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Tallyho. Actors with plain, pronounceable, American Legion sort of names yearn for toning up. Ruby Stevens is Barbara Stanwyck; Peggy Middleton is Yvonne De Carlo; Norma Jeane Baker is Marilyn Monroe. Even Gladys Smith found a little more stature in the name Mary Pickford. On the other hand, embarrassed bluebloods shed their hyphens and thus declare their essential homogeneity with the masses. Reginald Truscott-Jones was too obviously soaked in tallyho. He became Ray Milland. Spangler Arlington Brugh denuded himself of all his nominal raiment and emerged as Robert Taylor. Audrey Hepburn-Ruston amputated it neatly.
Some real names are out of character. Roy Rogers was Leonard Slye. Boris Karloff could not have frightened a soul as William Henry Pratt. Gypsy Rose Lee has done things that Rose Louise Hovick would presumably never do. Other real names seem to be struggling to express themselves. Merry Mickey Rooney was once Joe Yule Jr. Sam Goldwyn was Sam Goldfish. Shelley Winters was Shirley Schrift. Lili St. Cyr was Marie van Shaack. Diana Dors was Diana Fluck.
Charming, Chiming. Hollywood stars come from every sort of ethnic and national-origin minority group. Many of them are bitterly vocal about U.S. democracy's failures. If enough of them had stuck by their original names, the resulting influence, through the vast popularity of the movies, would have done much to soften bias and reduce prejudice. No one would challenge their actions individually, but they could have served themselves better as a group.
Among actors of Italian and Spanish background, for example, Dino Crecetti opted to be Dean Martin, Margarita Cansino became Rita Hayworth, Anna Maria Italiano is now Anne Bancroft. Anglicizing their names, Anthony Benedetto became Tony Bennett and Giovanni de Simone became Johnny Desmond. Among Jews, Izzy Itskowitz probably needed to sandpaper that a bit; yet he stayed with a Jewish name: Eddie Cantor. But most—from Jerry Levitch (Jerry Lewis) to Nathan Birnbaum (George Burns), Emanuel Goldenberg (Edward G. Robinson), Pauline Levy (Paulette Goddard), Rosetta Jacobs (Piper Laurie), and Melvin Hesselberg (Melvyn Douglas)—have preferred the Anglo-Saxon angle.
Many actors sculpt their real names. Ethel Zimmerman clipped off the zim. Vivien Hartley lost her hart. James Baumgarner dropped the baum. Grace Stanfield is now Gracie Fields. Uncle Miltie was once Milton Berlinger. One letter made the difference for Dorothy Lambour. First names have a habit of turning into surnames. Benny Kubelsky changed his name to Jack Benny, Muni Weisenfreund to Paul Muni, Preston Meservey to Robert Preston.
Last names vanish: Arlene Francis Kazanjian, Maybritt Wilkens, Eddie Albert Heimberger. Some stars can't stand their first names. Leslie Hope and Harry Crosby went for a solid Bob and a charming, chiming Bing.