Lionel Barrymore, as well a man as anyone in Hollywood, was seen staggering down a corridor one day holding the wall for support. He was to be stricken with paralysis soon after. He was spotted by director Clarence Brown, who said: "Man, you should be home in bed."

In Lionel's stage days he had a stage friend called William Morris. Lionel's reply to Clarence was: "I have a young man in that studio waiting to take a test. He is supposed to play a scene with me. If I were not there to help him and the young man did not get the job, I would always blame myself." He painfully entered the studio.

That is what I mean when I say show business can be both magic and tragic at the same time. The young man's name was Chester Morris and he made the grade. He had a detective series called Boston Blackie and was aided and abetted by George E Stone as "the Runt". I met Mr Stone with Max Miller one day.

-Gordon Dean, St Lukes Road, Brighton