The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, June 20, 1930, Page 12

HP MB UTUUTTA CTT aacacictceaccc esate nnciercnt acct cto HUTEONAUUATTC CTT AMAL AEEUA AFA SMM TUT TAUTUA UAL ULLAL LLL LL a ‘Exposing Hollywood's Racketeers ’ HERE HOLA et) ot a to ‘ more - group sf i des P ‘ . N are racketeers an ter te t racketeers just the RE are racine and chats, [NY racks —out rackenen tat tte An inside story of Movieland parasites cago Felond and on the other our sel of Boal actually ab eam fi ate! ie : ; ss ‘A K own boys. tl the; ve from their clients. This Hollywood bunch is getting madder and There are two classes of press agents, those who make their living by preying on madder too—you know, the kind of madness employed by studio publicity departments, sal the free-lancers. We are going to deal incited by jealousy. Can you imagine onc e i racketeer being jealous of another? Gee, you'd with the free-lancers. Their game 1s largely stars and extras with all manner of ce almost think they were proud of being engaged one of smooth salesmanship and politics. $ in their respective rackets. Maybe they are. The press agent’s job is to convince a At least our Hollywood crowd is pretty sore rising young player or even an east ingenious petty grafts ‘and holdups about the way their Chicago rivals are grabbing one that a good publicity campaign wou! the spotlight in the newspapers. They point out do more than anything else to raise saitinniemeenadiasiie that “Scarface Al Capone alone gets more standing in the ls lustry. After getting the c space than their whole group combined. account at a salary pee anywhere, from Of course there is a difference between the $25 to $100 a week, the press agent's job two groups. The Chicago yang use their auto- is _to keep his client satisfied. matics so freely that your true Chicagoan ducks = This can be di done in two ways. for a Georway every time a truck backfires. One a hv actually putting But the Hollywood boys try to keep everything over a good publicity campaign. quiet on the western front. Some of them dont The other is by doing a great even know how to use a gun. Their weapons deal of fast talking, in a flat- aré fountain Lee and, their motto, “Sign on tering vein of course, so as to the dotted line, please.” And it might be said — make the client think he is re- right here that their methods are quite as suc- ceiving a tremendous return on cessful as the harsher ones used by their rivals his financial outlay. of the Windy City. Perhaps even more so, as Both methods are practiced they have acquired the elle of ficecing by Hollywood press agents and Holywood is full of stars ciied th their victims and making them like it. they seem equally successful. money than brains. . . . Since the with mone There are almost as many different rackets know what to se with be ‘somebody might in this town as there are stars in the sky. Still, NOTHIER group of our as well take the former. the fact that the field already is overcrowded racketeers are publishing They ar newcomers the dere bit le film trade papers, sup- ey are cropping up continually and some of — josedly giving accurate ac- innocent, them have brand new “‘gags.” Eesteok iiat- gobs: 60' ia’ the these cases the victims are absolutely it nt, but the racketeer rally manage to get some epg opens pom Poko stars cannot afford to have their names dragged — just. «Sin ae come in fe soplecreh law- suits, good ol charge Plagiarism. “Would-be writers from all parts of the country are ‘inane sel suing various stu- dios for stealing their stories. Not one per cent of these persons ever are awarded damages by sof aad te lngt supanelie tr sie wee i € dios Miscouihisted:to "buy stories on the Oh yes, there is one thing that must be said industry. Hi heir scrib- ry. However, their scril for the movieland racketeere—they DO use blings are influenced largely by their brains. the size of advertisements they The reason for their existence out here, of can sell to various individuals. course, is perfectly obvious. Being the motion For example, we never have picture capital of the entire world, Hollywood known of a trade paper “pan- is overrun with movie stars who have a lot more ning” a picture, no matter how money than brains. Their salaries are far above terrible it might be, if the di- the conception of an ordinary person. And be- — rector of that picture is a good cause they don’t know what to do with all their advertiser. money, they fall for a hundred and one differ- Some even go to the extent ent schemes proposed to them daily. of Promisin a certain or ° itorial praise with eacl OWEVER, before we go further into ad, tke amount of praise de- the story, it must be admitted that some panel upon the size of the of our racketeers give at least partial The publisher of one local value for the money received. And nearly all re paper puts out an annual of them manage somehow or other to stay within edition which he openly an- the law, thereby eliminating the necessity of nounces as a “holdup number” looking at the far-famed California sunshine through bars. % GIRLS, BOYS— Do you want