Star-dust in Hollywood (1930)

Star-dust in Hollywood us up as persons who had nothing to give ; therefore they had little time to waste on us. The former, with whom we might make a momentary contact, even if not suspicious of our object, were almost always cut out and wrested from us by somebody who wanted something. There was a certain good-natured supervisor who tried to tell me what, in his opinion, was wrong with the movies, but he was never allowed to begin his exposition. As we have said, almost every job comes to an end at the finish of every film : directors, stars, minor stars, supers, camera-men, still-photographers, scriptclerks, musicians, electricians, almost all are booked from one film to another. A running contract is a thing to boast of, a certificate of the very highest efficiency. Over most the dim image of * no job ' hangs as an indisputable menace some two months away. But another menace keeps the madness within visible limits. The director or star who may have a contract is threatened by a clause that if evidence appears of an immoral life the contract can be automatically broken. This clause even comes into force if the contractor is involved in any scandal that might affect the box-office receipts. The unlucky one might then be placed on the Black List. Once on the Black List the victim's career can be considered as ' bust ' until the authorities choose to relent. But this weapon serves other purposes. A star who tries to exploit his popularity, and plays one studio against another in order to raise his price, may find that the whole market has suddenly closed down. Or a star who is domineering or who is litigious may also be ostracized. An actor who too consistently tries to seize the best positions before the camera and tries to juggle his confreres into inferior places may be put on the Black List for a time to teach him manners. The same fate threatens women who take advantage of their temperaments, who become hysterical on the sets under the director's [166]