 Bidwell McCormick takes you behind the scenes in Hollywood. Few persons with whom I have ever talked, who are not directly associated with the production of motion pictures, express any conception, whatever, of the vastness of a large Hollywood sound stage. That's true, don't you think, about almost any great industrial plant? And that's what a Hollywood studio really is, an industrial plant in the mass production of entertainment. True, only one or two or a half dozen or so at most different productions are being fabricated at a time. But these finally emerge as hundreds of separate prints to supply as many different theaters in all parts of the country at one time. That's mass production and denotes vastness in itself. Yes, and to make an outdoor production largely under one roof, where all sound, atmosphere, sunlight, degrees of twilight and darkness can be perfectly controlled requires almost unbelievable space too. While I was on a set recently on one of the larger sound stages where an outdoor scene was being photographed, and even that set with its large, real trees, its brook running through real mountain grass, its campfire with horses tethered nearby, and numerous performers was, as one might say, lost, so great was the size of the sound stage itself. When you speak of stage, you of course don't mean a stage in the sense that stages for plays, or performances, or even the opera are known. Oh no, the sound stage is a term used to describe the great sound proof building, which houses the photographing of a scene or scene. Some are comparatively small, some are large, and a few really immense. A huge auditorium, completely sound proof, and large enough to house sometimes a three ring circus, or an apartment house, or a good sized railway station. That's a Hollywood sound stage. It's really terrific. A Chinese version of RKO's First Man into Tokyo will be the first screen venture of Chinese Productions Limited, a newly formed Chinese American film company. The Amorous Ghost is the final title for the Pat O'Brien comedy drama now in production at the RKO Radio Studio, which was temporarily titled Man Alive. The first assignment of Renny's RKO costume designer, following her return to the Hollywood Studio from her New York visit will be the close for the magnificent tramp, Cunting Flass. Here's something to watch for, Gable and Garson's first kiss. Rear Garson, as Clark Gable's sweetheart in Strange Adventure, has to cackle like a hen, crow like a rooster, and fall flat on her face, all before Gable kisses her for the first time. Grant Withers has been signed a Metro Golden Mayor for an important role in Dangerous Partners, in which he will be cast as a heavy. Tagged in Hollywood as the body, gorgeous Marie McDonald seems definitely slated for stardom as the result of her portrayal of a sirenish other woman in the gay international pictures romance It's a Pleasure. Sonya Henney's first Technicolor film for RKO radio release. There's a streamlined reason for the label given Marie. She's five feet six inches tall, weighs 123 curvaceous pounds, measures 35 inches at busts and hips, and has a 23 inch waist. Really something in this girdles age. With the exception of the first eight months, Marie's life has been spent in America. Vianna Bourne, her parents brought her to Bergen, Kentucky. Then while she was still in grammar school, moved to New York City. Upon graduation from Roosevelt High School, the glamorous Marie joined the stage in a singing and dancing spot in the George White Scandals. Later, she did a solo turn at Gotham's famous Leon and Eddie's, sang with Tommy Dorsey's band, and on the radio with Johnny Long and Charlie Burnett bands. Sent to Hollywood by talent scouts, Marie played small roles in three Abbot and Costello comedies. She then appeared in Lucky Jordan and Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. Her most recently released film is Guest in the House. Although Marie started in show business as a vocalist, she has yet to sing on the screen. But the time may come when she'll be known as the screen's body and voice. And now for station announcements. Bidwell McCormick takes you behind the scenes in Hollywood. Art, what is it? Well to the painter, it no doubt means the capturing on canvas, the depth of understanding and true lightness of the subject, to the sculpture, a grace and charm and beauty, such as to give apparent life and animation to cold chiseled marble. To the motion picture director and performers, it means the true portrayal of characters and the proper coordination of production settings, lighting and performance. But to the motion picture press agent, it means but one thing, still pictures. Still pictures are the photographs taken either on the set of a motion picture scene while it is being made, or they are specially posed pictures of stars and players and other persons connected with the production. Primarily these pictures are made for reproduction, I should say, in newspapers and magazines, are for theater, lobby display purposes, but almost always they are for publicity purposes. Publicity art is divided into many categories, isn't it? Yes, there's straight publicity art, location shots, candid shots, shots of stars and directors, fashion art, advertising art and special holiday art. That isn't which a starlet the studio is trying to promote is posed with a firecracker. For instance, the 4th of July or with a Christmas wreath. This is called a leg art or cheesecake, usually because the girl is a tired and bathing suit or playtogs. So publicity art is much, many and varied. Yes, sir, and when one considers the many types of publicity art, the number and style of pictures required and the angles, and most of them not bad to look at either, being a studio still cameraman is not bad work if you can get it. A few pictures now before the cameras are the new Frank Sinatra feature, Bar of Music, Radio Stars on Parade, a novelty musical with Wally