Evening star., 1928-10-14
Capricious Career

a BOUT the career of Josef Vol
Sternberg, Paramount director, ha
,hered curious obscurity. In tn
II short years since he came Il
llywood, the story of his activities
n before and after his entry on tht
Oh st Coast scene is said to have beer
orted and garbled in rumor anC
'- >ort.
; Is generally known that Won Stern.
= first came into general notice wher
produced a picture called THE Sal
= on Hunters" 1t is known also tha
later worked with varying degree.
:tuccess at several studios. They arr
. t7t many, but it is said, occasionally
- Joe Won Sternberg has been kickec
OF every studio in Hollywood" Hi
~ IN, his family, his education, hi.
aplace. even his overcoat are sub.
s55s of discussion and the dissemina.
.st Of gratuitous and mostly erroneou:
g frmation.
ne fact stands out clearly, however
.s5y in the past year Won Sternbere
directed three of the most success.
~ pictures released by the Paramount.
louS-Lasky Corporation. They. in
-. have been acclaimed artistic sue
IS and have proved boX-office hits
ne of them started a picture vogue
was Underworld. That vigorous
drama rocketed George Bancroft to
50 dom and started the cycle of pic
glorifying the American gunman
quantitative scale The other two
<'-h Emil Jannings' THE Last Com
s95d'' and THE Drag Net" another
croft underworld melodrama.
p hen Won Sternberg was able to
ne four years ago at the storm of
2 lssion "The Salvation Hunters
teo, gossipers began to say that a
Y break had placed a tyro in the
2 light. Nothing could be further
e.ieo the truth.
fHsef Won Sternberg had had 10 years
= on picture experience before he
~ = to Hollywood in 1924. He had
Sed in almost every capacity ir
los in Fort Lee, New York and Lon
He began in 1924 as a film patcher
r. the old World Film Co. He had
led as property man, cutter, head oi
camera department.. cameraman
- er and assistant director, eventually
ming chief adviser to William A.
7y, when director general of World
IS.
4. the World War, he was motion
ire expert to the chief of staff of
United States Army. The war over,
T. vent back to motion picture pro-
ion work in what he now says was
apprenticeship. 1t was not "all
-. :, no play" however.
IN Sternberg varied his study of
IN technique with extensive travel
IN Europe. He has lived in London,
- ma (where he was born in 1894)
s, s, Prague, Naples and Berlin. He
ses to talk about his travels, doubt
that the public can have any inter-
for instance, in his smoking a pipe
top OF the Pyramid of the Cheops.
! 1924 Won Sternberg terminated
- of these jaunts in England, and
irned to New York on a cattle boat.
proceeded to Hollywood immediate
making the entire trip in day
cheS. He went to work as assistant
q. R. William Neil. who was directing
r. the Grand Asher and F. B. o.
iios.
e was scarcely "acclimatized" when
'ound himself sensation. He wrote
directed 1.-THE Salvation Hunters" "
iuced it for $4,000, had it acclaimed
West Coast critics and celebrities.
= won, first, contract to direct
= y Picktord, and, soon afterward, a
ctorial contract with Metro
dwyn-Mayer.
~ The Salvation Hunters was made
lefiy) in a mud fiat at San Pedro
Dor. Won Sternberg produced it at
instigation of Arthur, an English
edian, who at that time had
eyed only mediocre success in
lywcod. He raised, with consider