Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Hollywood — The Stars dancer, one a general in^the Russian army, one a university professor, one a farmer, one a waiter, and one a sailor. Of these nine only three were what we could call men of education, but their respective positions in the salary scale — that is to say, in the world's estimation — were in the order following : ( Actor Fixed Stars \ Waiter Actor fSailor Planets \ Farmer I Acrobat ^Professor Minor Stars -j Dancer iGeneral Among the first six only one had been born with any expectation of reaching even a moderate position in the world. The others had no experience or training in the restraint necessary to the possession of a fortune. The motto of Hollywood seemed to be the refrain of an old sentimental song : With no to-morrow and no yesterday. The huge salaries earned were spent as though these few wealthy years could never know an end, as though popularity could never wane, and as though age could not wither, nor custom stale. They behaved as if the movies were the purse of Fortunatus. And yet there are warnings enough. The fluffy, girlish stars go tumbling one after another into oblivion with relentless sequence. Marriage or concubinage is their only refuge. Even the greater stars must wane. One wife was suing her star husband for alimony. She said that he had been earning £2000 a week for six years, and even now was able to earn £600 a week.