Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-13
MOVIES AND MOVIE PEOPLE
BY MOLLIE MERRICK.

HOLLYWOOD, Calf, November 13
! (NANA.).-If the race for bigger and
better sound pictures keeps up-and
bigger ones are on every producers
schedule-there will be definite occupa-
ton for extra talent once more.
Extras have been a colorful and hobo
hemian angle of the village existence,
often overlooked in the Scintillance OF
the successful. The extra who has ar
rived is invariably more humorous and
bizarre than the extra who Is still q
member Of the crowd.
The regular extra is shy Of visitors,
feeling more at home with his own
gang. His familiars know the hit-and-
miss quality of his income, and are not
likely to suggest some expenditure which
leaves him purple with embarrassment.
There is a freemasonry existing among
them which prompts a division of the
spoilS when finances are good. This
Socialistic angle of extra talents exist
ence keeps him eating at any rate.
There is the extra who accepts calls
from central casting and travels the
outlandish distances between studios
for SIS to $3.50 a day for a year or SO.
If opportunity doesn't knock at the door,
he drops out of the rankS-goes behind
shop counters or home to mother.
Then there is the professional extra
who has been occupied thus for many
years. Directors rely upon these last
to lead mobS, give instructions to be-
ginners, keep the misguidedly ambitious
from stepping into the front of the
camera. They receive little more than
the average in recognition of their ex-
perience.
Sometimes one seems qualified for a
"bit" part, and the director chooses him
because he knows the ropes; or, again,
he lives on in the doubtful existence for
years and years, content to play bridge
on the set between sequences and to
accept dinner invitations from skittish
dowagers who must have dancing men
about.
In the last few months 10000 calls
were made for bit and extra players.
During the first months of talkie
making the extra knew the bittereSt
days this gelatin village has ever seen.
Discouraged by the strange turn of
events and robbed of work by the small
casts required in the early experiments
In talkie production, the extra all but
gave up. But the extra Is not made Of
stuff that gives up easily.
Many of them hung about Hollywood,
believing in the return Of silent films.
Some Of the wise ones took up tap
dancing. They are utilizing this knowl-
edge on the talkie sets today.
One lot keeps 100 singers and dancers
under stock contract. And this was
unheard of in the days of silent drama.
1t affords a steady income, but it
doesn't afford the golden opportunity
that flash of face meant in the days
before talk came in, and with 1t sophts-
tication.
From press agent-story about Sally
Blame:
mot a vegetarian, but seldom eats
meat-not more than once or twice a
year, and then only at formal dinners,
when 1t would be awkward to refuse"
Perhaps some kind SOUL reading this,
will ask her to a third formal dinner
and make it big social year.
First Extra-Gee, whaddaya think?
Metro just sent for me for a test!
Second EXtra-Don't swallow yer
gum, dearie. They probably want to
test yer patience.
Joseph Schenck, not usually talkative,
at a luncheon made one of the most
interesting statements of the year re-
garding coming productions.
wise producers" he said, ARE
through with established musical COM
edy hits, plays that have had road show
and stock runs, and books that have
been widely read. The big thing Of to-
morrow is to get good originals, write
new music for our musical films, and
try to give the public good dramatic
material not seen before.
"We-all of us-in the motion picture
industry did not realize the value Of this
at first. 'Alexander's Ragtime Band
was an excellent thing when it was
written, but who wants to pay money
to hear it now? The world has learned
to move fast, it is easily tired, and mo-
ton picture producers must capitalize
on this desire for change.
ESPECIALLY since radio became fea-
ture of every home has music been
short lived. We can dance to a piece