to become movie stars? Motion pic- ture producers are crying for more talented players with good speaking and singing voices. Our special six weeks’ couse of instruction posi- tively will put you in a position to grab the highest screen honors. Our instructors all are experienced motion picture men. DON’T WAIT. ENROLL AT ONCE AND The studion ether buy publibed storie or en- age authors of known reputat very movie star who rho sleuraecimialy ke inence and the huge salaries and sa wraith go with it, li ey corte hires Gach sate are joomediatl ‘Saree men women,, considered as fit subjects for suits by anyone who can think of a plausible excuse for going to court. Not only breach of promise tnd simildr suits face the men, But all Kids of personal injury suits are a menace. Some of the stars actually refuse to drive or int See het eamiedeny seleece ek cellent A et sig gg court for alleged movie star, wl _ pep es to come 20 pony has little chance for an even break before most juries. ERPETUAL watch must be maintained to prevent the unauthorized use of the stare’ names. Unless they are on the eet toa are likely to wake up 0 morning and that_they have ats ot Seely: Bed Slats for Noda or the Hollywood's frst-night showings of 75-cent mene: tty much of a JMacay as KNOW HOW. IT The stars pay $5 a seat just to be seen. . . the AES ‘cher ditto. . . just so they FEELS TO BE A y ay Se for Excess Equators, ee 4 FILM CELEB. can write home ‘and say Pm sat next to Clara PB om. previously heard of neit id names are in constant unauthorized use . : id using. them ae ne — ance agents and hosts of others at so much per Hee wad ar aie tald:ts +8 ; RITY. The diploma . . .- is just Ese an Ce iran re dandy to hang up on a big. wall be found in 0 . « « but otherpise it is a recommend.” Ronco or dliywoed blowout. number. ly one of the Hindu “Swamis,” t almost any Nearly all persons connected with the film in- who find so many eager devotees among lonely time. Conducting movie diet have confidential numbers which are not in Southern California, used as a refer- schools is one of the oldest rackets in make- listed in in the phone book and which cannot be pe all fact th - Mary - Pickfor 7 secured from the telephone company. It is Charles ie pegs a ‘Arle were i their only means of protecting themselves ~ yotees of his cult. All ae stare eas against the Bepes of parasites who would pes- that they even ree the Swami, a and have prom- 3 ter them to death.” As a rule these num| ised to testify to that efect when the Swami have to be changed three or hee times a year goes into municipal court to,face charges pre- because they become so well known. red by a woman who claims he wronged her Poesincs the list is turned over for a speci- after gaining her, confidence by telling how the ied sum of money. stars swore by Other ‘times the Even theater owners out here might be ac- person furnishing cused of being racketeers. Certain long-run the phone numbers houses make a practice of ch: five dollars teceives a commis- admission on opening ayaa ver, the sion on all sales to _ show is the same that can be seen the followi those whose num- day for erin ag 50 cents to a dollar apd be te ee pe a half Pa or The fe nished. list of es on opening stars pay ir 100 numbers will five dollars, doll up in evening cl net its possessor _ there to be seen. anywhere from a And the pod suckers pay the their five ie dl believe village. “And that Lee gpan is a racket in the gruest sense of the word. Yet scores of ; unsuspecting girls and boys fall for them: and These wise the ~ running these so-called schools reap press small fortunes. geet ‘These schools have absolutely no connection keep whatever with the film studios. ry cannot get ioctl aclot full of gas about how good jobs for | for their graduates, and make no attempt he is . . . and thus ‘earn’ their dough. to do s0. Py ceo! of ee a ps ses careful abot i wording o! \vertisements enroll- and expects everyone in the industry to ad- ment blanks. They insinuate that big things vertise i ip pas await their graduates, but they promise Most of these trade papers can do no nothing. one any good or any harm, since they are ‘ > read: only in the industry, and ar aE ual Poop pe a movie-struck ee is eal yo goa age i vadvertisement, ation. Yet Im suckers—who rei pears at the school i is ae find out ine are the biggest suckers in the world—fall much money she has. The enrollment fee is set for them, mainly because ‘i like to read Most movie stars will*use a free article accoi After that fee has been she nice things about themselves even though 4 few hundred to — for a chance i see the cele is sent into "another office to be ‘ened by val know that they have paid for them. buy.” v preheat $ A ind oie several thousand secret hope of hwee able to. go hone aud #07 = a “director,” who probably doesn’t know @ tt is almost impossible to pick up a eae? : dollars, depending they sat next to Clara Bow at one of Holly- = aioe from a microphone. He appraises her magazine or newspaper without finding out upon the number woods premieres. If that isn’t a racket, we = ts and outlines