Brown, Alan Carney and Francis Langford topping the cast, Ding Dong Williams, the first of a new series based upon the Collier's magazine stories by Richard English, starring Glenn Vernon and Marcy McGuire, Corned and Chicago Lulo. Edward Stevenson, the designer who created Marino Herrera's wardrobe for the Technicolor picture, the Spanish main, has been loaned to 20th Century Fox to design this star's clothes for her next film, Kitten on the Keys. Bill H. Johnson, new Metro Golden Mayor actors, officially changed his name to John Carlisle and has been cast in a featured role in Dangerous Partners. Lucille Ball's gag birthday gift to her husband, Sergeant Desi Arnes, was a pin-up picture to end all pin-ups. It was of herself, of course, but wearing an old-fashioned bathing suit, 19-five vintage and several sizes too large. Tom Conway is the antithesis in private life of the characters he customarily assays on the screen. He's the hero of RKO Radio's popular Falcon series of detective thrillers, in addition to other redoubtable characters he portrays. Conway off-screen leads a normal, leisurely life, not far from different from that of any other solid American citizen. Nothing mysterious has ever happened to me, he boasts. The most excitement I have is on sets and on location while making movies. This sometimes, I will admit, gets very thrilling, particularly in the chase and fight scenes, but even those are tame compared to what they look like on the screen. A typical day in Conway's life begins at 6.30 in the morning. He arises before his wife and prepares breakfast for the tube. Feeds his four trained falcons, which he keeps for pets. If he has a studio call, he's on the set at 9 a.m. If there's no studio call, he plans a day of rest and quiet at home plus two hours of strenuous exercise. The latter might be tennis, with his brother George Sanders, also an actor. A few sets of badminton or ping pong with his wife or a few rounds of cultivating his victory garden. And now, a word from your local announcer. Bidwell McCormick takes you behind the scenes in Hollywood. I understand that the most neglected and scorned of movie personalities the stand-ins have rebelled. And if present plans work out, the stand-ins will receive the recognition they've long lacked and soon will be spread across the country the full story of their value to the world of cinema make-believe. Well, the leader in such a movement to pay tribute to the stand-ins is Leon Errol, star of RKO's recent release, What It Blonde and other comedies for the same producing concern. Errol has for the past eight years worked with the same stand-in named William J. O'Brien, a slender man just about the same build and the same degree of baldness as Rubberlegs himself. Errol said recently, I know from my own experience how vitally important my own stand-in is to me. And I think that stand-ins deserve recognition of their great value to the films and the individual actors. I understand that Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and others have their own permanent stand-ins who've worked with them for a long time. And that the relationship in many cases is very much like that of close friends. That's the way it is, according to Errol, between himself and O'Brien. More than just a tailor's dummy who stands up to be lighted in place of a star. Errol says that he has relied upon O'Brien for dialogue coaching, cues, wardrobe, accuracy and a million little details, which ordinarily would be only to be trusted to a competent manager. And I understand that O'Brien has appeared on the screen in many of Leon Errol's pictures too. And when not working with Errol, it was taken part in other productions. Yes, Errol says that the perfect stand-in must be an actor himself and one of the same general type as the actor for whom he stands in. Dorothy Sebastian returns to the screen in RKO Radio's musical George White Scandals of 1945. It was White who gave Miss Sebastian her first job in the theater as one of his scandals girls in 1924. Eva Novak, a star of the silent films unseen on the screen since the early 30s, returned to motion pictures in a featured part of the Bells of St. Mary's, first rainbow production with Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. When Crawford and Betty Gillette RKO contract players will enact interned army nurses in First Man into Tokyo. The picture stars Tom Neal with Barbara Hale playing opposite him. Leon Errol and Edgar Kennedy have renewed their RKO contracts. Each will star in six comedy short subjects during the coming year. Tom Selectomy changed Frances Langford from a soprano to a contralto and incidentally made her the idol of millions. She was born and educated in Lakeland, Florida and she entered Southern College to major in music and was in great demand of fraternity and sorority parties and her throat information made an operation necessary. She had an anxious time while the chances of her ever singing again hung in the balance, but when she emerged with a smooth, deep contralto voice, her friends urged her to try radio work. Between classes she went to Tampa to sing over a local station and at a nearby resort, Rudy Valley heard her sing and invited her to appear with him as guest store in New Orleans. Rudy's program served as a springboard to fame. She received offers from radio and stage and worked on both. She toured the nation with her own Vodaville troop and then settled in New York to sing in nightclubs and network programs. She was voted the top radio songstress in almost every popularity poll. In 1941, she joined Bob Hope's radio show in a program that was to become a favorite of millions. The troops in Alaska, England, North Africa and Italy have heard her sing to the accompaniment of artillery and the drone of fighters circling on guard overhead. She's five feet, two and one-half inches tall, weighs 100 pounds, has brown eyes and blonde hair. And now a word from your local announcer.