PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 234, 2 October 1937, Page 5 (Supplement)

PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH.

Amazing Hollywood Methods. STRANGE INCONSISTENCIES OF PRODUCERS

(By SHEILAH \\ t)( >|) studios are the most rxt i m vagant places in the worldarid tlio meanest. Side by side with magnificent. reckless spendinga are insi"jiiHoniit, pinchbcek economies. One of the most famous of our producers believes that the telegram wortli more thun ">0 words has yet to he cotnposed. lie spends minutes of valuable time each (lav deleting additional words. Long-distance telephone <-u 1 la. no matter how important, are cut at the end of three minutes - if he is paying for them. For a gigantic wedding party given to Vilnia Hanky and Hod La Roeque, he ordered enormous quantities of orchids and roast turkeys. The moment it was discovered the turkeys could not all he consumed, they were rushed back to where they en me from—and. a rebate ■was chalked up!

An<l vet, this samp producer recently discarded dolliu s on "The Adventures of Marco Polo," because he disapproved of 10 days' work performed by Director John Cromwell. To replace him, he paid 100,000 dollars for t lie contract of Archie Mayo, now starting from scratch. Another grandiloquent gesture was his throwing f>oo,ooo dollars "out of the sewer," as he would say, on a remake of "Come and (Jet Ft," because he disliked Howard Hawks' directorial efforts. A casting director recently told this same producer: "I can get two good men

GRAHAM.) 'I hey have a slogan at a certain studio "city" that nothing is ever wasted. Nothing is. Not even the ends of film reels. Sometimes as much as 2.85 dollars is saved by clipping 80ft of film together. They are used for scieen tests, which makes the movie aspirant's task harder—but puts several extra dollars a day into the chief's pocket.

riot urea rarely reach the supercolossal price category on this lot —and vet they make money for the producer. His formula is simple—several inexpensive vaudeville performers, a low-priced but good leading lady and gentleman— and expert film cutting, usually performed by himself.

In contrast to our first-mentioned producer, who spend* on his piotures but saves in his private life, this la«t one has the most palatial suite of offices in f ilmlund. Recently he erected a new administration building at a cost of 1.400.000 dollars.

A favourite economy method practised by 6everal major studios is to call in player* who are earning, say, 300 dollars a week, with an option for 3.">0 dollars for the next six months, end tell them they will be "fired" utiles* they remain at the same price. This, of course, ia done only with players who need the money badly. It happened recently to Lon Chaney, junior, and John Carradine. Sometimes T dislike this place called Hollywood! — (X.A.X.A. —Copyright.)

for the job—one at 500 dollars a week, the other at 1500 dollars." "Get the 1500 dollar actor," he wiw Instructed. "I'd be ashamed to bawl out to the man who only gets 500 dollars a week." A few minutes after the conversation, he was at his desk castigating a subordinate who had used three unnecessary words in a telegram. What Economy Really Means! There is another studio, whose name is synonymous with stringent economy. Recently the salaries of waitresses in its commissary were cut from 14 dollars a week to 12 dollars. At the same time, a memo was sent to all employees asking them to l>e more generous with their tips! During the studio's period of bankruptcy a few years back, an efficiency expert discovered three cats and a dog on the lot. He banished them because—"Too many workers waste time petting and looking at the animals."

A short while ago, an executive of this studio had what he thought was a brilliant minute-saving idea. He ordered that th© faccs of all time-clocks be painted black to foil attempts to leave ■work a minute ahead of time. The gesture proved expensive. Indignant workers smashed the clocks necessitating the purchase of new, unpainted timepieces. Another economy "drive" ha« since proved just, as unsuccessful. In answer to a front office complaint tha/t the studio telephone bill was too high, do/eim of white-painted telephone booths were placed all over the lot, with instructions for employees to use — and pay for —them. Buit they still find it mor? convenient to be in their office* for private as well as biwinesa calls. On the other side of the saving fence the head of the .studio thought nothing of paying 255,000 dollars for the screen right* of the New York stage succeaa, "Room Service," and is willing to spend another 250.000 dollars for the Marx Brothers to star in the film —half a million dollars without a single turn of the camera.

"Firing" and Rehiring. Tliut studio ha* few good character players under contract —they are too expensive, it is asserted. And yet every time a picture is made the studio has to pay as much a* 2000 dollars per player a week to borrow them from Other lots.

Even tlio working staff is not immune from the economy hatchet. Grade A 2- r )0 dollar* a week men are invariably dismissed in favour of those who will take l. r >o dollar*. But what the boss does not know i* that, as fa«t as the boy« are "fired" from one department, they are rehired in another at their original wage!

PALM FOR PLAYERS. AWARDS IN NEW YORK. Every year the Xew York "Stage" awards the palm for outstanding merit on the screen as well as in the theatre. Its honours for the past season have arrived. Luise Rainer goes first among motion picture stars for her Olan in "The Good Earth." "Luise, repudiating Hollywood's most dependable props —clothes, beauty, gags —pwmjess the qualifications to make a great literary character a great dramatic character."

John Gielgud (tlie screen saw him last in "Secret Agent") takes the palm of the stage actors for his Xew York presentation of "Hamlet." Samuel Goldwyn, "for acknowledging an American film audience of adult taste and appreciation," leads producers.