Hollywood Humor

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 115, 17 May 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

Hollywood Humor

OPTION FEVER By LEW BROWN {Fox Movietone Artist} No, I do not own a yacht. But I examined one at San Pedro harbor recently with a view of purchasing it. Buddy De

Sylva, Lew Henderson and I had just finished “Sunny Side Up” kfor Fox and ' wanted to take la short rest J cruise. i The brass was | shiny enough, the J life boats and pre--1 servers had the government’s O.K. stamp on them, the lounge was luxurious, the

staterooms cozy and the galley well stocked. It was while I was reaching for my checkbook that I asked the owner the name of the boat. “I call it ‘Option,’ ” he said, “It has no regular name.” “What did the last owner call it?’’ I asked. “He only had it a couple of weeks,” I was told, “You see he was in the movies and his option expired.” “So that’s why you call it ‘Option?’” “That’s part of the reason, he said. And then he went on to list six directors and a dozen actors and actresses who had owned the boat. All had let it go when their options were not taken up by the various studios for which they were working. The yacht had had as many names as the Prince of Wales. The places where the name was supposed to be bulged out about a foot with the paint former owners had used to cover up old names. As I said in the beginning, I do not own a yacht. I have no option clause in my contract but if it ever got noised around that I owned the good ship “Option,” it might give the big boys at the studio an idea. When I want a boat ride, I’ll hire a skiff. Douglas Fairbanks will make a talk g version of his success, “Th« Mark : Zorro.”