Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-25
Movies and Movie People
BY MOLLIE MERRICK.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
HOLLYWOOD, Calf, September Is
(N.A.N.A).-The question most often
asked about this village Is, Just how
do they make whoopee?"
The answer is: In various ways. But
an extract from q letter describing a
village party and written to friend of
mine gives some faint idea of the play
full spirit of movieland in its moments
of relaxation.
shall call the host "X," and If that
doesn't remind you too much of your
algebra days you will probably be in
terested in this first-hand account OF
Hollywood whoopee.
The participant writes:
When we first came over here they
gave a party for us. It was at the home
Of Mr.. K, and the entire lot was in
vited. x has a very fine home, fur
nished with exquisite taste, and his
cellar Is of the best. 1t was hardly the
setting for a Hollywood party
Things Are Smashed Up.
1.-THE evening was spent in dialing the
phone upstairs so that the phone down.
stairs would ring and x would be called
to the phone three times in every flve
minutes: In fighting and incidentally
smashing things up: in pouring water
from glasses, then pitchers, and finally
buckets on any one who was not watch
ing:
because there are balconies and corners,
and always somebody was sneaklng up
and drenehing you until every one in
the place was dripping water and the
carpets were out of sight IN the deiuge.
This was very hard on suits, and
one chap had made the mistake of
wearing a new suit, into the pockets Of
which they smeared cheese and caviar
while he wasn't looking.
Doors were torn from hinges. There
were more fights. Through all this x
was directing, getting the boys together
to sing around the piano, making every
body turn somersaults, doing dance
routines and supervising the water
throwing.
Finally all the lights In the house
went out: In the moonlight that came
In through the great windows we could
see shape moving under the watery
rug.
X Puts EN- All Out.
"The lights were quickly turned on,
and 1t was found to be Y under the
rug, who runs one Of the largest
concerns In the industry. He said he
was playing ghost Y then conceived
the idea of breaking all the windows,
but x, our host, put every one out.
THE prize trick of the evening con-
sisted of taking six very fine bottles OF
champagne and putting vinegar in
them. It cost K more than 5000 to
have his home repaired afterward. He
has been very careful since then whom
he invites there"
If you think that Halloween pranks
passed out with childhood, you've never
visited the village.
When the last sentence Is passed on
drama for the worlds edification and
entertainment the genties who make 1t
revert to small boys.
The only explanation lies in the fact
that these men were not making college
whoopee when others of the generation
were so engaged. The freshman and
sophomore feuds, the hazing, the rushes,
ali the zestful and destructive and silly
outlawry of the youth in school Is en-
joyed by youths who get to school.
The majority Of makers OF this mo
ton picture industry were working dur
ing those years when others were max
ing collegiate whoopee in the halls of
alma mater.
As a result, men with bank accounts
which they cannot really believe ride
about in fabulously expensive cars. rob
the rainbow for their ludicrously ex-