HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 471, 4 June 1932, Page 24 (Supplement)

HOLLYWOOD IN PERSON

By Mollie Merrick. || - J

HOLLYWOOD, May 6. Superstitious Natives. Douglas Fairbanks is complaining of the superstitition among South Sea Island natives. This, he says, is causing a great deal of wasted time. One day, a child in one of the native mob scenes had a fit and the entire crowd gathered and refused to work. Investigation by interpreters revealed that the “ boys ” had an idea that bad luck had befallen them from associating with whites. Fairbanks dispatched r. rnessenger to a neighbouring island who returned with a doctor, who soon straightened the child out. But there was a heart-breaking delay and the worry of a great deal of spoiled 'film in the event the juju had taken effect. Another day, when a full moon showed up in late afternoon, the “ extras ” all joyously refused wages, declaring their crops would be so wonderful they didn’t need them! Studio Trouble. The feud is on between temperament and production in Hollywood. Josef von Sternberg, on his way to New York for a visit, brings matters to an issue, seeing that he has walked out on his employers when they decided co make some changes in the Marlene Dietrich picture that he was about to direct. “ We shall sue Josef von Sternberg immediately to the full extent of our rights in law and equity,” says R. P. Schulberg, Paramount executive, '.'on Sternberg has made a cleancut issue. He has been quoted as saying lhat it is a question of whether a director should i have to make a picture of a story he doesn’t like. We therefore, have had the test forced upon us to determine whether employees drawing large sums weekly are, in fact, employees or can do as they please. We believe that in these trying times in the industry, and in the whole world’s economic structure, we should find out. “ Richard Wallace, one of our finest directors, has been assigned to direct Marlene Dietrich in a picture, and she shall be notified accordingly. If she refuses to proceed under Richard Wallace’s direction, we small immediately take all legal steps to protect our full rights.” Naturally, Hollywood is intensely interested in the outcome of this dispute, the settlement of which will without doubt set a precedent for future temperamental flare-ups. Arguments pro and con are being offered, with most people betting that it will be a studio victory this time. Chaplin’s Plans. Charlie Chaplin plans to make another picture this summer. It will be called “ The Jester,” and the story will be written around the idea of a court jester in modern day dress. Although this picture is announced as a talkie, Chaplin will do his part in pantomime. Constance Bennett to Sing. Constance Bennett singing in her coming picture will possibly add a few degrees of fervency to the tremendous “ fan ” following which has brought this young lady up into the highest salary ranks in this village. Her song was bought for her in Paris—“ Parlez-

moi d’amour ” —and she will also warble another of the conventional hits during the production of the Hollywood story in which she is a girl of the studios trying to get along. Something New. Lilyan Tashman is wearing the only straw jacket I’ve ever seen. Especially designed for her, it is of pale yellow straw, fine as silk and cut to emphasise her slender figure. A broad red belt in suede gives it a daring touch. . Then the dress that goes with it is of navy blue flat crepe, but I don’t advise visiting firemen to try it—it’s one of those things that are a knockout on an amazing girl—but on a mere pretty lass it would be terrifying. Comedy to the'Forer. With Hank Mann and Harry Langdon back again in the forefront of comedy ranks it would seem that producers are determinted to make the ducers are determined to make the Jack Oakie, M. C. Fields, Ben Turpin and George Barrier are all joining the ranks of the Olympic Games picture, “On Your Mark,” which will carry Langdon and Mann. “On Your Mark ” tells of a - small fictitious country which sends a team of athletes to participate in the Olympic Games. Olympic Games comedies are the things these days, but the studios are up against a strange difficulty in trying to secure a funny title —or one that suggests fun, and still incorporates the word “ Olympic.” That word carries such dignity that it kills the laugh every time. More-money Time. It certainly is more-money time in Hollywood, with the valiant ones—this time the actors —holding out nobly for what they consider their rights and the indignant ones (and how indignant those producers are) determined to carry their side of the argument. James Cagney makes the gesture that he will retire from films if his producers do not see things his way, and practise medicine. Seeing things his way consists in giving him such an increase in salary that executives will allow this great box-office attraction to disappear from public view rather than pay the increase. James Dunn is worrying over the size of his pay cheque and doing a little diplomatic hiding-out, hoping this matter will be adjusted. It isn’t money but art, that caused the von Sternberg - Dietrich trouble, so far as the players were concerned; but the producer will tell you plainly that ! it’s the ultimate profit he’s thinking of and his accounting to the bankers. Bebe Daniels is wondering when she’s going to get that money due on June 6—100,000 dollars to be precise—since she cannot come to terms on a story. The contract calls for two pictures to be completed by the above date, each one to be made with thirty days’ prenotice. It can’t be done now: Bebe claims that all the story possibilities w.ere starring pictures for men in which her part was a weak one—and it is rumoured that she is talking about a lawsuit to get that little nest egg. But when Richard Barthelmess read over the balance-sheets and took counsel with his advisors, he voluntarily took a big reduction on that 175,000 dollars a picture he was to have received. Well, one can take a cut on 175,000 dollars and still make pin money.

