HOLLYWOOD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17177, 22 October 1923, Page 4

HOLLYWOOD.

OVERCROWDED WITH , “ EXTRAS.” Al. Christie, pioneer Hollywood producer and head of the well-known comedy organisation bearing his name, thinks that tho public should be continually warned that the rank and file of- the motion picture profession in Hollywood at the present time is vastly overcrowded. A newspaper correspondent reader, who had worked “extra,” calls attention to this problem through the fact that the complaining witness remarked that many extras were working for three dollars a daj’, and at the time film companies were advertising in newspapers al] over the United States for talent and “new faces” for the movies. The writer of the letter mentioned that there were thousands of extras and small part actors and actresses finding it difficult to secure job 3. “ This is very true,” says Christie, “but it should be remembered that the established film companies are not advertising for applicants. This is the part of the problem which the general public does not understand. In fact, ninety-nine per cent of the advertisements in newspapers are by promotion companies who wish to get movio struck people either to tali© courses in “make-up” and acting, or to buy stock in picture enterprises in order to get a chance. to work for the screen. The possibilities of these latter promotion schemes are ridiculous on the face of things, because any sane-mind-ded person might realise that the commercial possibilities of pictures enacted by a bunch of raw recruit stockholders aro very slim. “ This has been given publicity many times before, but it needs continual mentioning to cure people of the well nigh impossible chance of breaking into the studios. “ Naturally we are in a position to view this influx of new people every day. Thousands of men, women, young people and children come to us monthly because of the general impression that a good way to begin is through comedy work. This is usually another misapprehension, because in reality playing comedies, and especially farce, requires a more definite training and sometimes more skill than certain work in feature productions. “ And then there is the. screen-op-portunity contest, which is usually done primarily to secure publicity, and which always stirs up tho spark of eternal hope in thousands of human breasts. Of course many contest winners have eventually succeeded in the movies, but I believe that for every ■prominent actress who has become known through a contest, there are a hundred who have risen to good positions through the gruelling job of working up the ladder through the “extra” route. “ And it is this latter field which is jammed full.”