Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Star-dust in Hollywood making the unlikely brag that she had just refused an important role from Cecil de Mille ; a man was trying to impress a woman with the statement that he gave Doug and Mary their first start in pictures. A girl was flinging her wet bathing-dress on to Betty Compson's bed ; another was 'phoning : " Sure send the whole party over ; I'm at Cruzes\" Two guests were complaining of the cooking, and another exclaimed : " Guests have rights." As far as we could see, no major element of the Hollywood party was missing except perhaps the portraits of two English authors being attacked by a long-winded gentleman who wanted to tell them exactly what was wrong with the movies. This criticism on Hollywood by Hollywood itself contains the four principal elements of local entertainment : drink, sex, business, and egoism. The cry " Guests have rights " is a part of a modern growth of egoism, marked by an inconsiderate grasping by the have-nots and a rather plaintive generosity of the haves. Admittedly the avowed creed of America is : " Don't save. Spend all you have and get more." All the copybook maxims have been dethroned, though possibly with the real intention of keeping the highly paid workman from amassing savings enough to organize effectual strikes. Debt, buying on the instalment system, the mortgaging of future income, and so on, effectually stop serious labour protests, for the man dare not go on strike who is eighteen months in debt and may lose the whole of his house, furniture, and even the clothes he stands up in, by missing one payment. So an orgy of spending is encouraged by the manufacturers, who gain at both ends. But there is a limit to what one can spend on oneself, even with gold fittings to the bathroom, and the consequently lax generosity has developed a class of parasites. The rich are thus being placed in a position somewhat similar to that of [i64]