"Confessions” are Disliked by Producers

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 956, 26 April 1930, Page 27

"Confessions” are Disliked by Producers

Fad of Past Year to be Discouraged

POLA TALKED TOO MUCH” Hollywood companies have become annoyed over the behaviour of certain of their stars in their efforts to gain publicity during the past year. There has been a craze to confess 311** in newspaper interviews to such an extent that few of those concerned have been left with a shred of reticence. Girls who have proudly earned for themselves the title of “jazz babies” rush into print with revelations of then most intimate and personal re-

actions to life and love, and though these “tell all** confessions provide readers with a temporary thrill, the producers look upon this sort of thing as leaving a bad taste in the mouth. The much-boosted romance between Clara Bow and Harry Richman has, I hear, caused no little critical comment in certain quarters of the film city, writes an English reviewer. The fact that Clara and Richman pulled in a huge amount of publicity over their “romance’* did not make up for the loss of prestige and dignity both parties must have suffered. Then there was the case of another screen romance where the girl staged a fake suicide in her hotel in an attempt to get her name in headlines. After writing a dramatic letter to her supposed “lover,** she swallowed the contents of a perfume bottle. Fortunately. the liquid was harmless, and the only consequence was a mild attack of sickness. DISCREET PUBLICITY Almost without exception, the stars who have been on the screen longest have been most discreet in their publicity. Take Mary Pickford. for instance. Her name is known, of course, wherever films are shown. She was the first film actress to achieve worldwide fame. This has only been achieved by a delicate relationship between herself and her public. A misstep in the matter of personal revelations might have easily overthrown \t. Stories have been told of her girlhood —of her mother’s gallant struggle against poverty—of Mary’s generosity and levelheadedness when fame and

riches poured in upon her. Also, there have been unhappy chapters in her life. But we know of these only vaguely. Mary> unlike many stars, has ever seen fit to publicise her most intimate and private affairs.

COMMENT AND GOSSIP It is difficult to avoid comment and gossip, and Mary has had her full share of them. But such has been her personal dignity through the various crises through which she has passed that would-be scandalmongers have been silenced. The domestic affairs of Charlie Chaplin have been made public property more times than one cares to remember —but he has succeeded in retaining his popularity. Much of this ■is due to the fact that Charlie lias maintained a discreet silence. His stubborn silence inspired a deal of Respect from his admirers. At the time of Charlie’s romance iwith Pola Negri, which held the front pages for a number of weeks, Pola did most of the talking. For a while the public was intrigued and amused toy the almost daily bulletins issued from Pola’s headquarters as to the State of her heart. But as there was no response from Charlie the affair Hacked sincerity in the eyes of the (public. Indeed, all through her reign in Hollywood, Pola was tempted to talk too much. For one who had been heralded as a great and mysterious personage such frank disclosures as Pola made did much 1 to weaken her following in ! America. ' Most of the “startling disclosures’* bf Hollywood stars turn out to be silly that show bad manners and bad taste. In the dazzle of (temporary fame, good manners and (good taste appear to be of very tsmall account to many younger stars, )but the time will come—if their talent (survives—when they will yearn for that, personal distinction that cannot be bought.