An Annual Rumpus. Greta Garbo, having finished “ As You Desire Me,” is embarked on the annual little rumpus with studio officials, I hear. It looks as if the Swedish enigma would fade out of the country for a while without satisfying producers as to what her future moves may be. Whether or not there is a difficulty in arriving at a salary settlement for further screen appearances in Hollywood is not known, but Greta Garbo has a way of dealing with things—it is to say little and act with finality. She has been known to immune herself at Santa Monica in days past, and refuse to show up at the studio until she received what she considered sufficient salary for her services. At that time she was threatened with deportation— a's a means of making her talk sense—but she hunched her old coat a bit tighter about her and said “ It doan't matter—l go home.” She got the money that time. She’s up to 7000 dollars a week now, and the next move goes to 10,000 or over. The Pirandello play is the last thing she will be able to make on the lot, since there is not sufficient time to get another picture under way before her contract expires. One hears that in the Manhattan screenings of “ Grand Hotel ” everything is done to stress Joan Crawford and soft-pedal Garbo. All of which adds to the rumour that the big battle is on. Under the new method of operating in some studios, Greta Garbo could make a picture on a royalty basis, receiving an excellent salary plus half of profits, so the independence of a genuine box-office attraction is more to-day than of yore. Garbo’s Great Performance. The “ Grand Hotel ” premiere did not break at the right time for this column, but several observations are not aside from the point. It will be hard to refuse Greta Garbo whatever

she wants—even that 10,000 dollars a week—after such a performance. She and John Barrymore achieve an unusual emotional effect in their love scenes. They give the audience the miracle of love renewing dead hearts—reanimating souls long resigned to the idea that suclj exquisite poignance would never be theirs again. It is done with sincerity and finesse. Lionel Barrymore gives one of the best characterisations of his screen career, as Kringelein, played simply and with pathetic earnestness. Joan Crawford’s Flaemmschen is Park Avenue to a degree, with clipped sentences and gowns in the restrained tailor mode. This role does not damage the picture —there is too much in “ Grand Hotel ” for any one participant to create a flaw—but it lost a very fine actress the opportunity of showing that she is an actress and not merely Joan Crawford. Amazing Paradox. An amazing paradox is the somewhat mignon appearance of Jack Oakie, the “ tough guy ” of pictures, when he appears in full evening attire. The little finger of his left hand is banded with slim diamond circlets almost to the first joint. He carries a tall ebony cane with ivory top, which he twirls in Beau Brummell fashion. His small nervous hands are never quiet, and the broad laughing face we are accustomed to on the screen, becomes in real life a small-featured countenance animated with nervous humour. (Copyright by the “ Star ” and the N.A.N.A. All rights reserved.)