Motion Picture Classic (Jul-Dec 1930)

What Do You Mean -"STAR"? of such procedure is what has become known as "blind booking." At the beginning of the film season, to be exact, in June, each studio announces a schedule of the year's releases. The full product is seldom definitely chosen. So it is announced by RKO, for example, that Richard Dix will make a trio of starring vehicles. None of the titles are given. The pictures may not even have been selected. The RKO sales force have only this information to work with as they make the rounds of exhibitors. They sell the three Dix releases solely upon the basis of his popularity as a star. Then the studio acquires the screen rights of "Cimarron," a best -seller by Edna Ferber. They budget a million and a half dollars for production. It becomes a "special." Richard Dix, it is decided, is the logical actor to play Yancey Cravat. But three Dix starring pictures have been sold at program prices. RKO must have higher rentals from the larger city theaters in order to make a profit on their heavy production investment. Dix, therefore, is featured, not starred, in "Cimarron." Previous contracts are not violated. The day is saved. Bebe Daniels played "Rio Rita" and "Dixiana" under featured instead of star billing in like circumstances. Norma Shearer for sook stardom for her r61e ir "The Trial of Mary Dugan." Gary Cooper is only featured in "The Spoilers." She Declines, With Thanks STELLAR prominence is usually highly sought-after of course, but Marie Dressier, for one, will have none of it. M-G-M recently announced that Marie would be starred. Miss Dressier declined with thanks. If it was just the same to the studio, she would prefer playing the parts she liked, however small. According to the Dressier, this business of being a star cramps one's style. Which, I imagine, brings us to the advantages of stardom, if any. Naturally, there are some special privileges accorded the chosen few. Their dressing-rooms, for one thing, are more elaborate. A cubbyhole in the main building no longer suffices for their make-up mirrors. Nothing short of a suite of rooms, often an entire bungalow, can now meet their needs. If you doubt me, look at the sumptuous quarters built for Will Rogers at the Fox Hills Studio. Incidentally, Rogers is the only player currently on the Fox lot who is granted star billing. VicePresident "Winnie" Sheehan, I am told, does not believe in stars. To his mind, the picture is the thing. I have heard of one young lady who cried when her studio elevated her to stardom. I cannot pretend to know what was in her mind, but I can augur a guess. Perhaps she was thinking of the notably short span of popularity that marks the average star's professional life. A featured player can continue working indefinitely in supporting r61es. Lesser players grow old gracefully, their assignments changing step by step to fit their years. Not so a star. The eyes of the whole world are on the star. His or her name draws the public to the box-office. If the play is poorly produced, ineptly fitted to the star's talents, or for any other reason fails to please, only one person is blamed — the star. After two or three such mediocre productions, popu 78 (Continued from page 74) larity is impaired; and the producer, looking over his records of box-office receipts, says, "So-and-so isn't drawing the business any more. We won't take up her option next month." The queen is dead, long live the queen. For the fans make stars and take stardom away. The star system began when the public demanded the names of the then unidentified favorites in the old Biograph days. Mary Pickford (right) was the first star. Richard Barthelmess (left) and Marion Davies (top) are always greater than their pictures. Will Rogers (bottom) is the only Fox star The personality hidden by the producer as the "Biograph Girl" was revealed as Mary Pickford, first lady of the films. They Have to Be Good A LOT of twaddle is talked about putting one or another personality over with the public. Intelligent handling of budding stars helps them on to their goal, of course, but not even the millions of a Howard Hughes could make the public lionize an uninteresting individual. People simply refuse to pay good money to see someone they do not want to see. Curiosity may draw them once or twice to determine why all the publicity. Curiosity satisfied, interest lags. Producers pretend to rail against the star system. Yet they continue to import personalities from the stage, musical circles, sporting life and other lines of endeavor, hoping to make movie stars of them. Often these individuals are accorded stardom in their initial appearances. Thus Hollywood's list of official stars is temporarily increased by such names as John McCormack, Paul Whiteman, Harry Richman, Rudy Vallee, Dennis King, the Four Marx Brothers, Cyril Maude, Moran and Mack, "Red" Grange and "Babe" Ruth. Some of them may again make starring features in Hollywood, but their names do not belong on the official roster. On the list of forty-three that accompanies this article, only Amos 'n' Andy of radio fame have yet to prove their screen starring mettle. To my definite knowledge, at least ten names will be added to our list in the near future. Walter Huston will be costarred with Dolores Del Rio in his next picture for United Artists. After which his contract calls for solo starring vehicles. Eddie Cantor is to be starred by Samuel Goldwyn in at least one picture a year for the next five years. Stardom will be conferred on Evelyn Laye in her first Goldwyn feature. Joan Bennett is scheduled by United Artists to star in "Smiling Thru" and Chester Morris will be afforded stellar billing in his next after "The Bat Whispers." Dorothy Mackaill will be reinstated to star rating, following her return to the First National banner. That company is also contemplating starring Loretta Young, Winnie Lightner and Joe E. Brown. Lupe Velez is the foremost bet at Universal. Looking Over the Field HERE is little doubt that those ten names will soon augment our slim roll call of forty-three. If I were asked — though I haven't been — to name the dozen featured players of to-day who stand in line for stardom, my guess would be Helen Twelvetrees, Claudette Colbert, Jeanette MacDonald, Kay Francis, Marlene Dietrich and Kay Johnson; and among the men, Charles Ruggles, Clive Brook, Robert Montgomery, Lowell Sherman, Charles Bickford and John Mack Brown. It may be noted that none of the players just mentioned are of the Fox contract lists. As previously stated, the powers that be at Fox studios do not believe in stardom. Because of this opinion, Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Warner Baxter, Victor McLaglen, and Edmund Lowe are rated only as featured players. Elsewhere they would be stars. But despite individual prejudices against it, the star system will endure in Hollywood. The name of an established favorite draws you to the box-office more often than the title of a picture. It isn't what is being shown at your neighborhood theater, it's who is playing there that attracts your attention. You say, "Let's go to see Greta Garbo in 'Romance.'" You seldom say, "Let's go to see 'Romance.'" These observations are not my personal {Continued on page loi)