Why look! It’s our old friend cartoonist Edmund Waller “Ted” Gale, who left The Times to go to the Los Angeles Examiner. In 1944, April 8 was Holy Saturday and the papers are full of stories and ads for Easter. This was, of course, in the days when many papers (including The Times) published Bible quotations every day.
April 8, 1944
HOLLYWOOD, April 7 — The official choice of Joan Blondell to play Aunt Sissy in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is an inspiration. Who, better than Joan, can play these goodhearted gals whose mistakes in life are often more on the comic than the tragic side. Aunt Sissy is a wonderful character and Joan will play her to the nth degree.
As is Darryl Zanuck’s custom when he hands out a surefire role, he signs the player on a long term contract. Joan, therefore, becomes today a 20th star with a grand array of movies planned for her. Alice Faye, who was to have played Aunt Sissy, has told her company she can not report for work before June or July. Her baby is due any moment.
ladailymirror.com 
I’ve met Stan Laurel’s daughter several times. She use to attend our Laurel & Hardy conventions. Very nice lady. Stan tried to get her in the movies but it never worked out.
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