her course of instruction ac- that some film star prefers a certain brand of places he can don't know what is. cordingly. a of fog 5 pantioniad eas A | ae of check for the use of rs name in an sell it aod Je en 2 Hover, is ay aisal general; no smoking tobacco, a particular brat of coffee, adverti mee jor singe ity to “ another = further than asking ae to pigs as-eothe of 4 Certain make of swimming suit, a special And Will ey is rted to have those des pred bagasse Repo to = her garments 90 okies S he can have a good look brand of perfume, a specific kind of chewing received $50, r declaring from list. These A het in on this racketeering The = at her figure—"‘a good figure is ly impor- gum, and dozens of other things. billboards throughout -the country bers are secured in jig, that anywhere Rede ie 3000 = tant in motion pictures.” that he prefers one brand of gum to many different curious spectators will be crowded around the = Then she must buy make-up materials, which OLICITING these testimonials offers a fer- _ all others. set 2 ways, but the most entrance of the theaters to catch glimpses of the = the school sells her at exorbitant She tile field for the racketeering gentlemen of Selling photos of flmdom’s various "Kids take’ wide-eyed tourist; popular method is stars as they enter, So they with boxes = alia must, buy certain costumes and special the movie hamlet. As a rule the star re- celebrities is another racket which ~. . . for tours to see the stars’ through social con- of all shapes and_ sizes, them to the = for her dancing lessons, usually given by ceives no compensation outside of a free sample pays a high dividend. There is one homes. If they aren't the tact. The racket- for 25 or 50 cents ‘When the 4 om man Soy ‘woman who would be ra: off the of the atticle which he or she indorses. How- firm which makes a tyactice of han- right homes, what diference cers maflage in rece folk thoy. guthet up their boxes and 4 “e ina fourth rae vaudeville ever, the gentlemen who secure the testimonials dling stars’ fan mail free of charge. does it make? — tome way’ 1 se- save eg for Bay? next opening. = bcd) ood the course there is some are paid good money by the manufacturers of | The only ex i the ge ce is cure invitations to Another racket upon which the youths have = Shag which the girl pays without the various commodities. Postage and t aie cost of various social fune- — . monopoly is that of out stars’ homes. 4 ¥ jem simply because her head has been ‘Their job does not end with the mere secur- ‘mailed out. The firm makes os prof by sex tions and then go about their business of mak- Saturdays and ays find them = filled with illusions of cinema fame, At the ofthe testimonial, eter. They sho mat curing the names and addresses of thousands ing-as many as possible and thereby harked in convenient locations, their dilapidated = completion of the courte she is, handed an im- pe hag pogy gray gh who ate interested in fim celebrities, "Letters secure ther phone number. Fords covered with huge signs proclaiming to = pressive-looking and wished much suc- OF whatever they have indorsed. Tha is “a are then written to these persons telling them of the world ‘that they point out the homes of = cess in her ver into pictures. means used by the manufacturer of making sure .. the firm's very attractive offer of “five beautiful RECENT lawauit ‘against a well-known — movie stars for 50 cents. Sometimes they point =. She at a studio casting office for that the star who indorses his article actually — pictures of motion picture stars for one dollar," star brings to mind another form of rack- out the real homes of the stars and sometimes = a job and Prod presents her diploma _when uses it, because even film folk will use something oF whatever the price may be. And they sell eteering nacticed rather freely, The - they don’t, but since the tourists for whom they __ = asked what experience she has had. That's they get fer nothing in Preference to an article a tremendous number of pictures which cost — most common form of lawsuits against individ- is as rie tihng know the difference, every- = when the disillusionment comes and she learns they must boy. them only a few cents each, uals, however, charge breach of prude, wa = that her money has been thrown away in a Occasionally, Rowevets a star is handsomely Then there are those who sell the confidential the racketeers. in instances us eyes nae FCeovead may have its gangsters, = = school that ¢ouldn’t possibly do her any good. _ paid for his indorsement of some article. It is “telephone numbers of the “novie colony to au: girls, Of course, there are also suits for rag , but when it comes to real high-class racketeer- ~ = = So much for racket number one. said that Lew Cody received quite a sizeable — tomobile salesmen, real estate promoters, insure’ personal assaults. In about 90 per cent ont ing, Hollywood makes them look like babes. = (Copyright, 1930, By EveryWeek Magazitc—Printed in U. 8. A.) \ a a = = = 7 =z . : = = = == = ; 22 = : : = = Bu “ee MN gg AU x cme 3 == =} Li. AU QLUAHUA LLL LLL ALi LLL ~MHALUUCU A RL a ‘LLL ¥