Madeline Carroll

Reading of the death of Madeline Carroll, (Part I, Oct. 4) I recalled an incident 47 years ago which I want to share with your readers.

The time was 1940--I was a 21-year-old student pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. We were at an elementary flying training school in western Canada.

Flying was scrubbed that day and it so happened there was a film crew from Hollywood in the area that had to suspend operations as well because of the inclement weather.

Madeline Carroll was in that group and when she heard that there were a lot of RCAF and RAF fledgling pilots at our flying field, she asked if she could visit the base and give “the boys a shot in the arm”--it was soon after the devastating defeat at Dunkirk.

What a delight it was to see her! She sat on a table in the airmen’s mess and answered a lot of questions about her movie career. She then asked us to ask her any questions that came to mind.

An airman beside me raised his hand and said, “Miss Carroll, you have been in many motion pictures opposite many leading men, tell us, with whom would you prefer to be marooned on a desert island?”

Quick as a flash, this beautiful, very natural lady replied, “A good obstetrician!” You never heard such a roar of laughter! When I think about that now--47 years later--I can hear it still!

HERMAN G. ENDLER

Encino