July 31, 1944

Walter Winchell says: Times Sq. Ticker: Otto Preminger’s production of Vera Caspary’s hit novel “Laura” gives the villainous role to Clifton Webb, his first film. It’s a racy mystery murder with Gene Tierney in the role Jennifer Jones was touted off by D.O. Selznick … The author always denied that the crime-writer-columnist-radiorator villain was [Alexander] Woollcott but sophisticated New Yorkers will immediately think it is. Even though he is called Waldo.

Louella Parsons says: I knew there was some deal with a Mexican star in the offing for Mary Pickford, but every time I put it up to Mary she’d just look mysterious and say, “I can’t talk.” Well, today she told me that she, Hunt Stromberg and Dudley Murphy have made a three-way deal with Pedro Armendariz, famous Mexican actor — the first triple star ownership. Armendariz was in “Maria Candellari” with Dolores Del Rio, and that is as fine a picture as has ever been made in Mexico. The deal is made so the young man can return to Mexico and appear in Dudley Murphy’s pictures there also. Mary first saw Armendariz when she visited in Mexico last year. His first American picture is “Dishonored Lady” for Hunt Stromberg, which goes into production in October.

LEO: If you keep emotions sensibly controlled you need not fear difficult spots today may produce. Chin up, be enthusiastic. You’ll shine as you usually do.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer via Fultonhistory.comvia Fultonhistory.com.