THE STRANGER IN HOLLYWOOD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 25, 13 February 1937, Page 13

THE STRANGER IN HOLLYWOOD

The biggest surprise that Hollywood has to offer to one coming from New York and the stage is that it is all.that one has expected. It is one thing to listen to the weird and fantastic tales and descriptions of the movie makers and their "city", but a shock to find that at least ninety per cent of this fantasy is true (writes J. Edward Brombery, the actor, in "Stage"). The reason I put the word "city" in quotes is that Hollywood is not a city at all. It is a state of mind. It is a well-known fact around the country now that the majority of the stars and studios are not in Hollywood, wliich is just a section of Los Angeles, but spread out all over the map. Major studios will be found in Westwood, Culver City, Burbank, TJniversa! City. The stars live in Beverly Hills. Brentwood, San Fernando Valley, and other points north, west, south, and east of Hollywood. Anomaly and fantasy are standard equipment in Hollywood's mode of life. What would be tlie unusual any where else is convention to the film people. Their houses are fairy palaces decorated with cake frosting, and only after working on sever'al lavish movie sets can one see where they get their architectural ideas. Hollywoodens wear their own peculiar uniforms. It is easy to spot film players among the almost two million (Cbamber of Commerce figures) inhabitants' of the Los Angeles area. Their clothes are loud.and expensive. Formal business suits are rare. The convention is to be as different from your fellow maa as possible. The result is'a combination of dress that deserves a riot call for clash of' colour" and cut in the articles of clothing worn by any one person. Mathematics, and even common, gafden variety arithmetic, do nipups in the film' colony. .Those with the biggest salaries are the ones who cry most about not being able to make both ends meet. The smaller fry get along beautifully, and do not encounter ■ financial reefs until salaries cross the fourfigure line. Even when no apparent change in mode of living is made, it seems to be easier to keep an eeonomio balance on a small salary than on a large one. What makes things hard for the newcomer, particularly if he js an actor, is the liberal credit allowed him. Every store in town advises him that his arrival in. Hollywood automatically gives him a eharge account. Checks can be cashed without any. other identification than one's face at any restaurant or filling station. Downtown Los Angeles stores, not to he outdone, offer to send any or all their wares out to the house on approval. Even the smaller-salaried actors do not dare drive around town in a lowpriced car. Auto traffic in Hollywood is one grand parade of resplendent palanquins. The keynote of Hollywood is that the unconventional becqmes the convention. Strangely enough, I have been assured that some of this Looking-Glass-Land actually works out. For instance, when the Wall street owners of a studio send their business efficiency men out to run their picture" makjng on a levelheaded basis, they generally succeed i» running the business into the ground. The pictures just won't make money. ' But as soon as they return the reins to what they consider the squandering Mad Hatters of Hollywood, business immediately picks up. At this writing, I have been in Hallywood only six months, After all, I can't be expecteed to figure it all out at this early date, but I have learned that Hollywood is the most conventional hamlet in America. The only differenee is that what is a tabu at breakfast time becomes de rigueur by lunch time.. The turnover in conventions .is nothing sliorfc of terrific. In fact, as they say in Hollywoodese, it's colossal. _ - /