PLEA OF POVERTY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 108, 16 February 1935, Page 5

PLEA OF POVERTY.

ERICH VON STROHEIM.

FILM DIRECTOR’S FAD'D.

NEW YORK, February 2. Once one of the screen’s leading, * directors and actors, Erich yon Stroheim appeared at the Dos Angeles ! City* - Prosecutor’s office and told a story, of near-destitution strangely contrasting with his success of a decade ago states the “San Francisco Chronicle.” He said lie was practically “broke.” His story was in answer to the complaint of his first wife that he had not provided for their 18-year-old son. “Once I made 5000 dollars a week,”,' Stroheim told Deputy City Attorney . Albert L. Hershman. “That was in the ; days after I made ’The Meiry Widow.’ ” - ... . He referred to the well-known silefit picture of the early twenties. “But now all that is changed,” he said. “I have 11.31 dollars in the bank and cheques out against that. I have only one overcoat and one suit of clothes, and! the clothes are shiny. See?” „ . , He exhibited the suit to Hershman. The director’s first wife, Mrs Agnes May von Stromheim, who was also at the prosecutor’s office, said inker complaint that Stroheim had paid only 100 dollars last year towards the support of their son, Erie, jun., and the fathersaid this was true, . . “It was all I could do,” he said. His lawyer, I. B. Knornblum, then ~ . said, “I know Mr Stroheim has n 0.,, money because he asked mo to sell a .. gold cigarette case and gold cuff links for old gold!.” To this, Stroheim added: ‘‘They were given to trie by '' the original cast of ‘The Merry WidplV... . and I prized them highly. He said his 1933 income was only 4250 dollars and even it was from the sale of rights of “The Merry Widow. _ He told of having given his son 44,420 dollars since he and the mother were divorced in 1921. . ~ Hershman asked if Stroke,m could possibly contribute fi.ye dollars a week for the hoy, and lie said he wpuld try. He turned to a friend and asked: “Lend me the first payment, will

you?” ■ .. Hershman said immediate payment Was not necessary.