Hollywood (Jan - Oct 1934)

Chester Morris Strikes Off His Shackles! Chester Morris jubilantly takes a new lease on his cinema life by J. EUGENE CHRISMAN """^ hester Morris is free at last. His contract with I Roland West is ended and for the first time ^■^ in five years he can do as he pleases. "My new theme song is The Battle Cry of Freedom," says Chester, "and no more term contracts for me. From now on I'll be as hard to catch as the greased pig at the county fair." For five long years, the entire term of his screen career, Chester Morris has been virtually a slaveUnder the terms of his contract with West, he earned a good salary, it is true, but that same contract placed the entire management of his career in West's hands. Chester was forced to play any part West saw fit to put him in. He was forced to appear in some pictures which hindered, rather than advanced his career. When West retired to his yacht, to sail the Seven Seas, he farmed Chester out to other producers. "Not once during the past five years, was I ever permitted to see the script of a picture before going into the cast." Chester grinned ruefully. "A man named Jack Codd, an accountant in Sam Goldwyn's office, read scripts submitted. If he liked them, he reported to West. All I ever got was instructions to show up on the set." But even such a constrictive contract could not dim the brilliance of the young actor from Broadway. In spite of being cast in parts for which he was not fitted and in appearing in pictures which failed to click, the star of Chester Morris continued to rise. He clicked in The Big House and his performance as the husband of Jean Harlow in Red Headed Woman proved him to be one of the finest young actors of the screen. "I had good pictures and I had bad," Chester Please turn to pnpre flfty-foiir JANUARY. 1934 For five long years Chester Morris was hampered by an undesirahle film contract. A'oii) that is aver and Hollywood experts much from this talented young .'.