Motion Picture Classic (Jul-Dec 1930)

Hollywood Sob-Stories (Continued from page 29) beautiful and healthy without her constant care. Idleness was again a gulf before her. Adolphe Menjou was making a picture, and there was a part Lina could do if she wished. At the time she "wished" more than anything else in the world. She fairly ached to be back in things again, to be accomplishing something besides Wednesday luncheons at the Mpntmartre. Sam Warner must have felt sorry for his very young wife, for at last he gave his consent. Lina worked again. She danced. She had a lovely home, a husband who adored her, a darling baby — and work. For a moment it looked as though Hollywood had turned a smiling face on Lina Basquette — but not for long. Tragedy Enters IN the midst of the Menjou picture, Sam Warner was taken gravely ill. Before it was completed — he died. The whispers again ! Discreet whispers, well back-of-the hand. But whispers about Lina. She had gone ahead and finished the picture, for one thing. Brave, wasn't it? murmured Hollywood, with a superficial smirk. Or was it that she cared more for her work than for Sam Warner? Cruel stabbing whispers which Lina felt — and heard. Lina finished her work for one tremendous reason which the world does not know — She needed money, financial security for herself and her baby. At the time of Sam Warner's death, Lina had two hundred dollars in her checking account at the bank. She had not another cent in the world. The \'itaphone, at that time, had not brought its thirty millions into the Warner Brothers' coffers. For years their organization had struggled under a load of debts, lack of cash, lost prestige. Sam Warner's trust fund for his wife and child was extremely modest, the income amounting to only eighty-five dollars weekly. Work No Longer Play WORK, to Lina, was no longer a hobby. It was her bread and butter. Luckily, things broke for her, in the line of picture engagements. There were several unimportant things — and then her selection by Cecil de Mille for his most pretentious picture of the year, "The Godless Girl." With the exception of Lina, who was overjoyed, there was scant rejoicing over her selection throughout the town. "Now, how in the world did he happen to choose her?" was the drift of the grumblings. And all through the engagement she was watched with unfriendly eyes. "She's getting upstage. Talks about herself all the time. The high-and-mighty little lady is due for a ride," are but a few of the general observations both spoken and written. "No one knew, at that time," explained Lina, "that I felt anything but high and mighty. I was tremendously worried financially, but I felt I had to keep up a front. In Hollywood, nothing succeeds like looking successful — and I felt my professional work would suffer if I didn't keep up a Show of prestige. Believe me, it was a drain on both my resources and my pride to do some of the things I did. I knew I could not afford to keep a nurse for the baby at one hundred and thirty-five dollars a month — and yet I felt I could not afford to let her go. I wanted the world to think Sam had provided amply for us. The Unseen Reasons I DIDN'T want them to realize that his baby and his wife were receiving not one cent from the talking-picture idea which, by this time, was beginning to make millions for his brothers. And the Vitaphone was primarily Sam 's idea. He fought the whole organization for it — tr>'ing to make them realize its value. It didn't seem fair that we, little Lina and I, should be struggling. I didn't want it known that we were. If I talked about myself, how well 'I was getting along, if I bragged a little (as I was accused of doing), it was to cover up something else, just the opposite, which I felt keenly. But Hollywood didn't know that — and they talked. I was in Dutch again. "There were times when I was almost desperate. I don't think I could have stood it if I hadn't met Fev just at that time. He was photographing 'The Godless Girl' and, with us, it was a case of love at first sight. I had loved Sam Warner — but it was a love that was more the deep affection and reverence of a girl married to a man twenty-two years her senior. I minded him. I was just a baby to him. With Pev, it was the sort of love that makes the world go 'round. "He was so sweet to me. He seemed to understand, where everyone else chose to misunderstand. One by one, my fweather friends drifted away. Only P was on hand to see me through the moments." But Hollywood misunderstood this mance as it has misunderstood most thi about Lina Basquette. They looked on at best as a passing flirtation. Even C de Mille was irritated — until he reali" the attachment between his leading came man and his new leading lady was mu deeper than the gossips credited it to !; Again They Were Wro 3 FT was a deep surprise L Hollywood, who loves now it all, when Lina B quette and young Marley w quietly married, and soon aft wards left on an extend vaudeville tour. Again t gossips guessed — and guese incorrectly. "Now that s' has a new husband, she turned the baby over to nurse and forgotten all abo' her. A fine mother she is!" " I heard what they were sa ing," went on Lina, "but couldn 't let it stop me. Pe and I had to work. My offe for picture work were begi ning to come few and far b tween. We needed the mone and when this attractive off came from the vaudevill people we snatched it. Nat urally, I didn 't want to dra my baby around the count^ in and out of hotels, and b sides, it would have made big dent in our finances. I fig ured it would be much wiser t leave her here in good hand where she would be comfort able and send the money would have spent, taking her with me, on a nice place f live and a competent nurse. She was getting ten dolla" a week from her father's estate for her entire living expenses. The rest I was earning. "For some time the Harry Warners had been dickering for her adoption. To this I flatly refused. She was my baby and I wanted her with me whenever I felt I could have the time free. I agreed, however, to her living with her aunt and uncle, providing 1 might have her whenever I wished. Finally, after a great deal of legal bickering, it was decided that way, and there was to be a settlement of three hundred thousand dollars on her — and her alon?! To be held in trust until she was twenty-one. I was not to receive a dime of it! The Final Blow " T WAS playing in the East when I read J. that the Warners had announced they had adopted my baby and had full custody. I was frantic. I became ill, and it led to a nervous breakdown. I never agreed to give my baby away — for adoption — for money — for any other reason of which I have been accused. "I tell you," said Lina and leaned earnestly across the table,-sincerity marking every word, "that my flesh crawled when 1 got back in Hollywood and found myself being cut by old friends, because they believed such a monstrous thing about me. {Continued on page loi) Another Hot Scene The woodwinds howl, and there is a sound as of tom-toms — the studio suns pour down — the shipwrecked lovers are married before the censors — and the omnivorous cameras and microphones eat up another kiss in the desert 80