Screen Babies Fetch Big Pay

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21217, 13 September 1940, Page 8

Screen Babies Fetch Big Pay

Your Greta Garbos, Carole Lombards. Clark Gables, Errol Flynns and James Cagneys ere not the most pampered individuals in Hollywood. Nor are they the best paid for the time they give to pictures. The film babies are. You don’t believe it 7 Consider the case of ten-day-old Carolyn Weist. the baby in Sol Lesser’s “Our Town.” Miss Weist came to the studio accompanied by her father, Charges Weist; a nurse, Mary Clarkson; and a welfare worker, Veta Geddes. Before she could work, the studio had to take her in a limousine to the Board of Education office in Los Angeles. There she was examined by a school doctor, pronounced fit and given a permit. From there she was taken to the Social Security Department where a social security card was issued. On the set Miss Weist had a stand-in, a rubber doll. Martha Scott, one of the stars in the picture, who plays Carolyn’s mother, held the doll until they were ready for the infant actress. When Sam Wood, the director, called for action, the baby was given to Miss Scott. At Wood’s elbow stood Mrs Geddes holding a stopwatch. At the end of 30 seconds Mrs Geddes poked Director Wood’s arm and the director called “Cut.” Miss Weist was put back in her crib for five minutes to rest. Then she worked 30 seconds again Ir all, she worked two minutes, with a five-minute rest period between each appearance in front of the camera. For this she was aaid £ls