Do you have a question for Piper? She'll be more than happy to answer it! Most replies will be printed in Movie Time, but some of you luckier ones will receive a personal letter. Just address your questions to "Piper Laurie," care of Marcia Borie, managing editor, Movie Time, 19 W. 44th St., N.Y.C.

HI EVERYBODY!
Here I go again, being sentimental, I mean. I must use just a bit of this space to tell you once more how grateful I am for the wonderful letters you've sent me about this column. Many of you wrote that you wanted me to continue telling about not only big events but about the "little things" in my life. So that's what I'll strive to do. After all, this is meant to please and interest you, so do keep sending me your suggestions.
The big Thing in my life since last I wrote you has been making "Smoke Signal" for my home studio, Universal-International. And it has been such a Big Thing that I've had no time for dates or vacations or anything else.
You see, we made the picture away from the studio, on location up around Moab, Utah, on the upper Colorado River, near the Colorado state line. Scenery there is a breath-takingly beautiful and the area teems with historical interest. These I loved. But the weather! Temperature went up to 125 degrees by mid-day almost every day we were there. And yet I didn't mind, honestly. It's amazing how one can acclimatize to conditions. Despite heat and dust - and what dust in that dry hot weather - I felt wonderful. The nights cooled off and were pleasant, so sleeping was no problem. A good thing, too, because we had to "rise and shine" at 5:30 every morning! My only problem was that the sun made me get just loads of freckles. I think you'll notice them when you see the picture!
You might think that in such heat we'd rest when we weren't actually working, but that wasn't the case. Dana Andrews, Rex Reason and other men in the cast and crew organized softball games. I was the only girl in the cast and at first they were reluctant to let me play.
I was crushed, because I'm a girl who loves sports. Finally I talked my way on a team and everything was great after my first time at bat. Sometimes I pitched but usually I played outfield. And I'm very happy to report that I upheld the honor of female softball players with performance at bat or on the field
But I can't say I'll add to the feminine glamour record with "Smoke Signal" It's a fascinating story, set around 1875, starting in an Army outpost on the Colorado where Indians massacred most of the people, including the commander, my father. This occurs before the actual story starts; our tale concerns the efforts of the survivors to escape down the river, Dana Andrew's portrays an Army deserter who had been living with Indians for quite a while. Naturally he reforms and leads the party to safety. And, also naturally, he and I fall in love, according to the script.
For the sake of realism I wear a green blouse, brown riding skirt and boots and an old Army hat. That's my costume for the entire picture, the only change being that sometimes I don't wear the hat! This is no glamour, believe me! For one scene our boat overturns in the rapids. Good thing I can swim fairly well! My boots, supposedly were fitted to be water-tight, but rapids of the rushing Colorado are no respectors of Hollywood tricks and refinements. In no time at all my boots were filled with water and dreadfully heavy. I honestly had to struggle to reach the river bank.
For the next sequence we were supposed to be dripping wet - having reached the river bank. But the sun was so hot that we dried off too quickly. We had to keep going back in the river before each "take." And when I wasn't needed for a scene I'd go dunk in the river anyway - to keep cool. It couldn't hurt my beatup costume! Yes, it was a rugged location, the first really rugged one I've ever been on. But I loved every minute of it! And it started me on a new hobby, collecting rock specimens. I picked up some fascinating ones up there and have them in my den now with other mementoes of other trips. My favorite in my new collection has orange and bluish agate sandwiched between granite. What wonderful things there are to find in Naturek if we look for them.
Speaking of looking reminds me that I went searching for one thing I did not find - uranium. It's been found around Moab, so one of the crew took along a Geiger counter which he lent to me. I used it several times between scenes, but never a buzz did I get out of it. I'd really love to go back to Moab again, to collect more rocks and also to climb up to the Indian caves in the cliffs near there, which I didn't have nearly enough time to try.
