“Keep Away from Hollywood”- J. L. Lasky Warns Girl Aspirants

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 756, 31 August 1929, Page 31

“Keep Away from Hollywood ”- J. L. Lasky Warns Girl Aspirants

Strong advice to movic-struclc girls president oj Paramount Pictures, when interests at St. Louis that young aspira Hollywood.

“There simply is not enough work to go round,” Lasky said. “That’s the truth of the matter. Moreover, it requires un- r— —■< usual ability or unusual taleut for motion picture success, and only a very, very few of the girls who arrive in Hollywood have either. C o n s e q uently, few of these aspirants get a hearing because Jesse L. Lasky we simply haven't the time to shift them out.” Lasky stated that, since he had arrived in SL Louis two days before, 116 girls had applied to him for work as screen actresses. He had been receiving telephone calls, letters, photographs and even telegrams from girls who stated their willingness to depart for California immediately if he would assure them of employment. “Talking pictures,” Lasky continued, “which make screen success harder than ever to attain, have surprisingly increased applications for acting work. “The situation, as revealed by applications, is typical of a tendency that is general throughout the world. The mail received at the Paramount studios from girls is enormous, and every day social workers report the arrival of more girls. “Whenever I find a young woman who refuses to listen to my advice, I

was oiven by Mr. Jesse L. La-sky, vicehe told a world-wide convention of trade nts to the screen should, stay away from

change my tactics and say to her: ‘Don't go to Hollywood unless you have a return ticket and enough money to live on for at least six months.’ "The problem of employment in Hollywood has reached serious proportions, and investigations have revealed that many girls have been stranded there. They were forced to accept the assistance of charitable organisations to return to their homes.” Mr. Lasky concluded by urging representatives in all parts of the world to do their utmost to discourage any film aspirants from undertaking a fruitless journey to the film capital.