John Montague Beat Bing Crosby at Golf By WILLIAM C. UTLEY ¢6 CHUCKS,” said Bing Cros- by’s burly golf partner, “I could beat you using a ball bat, a shovel and a rake!” Now, if you have ever seen Bing Crosby play golf you will realize that this challenge would not be unlike telling Joe Louis, “I could lick you with one hand tied behind my back.” The dreamy-eyed crooner’s aver- age is about 74, which is golf of a professional caliber. The arrogant gentleman had been in the habit of ‘‘spotting’’ Bing a stroke on each of five holes and collecting with withering consistency. “It’s a bet,” said Crosby, and it was decided to play one hole, for $200. Bing, using the regulation bag of clubs, took two shots to the green and two putts for a perfect par four. The other party to the ar- rangement strode to the tee, gave his ball a little toss in the air and whaled it with a baseball bat, swinging in a manner that would have turned Babe Ruth green with envy when he was in his prime. The ball traveled 350 yards into a trap. With an ordinary shovel this remarkable athlete played an “‘ex- plosion” shot to a point within eight feet of the cup. Wielding the rake like a billiard cue, he hold out the “putt” for a ‘‘birdie’” three. “That,” crooned Crosby, *is enough for me.” He wandered un- certainly in search of the nearest psychopathic hospital, poorer by $200. Wonder Man Shuns Publicity. Some screwy, magnificently screwy, stories have come from Hollywood, where press agents have the imagination of an Edgar Rice Burroughs and the conscience of Baron Munchausen. But the screw- - Bing Crosby, radio and screen star, who got trimmed in the re- markable golf mateh, but befriended the victor in a time of need. iest thing about this story is that it 1s true. It happened two years ago, and since that time John Montague or LaVerne Moore or “Bull” Moore (depending upon your point of view) has been the most talked-of man in the golfing world. John Montague, as the film colo- ny knows him, came to Hollywood three years ago. His ability to play golf was astounding. He was handsome in his burly way. His manners were delightful. He was chivalrous with women. He appar- ently had a bank roll. He had two Lincolns and a Ford. He could drink a fifth of Scotch and eight gin fizzes for breakfast and never bat an eye. Montague shunned publicity. But as Greta Garbo proved, one sure way to get into the limelight is to try to stay out of it. No one in Hollywood knew who Montague was, whence he came or where he de- rived his income, not even Oliver Hardy, the rotund comedian with whom the mystery man lived for a while. And apparently nobody cared. But a man can’t do the things Monty did and remain in oblivion. His feats of strength were as amaz- ing as his golf prowess. He held up a heavy automobile while a friend changed a tire. With one hand he picked up George Bancroft, husky moving picture ‘‘heavy,” and stuffed him in a locker, upside down, during a moment of horse- play. He could even lift Ollie Hardy in one hand. He ate a dozen eggs in less than half a minute. He (it was whispered) had whipped from three to six men at one time. Drives 400 Yards, But these exploits pale beside Monty's feats on the links. He drives straight as a die, and con- sistently from 40 to 60 yards far- ther than the longest drive Bobby Jones ever made. Driving balls into a slight wind he has averaged more than 300 yards per drive. With the same slight wind in back of him, 375 to 400 yards per drive! He seldom putts; his approach shots are so perfect they leave him putts conceded by his partners. To win a bet he drove a ball from the first tee of "2 Lakeside club across i of a mile—in five shots, with plenty of room to spare. George von Elm, a member of the club and former national amateur champion, fied that he played with Montague championship in the world! At Palm Springs, Montague broke the course record four times in four consecutive days. turned in the unbelievable card of 61! He wears out the exclamation marks on a reporter's typewriter. Still John Montague preferred ob- scurity. naments. Only ence, after much pleading on the part of his friend Hardy, did he consent to compete. That was in the annual ¢lub cham- pionship play. He sprained his an- kle on the sixth hole, but finished 18 holes anyway-—with a 64! Then he dropped out. Turns Down $20,000 Offer. He refused to talk to reporters. He would never allow himself to be photographed. Once when a pho- tographer, concealing himself in bushes, managed to expose a few him, Monty smashed the plates and paid the man $100 for the damage. Offered $20,000 to demonstrate his pose for a whole reel?” den under a bushel. which came via the grapevine from the Lakeside club. They couldn't be true. For instance, the one about picked a bird