Screenland (May-Oct 1930)

/or June 19 3 0 117 are paid by the firm, the client and agent both signing the checks. Of course, it is the client's money and the contract can be discontinued at any time, since it is really only a 'gentleman's agreement.' Most of the agents discourage the employment of valets. And, too, many personal maids are frowned upon, too. Also, bootleg liquor is looked upon with great disfavor. A certain well-known star admitted he paid out $3,000 for liquor during the past year. "You did!" exclaimed his newlyappointed agent. "And what for?" "Well, I have my position to keep up. I'm expected to entertain and lots of the boys won't come unless liquor is served." "Aha, so that's it, eh?" replied the agent, putting on his great scowl. "Now I'll ask you some questions! Does entertaining and passing around free drinks make your work any better? Does it make your job any more secure? Does it make your employer respect you more? No? Well, this year we will set down two hundred dollars for your thirsty pals — and even that's too much!" Racing and various other forms of gambling are mostly out, too. And frequent and expensive pleasure trips to Agua Caliente and Tia Juana are scowled at. "Regarding our clients, we hardly ever advise them to buy expensive homes, but rather to rent," declares Mr. Cole of the Equitable, "of course, if they can buy a nice home cheap, that's different. We recommend, for the most part, only a few necessary clubs, but we are very liberal where charities are concerned. We think it is very good for people who acquire large sums of money suddenly to be generous in this manner. As a rule, we never interfere with our clients' choice of doctors or lawyers, although we do once in a while point out that $1500 is too much for an appendix when $500 is the Hollywood market price for movie stars. Lawyers, too, sometimes send in frightfully huge bills, greatly overcharging certain prominent stars. However, when they learn we do the checking and paying, they quickly drop their prices down to normal!" Most of these finance firms reckon the screen life of their clients to be about five or six years. It is their chief aim to see that their stars save as much of their money as they possibly can, so when their five or six years are up, they will still be able to live in comfort and without any debts to worry them. All of these agents recommend good sound investments and they are very strong for endowment insurance. One of their greatest problems, they aver, is the 'relative' question. "When our clients begin to get famous," they exclaim, "he or she discovers all kinds of relations scattered about that they never even dreamed about! We don't object to our clients helping out the more worthy of these relations, but we do say they shouldn't shower money on 'fifty-second' cousins or such, who never noticed them until they reached the heights of fame! We have to watch out, too, for people who claim to be related to our clients, but aren't related to them at all!" The wave of thrift was bound to come. Stars of the talkies earn such enormous salaries, live their lives in the fierce glare of publicity, enjoy all the privacy of a pet goldfish in a bowl of water, that consequently, they are vulnerable to all sorts of schemes and shysters. It is a fact that with many of them a financial agent is not a mere luxury but an absolute necessity. Movies in the Air— Continued from page 8 him a more than comfortable income. But the criterion of his waning or increasing favor will be seen in the reports of his record sales for the coming six months. They will tell a story that no one can refute or excuse. And the same is true of many other artists. Harry Richman went from a Seventh Avenue cellar to a United Artists special because his particular talent fitted into the entertainment chain that leads a singer from cabaret shouting through national radio hookups, through lucrative phonograph seasons and into the big money of starring movie engagements. Richman was nobody when a kind fate arranged a radio tie-up with the club where he was earning a small salary for singing the latest song hits. One station carried his voice for months, but it had that peculiar quality that made listeners neglect the larger stations when Harry was doing his stuff. He sang N.o Hot Water in the Bronx until a million radio fans knew every word of it, and then his salary started rising as his technique improved. From radio he went into the list of phonograph artists and with the good luck of such songs as Muddy Waters he started smashing the sales totals that others in the business for years had reached. George White took advantage of his popularity, and United Artists, after making over his nose and doing alterations to his disposition, too, found him good material for one of its flicker successes of the season, "Puttin' On The Ritz." Every form of entertainment which depends upon mass patronage has its slumps. There was the time when radio first came into vogue when the phonograph manufacturers were ready to declare bankruptcy. For months during that crucial time, few talking machines were sold and the records sales fell off at an alarming rate. The Victor people tied up with the Radio Corporation of America and the result was a combination Victrola and radio receiver. Columbia followed step but even co-operation in the distribution of the implements wasn't sufficient. The phonograph manufacturers had to buy time on the air to plug their products. The business started recovering and is now in a most flourishing condition. The movies were in an unhealthy state when along came talking equipment at a most opportune moment. The film makers had applied some of the mechanics of radio to their own business with the result that they made their silent tintypes audible. When radio interest was slightly waning and the source of new, novel talent was being exhausted, the broadcasters turned to the movies for their magnet names. Before the trio had learned the value of co-operation a movie star looked upon radio broadcasting as good publicity and was glad to offer his or her services. Now the value of the tie-up is still recognized but the celebrity gets negotiable lucre for the service. Maurice Chevalier gets $5,000 for singing a few songs on the air. Fannie Brice adds a thousand dollars to her income by a bit of fun-making for a few minutes. And the most fitting example of all is Will Rogers, who is fulfilling a thirteen week contract which nets the homely philosopher a hundred dollars a month. 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