TRAMPS EN FETE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 286, 29 August 1931, Page 23

TRAMPS EN FETE

Film Stars Give Parties Ivan Goff and William Irwin, of Perth, Australia, who set out in April, 1930, to “hitch-hike” round the world, have arrived in London. “Hitch-hike” is American for getting a lift on one’s travels. These two young men reached Hollywood with sevenpence and a letter of introduction to Joan Crawford, who, when she had read it, said: “Fine! Come to a party ” They were entertained by the film stars for three months, and went to a party on an average every other night, This was their only means of getting anything to eat, as they could not get a job. They slept In the parks of Los Angeles, but none of their wealthy friends suspected it. , Goff and Irwin, who are talkie fans, could not afford even to pay the fivepence each which is the lowest price of admittance to a Los Angeles cinema. When they were down to twopence a film star, who was going away on holiday, lent them her apartments, and Bebe Daniels telephoned"to them there an invitation to a film studio party.. “Sorry!” they said inventively. “Our car has broken down.” Hebe Daniels sent round one of the film company’s cars, > but nobody thought of providing a car to take them home —so they walked the eigut miles to Los Angeles! They “hitch-hiked” to Chicago, where Irwin spent two days in a fruitless attempt to interview Al Capone, and was lavishly entertained by his gangsters. Goff and Irwin started from. Perth with £lOO, but In Melbourne and Sydney, they fell among friends, and two weeks of farewells reduced their capital to £l3. ‘ They ha wked a magazine dal led “Wanderlust” to get them to Fiji, The South Sea islanders, however, were not interested in the methods this book described of travelling round the world, and Goff and Irwin only netted fotirpence.