UPS AND DOWNS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 217, 7 May 1932, Page 2

UPS AND DOWNS

SCENE SHIFTER TO-DAY ! AND A STAR T O-MORROW RISES TO FORTUNE A certain French general was famous for his unfailing courtesy to i private soldiers. Never did he "bark" at them. j Never was he either arrogant or cohdescending. Asked the reason for his extraordinary thoughtfulness towards his inferiors, he pointed to a muddy, perspiring "poilu" passing by at the moment. "In that man's knapsack," he said, "may lie the baton of a Marshal of France !" Picture folk of Hollywood have had many occasions to recall that story. It reflects, of course, the most amazing phase of topsy-turvy filmland. It emphasises the fact that in no other industry or world activity can the "under-dog" of to-day, with such bewildering rapidity, become the "big shot" of to-morrow. A studio visitor recently heard a big star Very carefully thank a young stripling of an office hoy, barely 16, for some little service. The visitor commented upon the incident. The star shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows?" he said, "I've seen a lot of miraculous things in my time. Perhaps next year that youngster may be signing; my next contract!" Such a statement might sound funny in other businesses, but not in motion pictures. j Bosworth's Rise ) Perhaps the most interesting story of all, on this point, is connected with that white-haired veteran star, Hobart Bosworth. Bosworth recently worked in a Joan Crawford picture at Metro-Goldwn-Mayer. t He sat at'luneh one day with three i former employees of Bosworth ; Inc., the firm dating from 1913 ! which was the first to bear a star's i name. At his right was his former steno- ; grapher, Frances Marion, whom he ; started at £3 a week. . 1 To-day Miss Marion is the highestj priced scenario writer in the busij ness. To the left of Mr. Bosworth was George Hill, who "turned" a camera for the star of Bosworth, Inc., at £5

a week, The cameraman of 1913 is the "ace" director of,. to-day, a long string of very successful films to his credit. Next to Hill sat Sidney Franklin, "who," said Bosworth, "was oiir assistant cameraman at £2 a week, out ' of which he also kept me supplied i with cigarettes!" ; Franklin, to-day, is resting securei ly on his laurels as a well-known j director. j Seven years ago an electrician tripped over the legs of a young : extra. He paused to offer his apolo- ; gies. j To-day that electrician is working at the M-G-M studios, and the onetime "extra" is none other than { Clark Gable. They're "down" to-day, and they're "up" to-morrow! — in the world's most amazing business.