The Truth About Hollywood

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12181, 4 July 1925, Page 11

The Truth About Hollywood

A Famous Film Star Shows 1 13 what the Movie Metropolis is Really Like and also tells us of her “Mystery Husband”

INCE coming over to Britain (writes Jane Novak) 1 have been struck by the •factthat people will talk about Hollywood with a certain air of “Gee-what-a-place-it - mustlie 1” Hosts of people on this side have questioned me about

tlie city, its inhabitants, its supposed wild life, and its general reputation. Well, I’d like to tell you about Hollywood as I know it to-day, and if you aro hoping for some sensational stuff I’m sorry I’ve got a disappointment coming for you. It is probably one of the most beautiful towns in the world. Imagine it with the kindly ■Californian, sun beating down upon its lovely villas, with their spacious gardens, its wide, boulevard-like streets, and its big glass-roofed studios, not unlike your Crystal Palace. Tourists flock to Hollywood intent upon seeing the place and the famous

movie people. As a rule they are bitterly disappointed, not with the place. I hasten to say, but by the fact that Charlie Chaplin is not visible walking about in his familiar hat, cane, and boots’ They come, those visitors, hoping to see Douglas Fairbanks leaping over a succession of garden walls, or hopeful of espying Harold Lloyd performing some dizzy stunt upon a skyscraper. But, of course, they see none of these things. “STAR” AS SEEN BY DAYLIGHT The faet is that the movie stars don’t- look quite the same upon the street as they do upon the screen. Charlie Chaplin is a familiar figure wandering about the streets of Hollywood. but he is so unlike his screen image that he passes unnoticed. . It is no uncommon thing to see Mr and Mrs Harold Lloyd out walking together. The ordinary movie fan would never spot Harold without his glasses, and if you saw Mrs Llovd, small, and pretty as a, picture, walking round unconcernedly with, probably, her shopping basket, over her arm, you’d never bolieye that she was the famous wife of a famous man. When Captain Taylor died under such mysterious circumstances, aiid certain other unhappy events occurred about the same time, Hollywood suddenly fell into the most terrible and undeserved disrepute. Tlie most dreadful stories were printed about the city and its movie colony, scandals were circulated and spread like wildfire. Every day the papers came out with a fresh string of lies about us, and I can tell you we lived a most unhappy life. However, the campaign against Hollywood died a 'natural death. The fact is that it has no wicked night life at all, for movie people are so busy and early astir that few can afford to be out of bod after 10.30 or so. “PICTURE” PARIAHS It is now over ten years since a very nervous and wondering flapper called Jane Novak landed in Hollywood to begin work in pictures. The way in which I came to be associated with the films is, in itself, not unromantic. I had an aunt who was one of the earliest movie stars. I was mad to emulate her. I used to go about holding my thumbs for

luck, and telling all my friends that 1 was goin<r to Hollywood to be a movie actress. \Yo were living in St. Louit then, and my mother would not allow me to think of going to the movie city. But fate took a hand in the game. It happened that my aunt had a photo of me in her home at Hollywood, and cne day her director saw it and said. “Say, that kid has a film face. Why don’t she come out here, and who is sh'*i anyway?” The result of that was that my aunt wrote to my mother suggesting the* great adventure, and, in a few weeks later, after a horrible period of suspense, I was allowed to break free front the maternal apron-strings, and make the three days’ journey. Movie actors then had, literally, to sneak shamefacedly into their studios to escape the derision of the onlookers. The stage people looked down upon us as pariahs, and scornfully prophesied the early death of the kinema business. As a matter of fact, it was hard for the producers to induce people to act for them. I shall give vou an instance of this. When I arrived in Hollywood, my aunt took me on a tour of investigation round the very primitive studios that existed then. At one studio wo arrived while a scene was being shot. Although. I was only a wondering and rather frightened little girl, the direci tor came straight up to me and said *. j “Will you work in this scene, please?” i I was horribly frightened and selfconscious but, after all, I had gone out West to act for the pictures, 60 I stepped bravely enough on to the “set” and undertook some very small part. In fact, I don’t remember now what I did but, Taw as I was. I was given an immediate engagement by the Kalem Company at three pounds a week. Three pounds a week! and that within a few hours of arriving in the place. Gosh! I thought I was big that day, a lot bigger than I think I' am now. In thoso days Marshal Neilan, Rex Ingram, Hobart Bosworth. Harold Lloyd, Lon Chaney, and many others who are famous to-day were struggling young men. utterly obscure in their new profession. “GREAT DAYS!” Harold Lloyd and I started in the movie business together. He, Hal Roach (his director) and Roy Stewart had rented an old mansion on a hill, and with the gloomy place a 6 their studio they kept turning out film after film. I played in many of these early comedies and dramas as leadinglady with Harold Lloyd. What fun it all was, but how deadly serious it seemed then! Harold was the star in the funny pictures, while Roy Stewart and I enacted minor roles. In our more dramatic efforts, however, Roy Stewart was the hero and Harj old became a crook or a tramp, while I was a washerwoman or a duchess, whichever was necessary. Great days!

But to come hack with z rush to tho pleasant present. I have come to Europe on a mixture of business and pleasure. From America I went straight to Germany, to t&te the leading part in a big film called “The Blackguard.” There, in my hotel in Berlin, I. first met my “mystery husband.” One day a registered letter was handed to me at the reception office addressed simply to “J. Novak.” I could not recognise . the handwriting, and although the letter had been sent from America I was certain that it was not intended for me, 60 I returned it unopened. It struck me that it was a curious coincidence that there should be two of us staying in that hotel both owning the very unusual name of Novak. _ But the incident passed out or my -mind, and in due course I oame to Britain. A room bad been engaged for me at an hotel, and on my arrival I shot up in tlie elevator to the bedroom. I opened the door, and there, staring mo in the fare was an array of male hats and waiting-sticks. I heat a harried retreat hack to the reception office and explained that there had been some mistake. The clerk apologised profusely, but said that he had naturally concluded that I had come to join my husband, Mr J. Novak.

That struck me as rather a joke, considering that I have no husband hut it certainly was curious that 1 should have followed Mr J. Novak all the wav from Berlin and twice been confused with him. 1 have never met the gentleman yet. I have seen only one British film since I have arrived on this side, it was called “Woman to Woman, and it just made me cry my eyes out, it was so fine. I don’t remember ever erving at a movie theatre before, and I ‘think this is a pretty good testimonial, coming from an actress who has been in the business since the days when tlie film grew out of the magiclantern slide.