off a telephone wire a wink of sleep for five days and five nights, then shot a 70. Or the one about how he could hit a dozen balls from any distance within 200 yards, bet $100 on each one that it would stop within 10 feet of the flag, and win money. but why go on? He Couldn't Prevent Fame. himself. played a round with Montague. true. “picked up’ on the eighteenth hole, where he could have had a 64! Impressed beyond measure, Rice feats umn. Westbrook Pegler wrote a col- a combination of Paul Bunyan, Pop- eye the Sailor Man and Ivan Ska- vinsky Skovar. Soon there were other stories. These found interested readers. Some were even fascinated. One such fascinated reader was John thirty-two-year-old Montague, with his golf genius, his strength and his huge 220-pound frame, seemed familiar. Cosart reflected. Wasn't this Montague a dead ringer for La- Verne Moore—""Bull'" Moore, as “the boys" called him—whom the policeman had known seven years ago? Moore, the son of a steel worker, had been a mighty youth. He, too, had been able to lift one end of an automobile with one hand, could lick three men at once. He used to smash dozens of cue balls while “breaking the rack’ in pool games. He had been a prep school football and baseball star-once he A .s John Montague, strong man golfer of Hollywood, equipped with the ‘““clubs’”’ he used in taking a $200 golf bet from Bing Crosby. Young Moore's golf had been good enough to land him a job as a professional at the Clayton, N. Y., country club. He once had played the nine-hole municipal course at Syracuse in 28. Moore Had Police Record. Moore had a passion for making records, and some of them were po- lice records. He got a six-months’ suspended sentence in 1927 for pos- Ing as a policeman and taking $50 from a grocer accused of selling liquor. On the night of April 5, 1930, four young men held up a roadhouse near Jay, N. Y., taking $700 from When Hana's father-in-law, Matt Cobb, objected, they gave him a vicious beating. As the robbers away, one of their made their cars struck a get- believed to Moore, dis- on terms. The fourth, been ‘‘Bull” appeared. - The New York state police sent Moore's fingerprints to the Los An- geles police department. On last July 9 Hollywood's strong man was arrested in the Beverly Hills apart- ment which he shared with Oliver Hardy, and charged with the New York robbery. When they took him to jail he admitted that he was “Bull'’ Moore and that there was no longer any reason for avoiding pub- licity. He posed willingly for pho- tographers, but refused to discuss the charges against him. Arrest Shocks Hollywood. The arrest was a bombshell to the many celebrated friends of “John Dozens of them, all influen- riam, asking that he refuse extra- pg Guy Kibbee, screen character ae- tified to the golfer’s good character dition. Montague—or Moore—they was now an admirable citizen. lows who ever lived,” said Hardy, who arranged for John's $10,000 bail, “and I'm here to do what I can for a friend.”” Bing Crosby said: low. cent.” Wheeler, Spencer Tracy, Charlie Chase, Guy Kibbee, Frank Craven, Andy Devine, Gene Tunney, How- ard Hawkes and George von Elm. Nevertheless, he went back to New York to face the music. The one mystery none of them was ever able to solve was the ori- gin of Monty's bank roll. He ad- mitted he bet $200 a week on the races. He was always flashing a handful of hundred-dollar bills. Some rumors had it that he owned a gold or silver mine in the desert, to which he returned when in need of fresh capital. But anyone who ever attempted to follow him was lost in a cloud of dust. © Western Newspaper Union, oh ee Re Rk Rk kok ok ke STAR DUST Movie + Radio * *%% By VIRGINIA VALE hk NCE more Rudy Vallee has shown that he is the great- est talent scout in the radio busi- «ness. Tommy Riggs, the two- voiced personality who has been appearing on his program the last few weeks has made an outstanding success and will soon have a program of his own. The brash little girl that Mr. Riggs plays with such devastating humor promises to be as popular 2 20 2 2 2 20 2 2 2 2 2% 26 20 2 0 6 8 2 2 2 2% dummy. Incidentally, the people whom Vallee started on the road to radio success ought to get to- gether and put on a gala program as a tribute to him.. It would in- Keefe, Bob Burns, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, and Tom- my Riggs. And what a program that would be! ne re Mona Barrie is the latest screen belle to seek a change from Holly- wood on the New York stage. While rehearsing for ‘'Vir- ginia,”" a great mu- sical spectacle that will open the Center Theater in ladio City, she told me about her last— and she thinks best -picture. It is Jim- mie Cagney'’s “Something to Sing James Cagney About,” in which Mona plays her first real comedy role. She