I remember confessing in my first column that when I was younger I was chronic day-dreamer. One of my consistent dreams was that I'd become a world traveler-explorer-archeologist. I admit I still like the idea. I adore travel and I've been very lucky in that my work has afforded me the opportunity to travel. I'd still love to explore; those caves seemed like such a challenge.
You know, I hope I do many more pictures with Jerry Hopper, our director on "Smoke Signal." He uses such fascinating locales - he also directed "Secret of the Incas" which was made in the Andes in South America. If he does one in Africa, that's for me!
Of course there are some disadvantages to locations, other than getting freckles. For example, it took me a week and a half to get a telephone call through to my mother in Los Angeles! Whenever I wasn't busy, the phone circuits were. And evenings I couldn't get a call through either. Fortunately Mother isn't the worrying type. But then, it's possible to have phone problems right in town. My sister Sherrye and her husband have moved into a new home in Lakewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and I went to visit them on my first week-end after returning from Utah. They haven't been able to get a phone in yet, because of heavy demand in their new neighborhood. I had to call Mother about something important, so walked eight long blocks to the nearest phone booth. An guess what? Big outdoors girl Piper, who had been dumped into the Colorado, who had trudged around in heavy boots over rough terrain in sizzling weather - that same Piper can't take it in the city. I wore a big blister on my heel walking eight city blocks!
Because I was away so long I've not seen many friends here in town, so I have no news for you about them. But I did hear from Rock Hudson who had been over in Ireland making "Captain Lightfoot." Rock is really good about writing letters and they are breezy and interesting, just like his conversation. One thing he told me that should interest you - he had to learn an Irish folk dance for the picture. He promised to teach it to me on his return. I hope he does. Rock is an excellent dancer.
Now I'd like to answer some questions which many, many of you have asked in your letters. Some of you have written "I am 17 (or 18 or 19) and madly in love. I want to get married but my parents say I am too young. What do you think? And others of have asked me bluntly, "What's wrong, Piper? Now you're 22. Why aren't you married yet?
First of all, I can't possibly tell you whether or not you are ready for marriage, whatever your age might be. That depends upon the individuals involved. Authorities on marriage problems say that "marriage is for adults only" - persons who are adult emotionally and mentally, not merely in calendar years. Some girls are adults at 16, but most, I believe, need more years, more experience in everyday living before they are ready to assume the responsibilities of marriage, even though they may feel they are completely, overwhelmingly in love.
Many of you say "I'm so in love and if I don't marry Jim (or John or Dick) now I'll lose my chance and I know I'll never be in love like this again." Well, I don't think that is necessarily true. Poets and songwriters glorify "one love in a lifetime," but in real life I've known many girls who did not marry their First Great Love, who later married someone else - and very happily. They have said that their first choices would have been great mistakes - that they were too young and did not know their own minds.
How can I, a total stranger, tell by reading a letter from you whether or not you are ready for marriage? You may think your parents are treating you "like children," in opposing a marriage. Yet they know you much better than I. On the other hand, it's natural for parents to try to "protect" their daughters; understandably, they are reluctant to have their girls marry too young. All these factors should be taken into consideration.
And, do consider them - along with the other important factors - long and carefully. Even though all your friends may be marrying young, don't you be a sheep and follow, marrying hastily, just because "everybody's doing it." Broken marriages are never anything but tragic.
And that's why I have not married yet. I want to be very sure. I am a romantic and certainly want someday to get married and have children. I expect to be completely, overwhelmingly in love when I marry. What girl doesn't? But I'm not in a hurry to marry, and I don't think I've met the right man yet -- or if I have met him, I don't know him well enough to recognise him as my future husband. I want to know a man well - I think a year's courtship would be about right - before I decide he's the right husband for me, or that I'm the right wife for him!
I don't believe there is any such thing as the "right" age for a girl to marry; it depends on the girl, her maturity and whether or not she has met the right man. And I certainly don't think that a girl is an "old maid" at 22! How Victorian can you get? Does this answer your questions?
Thanks a million again for your letters; do keep sending them. And here's my very best wish to you for 1955 - Keep healthy and happy!
Yours,
PIPER LAURIE