“Forgotten Hollywood”- Also Known As…
Manny P. here…
“`Many well-known actors were given names that became their identity. Judy Garland, Cary Grant, and Gig Young were among the many fabricated identities made up by movie moguls. There were also a number of thespians that kept their original names or lived their personal lives with preferred nicknames. Here are notable examples:
~ Duke Morrison – As a child, Marion Morrison was called Duke by everyone who knew him, after some local firefighters in Glendale, California, where the family eventually settled. They gave the boy the same nickname as his constant companion, an Airedale dog named Duke.
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“Duke eventually found work at Fox Film Corporation. Director John Ford noticed Morrison. Ford introduced Duke to colleague, Raoul Walsh, who gave Morrison his first starring role, as the cowboy in the 1930 film The Big Trail. During this production, studio executives gave Morrison his new name in the hopes of making him an easier sell to audiences, and he readily accepted the moniker — John Wayne.
~ Babe Hardy – Oliver Norvell Hardy was known as Babe, a nickname given by an Italian barber, who applied talc to Oliver’s cheeks and say, nice-a-baby. In most of his silent films before joining producer Hal Roach, he was billed on screen as Babe Hardy. He only became Oliver Hardy after he was teamed with Stan Laurel.
~ Betty Bacall – When Betty Joan Perske transitioned from model to actress, director Howard Hawks chose to change her name to Lauren Bacall. After the release of To Have and Have Not, everyone recognized the ingenue. Family and friends never stopped calling her Betty. Husband Humphrey Bogart called her Slim, her character’s nickname in To Have and Have Not.
“`What’s in a name?
Until next time> “never forget”
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