Film Stars Live in Terror of Blackmail

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 141, 17 June 1936, Page 8

Film Stars Live in Terror of Blackmail

Hollywood film stars met in secret iie other day to discuss the employment of a special group of private detectives to protect them from the increasing persecution of blackmailers and racketeers. A number of stars whoso smiling faces are so often seen in the newspapers are in a continual state of terror in private life. They have sought police aid, ' they have been engaged private detectives, bu£ still their lives aro being made miserable by threats of extortionists. Several actresses —Kay Francis is ono of them —now rarely allow particulars of their future movements to appear in the Los Angeles newspapers.

Here are a few instances of the “terrorists’ ” methods: —

Many actors and actresses used to drive to sporting events at Hollywood Stadium, but with increasing, frequency pedestrians began to fall at the side of their cars, show their bruises, and demand £SO or so from the drivers for “damages. ” If the stars didn’t pay they received letters from lawyers, threatening legal action. To avoid the publicity of dangerous driving charges in court, most of them paid the damages. So tho stars don’t use their cars so much now. They taxi instead. Another kind'of extortionist appears at public gatherings and whispers an insult into tho ear of a temperamental actor. If tho actor rises to the bait he loses his temper and strikes his insuiter. Next day he receives a solicitor’s letter demanding damages for “brutal assault,” under a threat of court action. “Hollywood wants cleaning up,” a dotectivo told me to-day. “At present it seems to bo the happy hunting ground of hundreds of the most unscrupulous crooks in America.”