Cinema ... Snapshots

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21199, 23 August 1940, Page 8

Cinema ... Snapshots

For Charity—Octave Of Envy (By Stacey Aumonier.) Twenty of the worlds biggest stars, five famous directors under a renowned producer, a team of four world-famous writers, stand ready to begin a film which ordinarily would cost more than “ Gone With the Wind,” but which actually will be made for less than Scarlett O’Hara’s wardrobe. You’ll hear nothing about the high salaries the producer is paying because none of the stars, directors or writers will get any. Nor will the producer himself. Nor will there be any profits for the company sponsoring the picture. Every penny will go to charity. In the United States of America, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, France, South Africa, Egypt, Finland—everywhere the picture shows, all the profits will remain in the country, for the most worthy charities, the Red Cross and similar organisations of mercy taking the money in Britain, France, Finland, and so on. There ought to be £150,000 to £200,000 for British charities alone. Listen to the list of stars: Brian Aherne, Annabella, Freddie Bartholomew, Charles Boyer, Madeleine Carroll, Claudette Colbert, Ronald Colman, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant. Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Charles Laughton, Vivien Leigh, Herbert Marshall, Ray Milland, Anna Neagle, Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, and probably others, including Charles Chaplin, if he can escape from “ The Dictator.” There’s at least 2,000,000 dollars in salaries there alone. Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Lloyd, Victor Seville, Robert Stevenson and Herbert Wilcox will share direction. Leo McCarey will produce. All without pay. There's practically another 1,000,000 dollars. Doctor A. J. Cronin, Aldous Huxley, James Hilton and W. P. Lipscomb will prepare the story, and Alma Reville (Mrs Alfred Hitchcock) will work out the shooting script. Only the studio workpeople will be paid. George Schaefer, head of RKORadio Pictures, will loan the production costs, charging bank interest only and his company will release the film at cost. Sir Cedric Hardwicke is chairman of the company formed to legalise the project, with Victor Saville, Alfred Hitchcock and Herbert Wilcox also on the board. There will be a special trusteeship with independent status and full power to distribute the profits to the various charities. It’s going to be handled the right way.

Actor Menjou Loses Ribbing Bout No one in Hollywood gets more of a kick out of ribbing fellow players than Adolphe Menjou. But the dynamic fashion-plate had the tables turned on him during production of “ Turnabout.” Menjou, who plays a high-powered advertising executive, was wearing a faultless business ensemble part of his personal wardrobe, when his screen partner, William Gargan, came on the set to talk to director, Hal Roach. While Bill is a good dresser, he favours the nonchalant in attire rather than the correctly formal. Taking in Gargan’s outfit, Menjou decide it was a fine opportunity for a rib. “ Hey, tWurp! ” he called across the stage. “ You’d better get rid of that Brooklyn bargain jjpu’re wearing. You’re a rich dope in this picture.” Unabashed, Gargan looked up and down the impeccable Menjou, and answered, “ I’m willing, if the floorwalker you hired that get-up from has a brother.”

Hollywood Salaries In the last financial year for which reliable figures are available, Mr Louis B. Mayer earned a salary of £259.300; Greta Garbo was paid £120.000 for one picture; Marlene Dietrich, then regarded as a fading star, was called upon to pay a tax of £56.000 on her earnings in the British-made “ Knight Without Armour ” alone; Clark Gable’s annual cheque ran to £72,000; Kay Francis, though she was appearing in ** B ” pictures, was given £50,000 for her twelve months’ work. These are not fairy tale figures from the Action factories of the publicity departments (even the imagination of the most fanciful of the publicity men would boggle at the idea of the film executive requiring the sum of £259,300 a year). But he only receives a fraction of it. The tax folk see to that. The figures are supplied by those grim realists, the United States income tax authorities.

FLASHES JJING CROSBY trusted that sarong he wears in “ Road to Singapore ” to a lone safety pin. He didn’t worry about it, either. “ I estimate,” he said, “ that I have fastened at least 50,000 safety pins on those four sons of mine. When I give them that Crosby touch they never come undone.” * * * * T EW problem for technicians: Faking a grasshopper plague, rivalling that of the locusts in “ The Good Earth,” for “ Brigham Young.” COWARD is in Hollywood for a quick business visit. He returns via Clipper to London •J»rtljr.