HOLLYWOOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 23729, 9 November 1940, Page 5

HOLLYWOOD'S TEN COMMANDMENTS

Hollywood’s, Ten Commandments, inscribed in the era of its infancy as a code for screen successes, are one by one being knocked into _ cocked hats. Each year sees some daring star throw caution to the winds and flagrantly violate one of the time-honoured rules, only to emerge from the experience unscathed.

Hollywood’s commandment No. 1 was: “ Thou shalt not marry, lest thy romantic light at the box office be dimmed.” 'That ono was early tossed into the discard, and to-day there arc few important romantic male stars who are not married.

Commandment No. 2 was supplementary. It was: “Thou shalt not make public the names and doings of thy children, lest a domestic aura ho cast over thee and thereby disillusion thy fans.” The once popular Pat O’Malley was the first to blast that one. In recent years many stars have adopted baibies and publicised them with their own.

Now steps forth Melvyn Douglas, Columbia’s co-star with Loretta Young in ‘ Ho Stayed for Breakfast,’ to_shattor Hollywood’s Commandment No. 3: “ Thou shalt not vie in politics lest thou alienate thy fans of opposite political opinions.” Douglas at the recent Democratic primary election in California was elected a delegate to the Democratic national convention. He is not only the first screen star to be thus honoured, but the first to project himself so openly into politics. Douglas’s political activity began with the last California gubernatorial campaign, in

which he was an ardent worker. The independent stand of stars in relation to their public and their careers becomes more apparent each year, Hollywood’s Commandment No. 4, “ Thou shaft not „be temperamental,” has been violated repeatedly and with occasional success where the importance of the offender sufficiently overbalanced the offence. The there-to-fore inviolate Commandment No. 5, “ Thou shalt not make love to thy wife on the screen,” was spoofed at by Dick Powell and Joan Bloudell.

“ Thou shalt not conceal thy private life, which shall be as an open book for thy fans,” was Commandment No. 0, and what Greta Garbo, Ronald Col man, and a few others did to that is well known.

“ Thou shalt not play an unsympathetic role if thou hopest to attain stardom ” was written in the early days as Hollywood’s Commandment No. 7. Clark Gable built his career by defying it. Commandment No. 8 was: “Thou shalt maintan a ‘ front ’ in the style becoming thy position.” It takes four men and a horse to get Bing Crosby into a dress suit. He prefers pullovers.

Of Hollywood’s Ten Commandments there are but two that have not been violated with success since their promulgation in the dim, dark past:— Commandment No. 9: “ Thou shalt not be a snob.” Commandment No. 10: “Thou shalt not have scandal attached to thy name.”

These have been violated, yes, but not without retribution. The Kingdom of Hollywood is not for such.