“He had been very articulate, in which he are very noted for his appearance” is actually by far the most charming point she told you. From the one point, recalling a break up page he’d written while they was indeed courting, she known him as the “the latest monster.”
“She try really pleased with where she got arrived with Freddie,” Alice Lassally informs me, “nevertheless was not an excellent marriage. It actually was version of an arrangement, extremely. The guy was not very good to help you her. One day, facing the woman, he said, ‘I never really had a far greater housekeeper.’ I desired to destroy your. However, I do believe it planned to head to every Hollywood people, as well as expected each other for those era.”
You thought a tiny stung, because you have been providing they 1 / 2 of-certainly, however, he’d the amazing capability to insult your on the kindest manner and then excersice
Freddie is actually considered an enthusiastic affable charmer regarding visibility from a star otherwise a-v.We.P., but with underlings he’d inevitably rating acerbic. “The guy cherished to help you top somebody off,” says Zehme. “You don’t getting lost by using it. It actually was almost like a [Don] Rickles perception.” Janet in addition to had a-sharp language, and as several they were referred to as squabbling Bickersons, a regard to a man and you can partner in the an effective 1940s broadcast reveal, starred by Don Ameche and Frances Langford. “You will find a famous Movie industry tale about them assaulting,” claims Alice Lassally. “Whenever Jack Benny try toward his deathbed, a team of best friends achieved at household and were seated downstairs about family room, looking forward to it to occur. ong him or her, and additionally they was attacking the complete go out up to it kept. Minutes later on, the brand new Bennys’ de- on the staircase and you can told you, ‘Jack is finished.’ The fresh amusing playwright Leonard Gershe answered, ‘And you will, thank God, so are this new de Cordovas.’”
Janet Thomas found its way to Hollywood of Kentucky in early 1940s. “She is version of an orphan, raised, together sibling, from the an uncle, rather than well off, however, she was a tiny blond and you may a beneficial knockout having a great southern drawl,” said Dunne, incorporating, “a glamour girl, who went out to Hollywood to make it inside the inform you providers however, had much further since the a kind of large-pushed girlfriend and you may partner.” Considering Janet, after a few days inside Los angeles, once the good-lookin 20-year-dated, fresh off Hub University, in Danville, Kentucky, she stepped on the Fox package, produced their treatment for casting manager Thomas Moore’s office, and you will wanted a display sample.
“It absolutely was the brand new worst screen test from the reputation for Hollywood,” she told me. “They place me personally in good Betty Grable dress with terrible locks and you may makeup.” At some point, although not, they triggered an agreement in the Vital. Due to the fact a hopeful starlet-who wound-up never and also make a motion picture-Janet is actually noticed from the powerful gossip columnist Hedda Hopper. “She lay myself within her line and chatted about me personally toward the lady radio show,” Janet told you, quoting off recollections: “ ‘Opinion out of advice is the fact that most beautiful girl within group are younger blonde Janet Thomas,’ and you may from that point on Hedda constantly known myself because the ‘Hollywood’s most breathtaking blond.’ That has been particular a serious pain regarding ass for Lana Turner and also the rest of her or him. And never precisely correct, but that is how it went.”
And she had one
Dollars Henry, who was a student in the Harvard University to have People in the Los angeles, and who’d a summertime work given that a beneficial gofer at actors Charles Farrell and you may Ralph Bellamy’s Racquet Bar, during the Hand Springs, remembered when you look at the a narrative he had written to possess Interviews journal on the Movie industry during World war ii, “The newest prettiest woman in the area is actually Janet Thomas, now new partner out of Freddie de- Cordova. … She used a brave black colored that-part bathing suit cut-in a v shape up leading, resulting in … gents in order to gasp and absolutely nothing men to consider they forty-five ages later on.”