a series of pictures. Among those he liked best were "State Fair," "Smoky," "He Was Her Man," "Pride of the Legion," and "I Loved You, Wednesday."

When Mr. Jory's contract with Fox expired, Columbia executive put him on their pay-roll, and gave him a part In "White Lies," with Walter Con-nolly and Fay Wray. He had previously made one Columbia picture, "My Woman," with Helen Twelvetrees and Wallace Ford. His third picture was "Mills of the Gods," for Columbia, with May Robson and Fay Wray. Then Warner Bros, bor-rowed him to play the part of Oberon, King of the Fairies, in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." After its completion he returned to his home lot for "Party Wire," with Jean Arthur. More recently he has appeared in "Too Tough to Kill," "Escape from Devil's Island," "Hell-ship Morgan." and "The

VICTOR JORY, who arrives m Sydney next month to make "Rangle River" for Columbia Pictures. The film will be directed by Mr. Clarence Badger. It is possible that Mr. Badger will remain in Australia to direct other Columbia stars if that organisation decides to

continue producing films in Australia.

King ù..eiJ6 Out," none of which has yet been released in Sydney.

Mr. Jory was married seven years ago to Miss Jean Innes, an actress. They have a four-year-old daughter, named after her mother. Next to the two Jeans, Mr. Jory's most treasured possession is his extensive library, consisting of more than 5000 volumes, all of which he has read. His favour-ite authors are Joseph Conrad, Hugh Walpole, Ernest Hemmingway, while his favourite play-wrights include Sydney Howard, Ferenc Melnar, and George Bernard Shaw.

Mr. Jory's leisure is spent in fishing, hunting, swimming, and playing tennis or golf. He loves camp life, and in Hollywood has a reputation as an excellent cook of camp fare. He is rarely seen about the film colony in anything but sports clothes, and is usually smoking a pipe cr a cigarette, so Australian life should appeal to him.

Speculation is rife as to who will be the fortunate Australian girl chosen to play opposite Mr. Jory, but Mr. Cecil Mason, general manager of Columbia films, says that the choice will be left with the director of the film, Mr. Clarence Badger, who is arriving in Sydney at the end of' this month