plays a for eign actress with a heavy and has a glorious time swooping through scenes in the grand manner. { tops to She says that Jimmy is just which makes the verdict accen work with The greatest picture of the year, perhaps of many years, has re- ceived a chorus of critical acclaim such as has never been heard be- fore. It is “The Life of Emile Zola" with Paul Muni. As crusader for the oppressed, as the most elo- quent and forceful man of his time, Paul Muni gives an inspired per- formance. Don't let the praise of this picture drive you away from it with a faint suspicion that it may be educational, but dull. It offers the most exciting and thrilling evening you could spend in a theater. snare With radio's summer lull over soon dozens of big programs will be angling for your Irene Wicker, the greatly-beloved singing lady, moves to the Mutual network early in October offering a series of Jack Jenny returns to the air at the same time, i $ alieniion. original sketches with music. we Wes Margaret Tallichet, who aban- doned a newspaper job in Texas to break into the movies, has found that even after a career is well started, it still has as many downs as ups. You may recall that she appealed to Carole Lombard for help and through her got a small contract with Selznick-Internation- al. Well, Miss Tallichet played small roles in “A Star Is Born’ and then the studio decided to gamble on her to the extent of sending her east to dramatic school for further training. She appeared at the Mt. Kisco theater opposite no less a per- sonage than Henry Fonda and proved conclusively that she needs a lot more training before she can os Wes Up in Dennis, Massachusetts, Gertrude Michael appeared on the stage in a play of days made New York to see the the rafters rung with applause from her Broadway They were saluting her courage Gertrude Michael year battle with se- rious illness as well as her fine skill as an actress. lone ODDS AND ENDS—After trying to borrow Kenny Baker, or John Payne, or Jimmy Stewart, or Cary Grant, or Dick Arlen, the producer of Lily Pons’ next picture has finally given up the search for a new leading man and given the role to Gene Raymond who picture . . . Jack Benny's friends are sav ing all the reviews of “Artists and Models” which rave about his perform. ance to show him when he re ITTLE it's time to say - adieu, so long, good-by to that flimsy but faithful friend—your summer wardrobe. But don't fret, lady, the job with sparkling new fash- ions for you; fashions that will make you forget the past and be not tarry: let's choose the sty that's got the most sock for on particular figure and join thi group that's going Stadium Model. Picture the waisted little model at the left, i you would hs: an viewpoint head style this season younger than this tor & opt ™ roa wv ihieres " with its dainty collar and cuf! row of buttons The 1 it and fetching takes to re #5: rod 14's is this fact: it's Young 'n’ Pretty. Long slend i 8 of the Cess variety mak number days style rics going t acetate Aaa neat Favorite Recipe of the Week — rewarded for this never to jaded appetites. is also the basis for any number well concoction have definite palate appeal during the summer months. Apple Sauce. 1 doren applies 1's cups apple cider Granulated sugar to taste 1 teaspoonful lemon juice 1 tablespoonful butter Pinch salt Wash, core and cut up apples Put them in a saucepan with the cider and cook until tender enough to rub through a sieve. Mixture should be thick. Stir in the re- maining ingredients. Pour into a bowl zling of cinnamon. cold as desired. you wish, in and but. le eight-piece is here, too, pocket (This is a simp pattern.) oat trast 1 A Lift for You. ado about bodices you have a stylish one There's much and and unless frock that « you won't feel right. Sew-Your- Own Vogue In its new sation at the right. It is I carefully styled young sil- hes the lady is handsome sheer wool or business ox town or country. arries houette that dis of fashion. Make jersey and be fit for pleasure in The Patterns. Pattern 1376 is designed for sizes 12 to - 20 (30 to 40 bust). Size ards of 35-inch is designed for (32 to 42 bust). Size % yards of 35 or 39- 1. With long sleeves designed for » 38 bust). Size 3 is of 39-inch ma- al } ng sleeves, plus 4% yards of braid to finish as pic- tured Send your order to The Sewing Dept., 247 W, street, New York, . Y. Price of patterns, 15 cents ~WNU Service, —— HEATING TRI NTL With a Coleman Heating Service ever you want it. Open the Hest. Reflector Doors snd vou get a focused com fort sone of quick, besithful, radiant hess. Close the doors and you have » volume of freshly warmed air circulating throughout the room. a whole room cory and comfortable. Burne
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