The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-02
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@eog.sen 1s,o e N. sssues q. 5 ERNST lyNNI

caring for the game, and Collier
went for walk.
They walked out Hollywood boule-
ward toward Vine street. The rain
had stopped by late afternoon. and
there was moon. but the night was
chilIy-cold enough for top coats.
Collier kept up an inconseQuential
chatter for a while, but Rorimer's
responses were monoSyllables, and
presently Paul fell silent and they
walked slowly together, each busy
with his own thoughts.
1t was some time before either
of them spoke again. Collier, stop
ping short. said they had gone far
enough and ought to turn back.
He said. thoughtfully. there's a
great story in this town, Dam"
Its full of stories" said Rori-
mer, thinking Of Golfers daily
column. You crack one every day,
don't you?"
TIM not thinking of movie gos-
Il sip; I'm thinking of one great
big story-the Hollywood Story. I'd
like to be able to write it some day.
And that's just what I'd call it
the Hollywood Story.
"You and l." he said presently,
and all those fellows at the dinner,
know very little about Hollywood,
after all.
You're inside of studio, writing
stuff for pictures. They write blurbS
about the pictures and the people
that make them; and I'm gadding
about all day. fiitting from one lot
to another. interviewing this star
and that, watching them do their
stuff in front of the camera. I sup
pose I get around as much as the
next one, but don't know what's
really going on"
Where is this story of yours-in
those mountains over there?" Rori-
n1er asked.
I'm not kidding; I'm serious.
The story's not complete without
the extras. Think of the thousands
Of them--men and women of all
ages and ACCOMPLISHMENTS on
and waiting and hoping that by the
grace Of God lightning will strike
them somehow and they'll get a
break that will bring them fame.
It's pathetic, you know it? It's a
damn sight worse than that; it's
almost unbelievably tragic"
II know it," said Rorimer. But
once in a while one of them crashes
through" he added. thinking of
Anne Winter.
And for every one that does,
think of the hundreds that can't
hope for anything better than an
occasional days work at $3.50
to $10i"
Rorimer said, We'll, they can't
say they weren't forewarned; no.
body holds out any hopes of star
dom to them"
Eyes, but this thing called Holly
wood has glamour about it that's
as irresistible to them as a snakes
eyes for a fascinated bird. The
ranks are overcrowded, but still
they come-and will continue to
come.
1.-THE producers association does
what 1t can to keep out the unfit,
and it warns them all what to ex-
pect-but there's no way of stop
ping a person from trying to get
into the movies. And when they
do get in front of camera, what
are they? Just atmospheric by
product"
Collier tipped away his cigaret,
continued: What are their emo
ton? VIII . do they think shout?
The stars-Uhe big figures Of Holly
wood-we all know about. Every
body knows about them.
"But the extras who provide the
atmosphere for the industry-wio
knows about them? True, they're
listed at Central Casting, and
they've got men up there who can
remember what a girl looks like
when her name is announced over
the phone. But they're just names
and types-a fat man with a bald
head; a slender blond who can wear
sport clothes.
"TTOW do they live? Before l
I i came out here a year and a
half ago, I subscribed to the pop
ular notion that the restaurants and
barber shops would be full of wait
resses and manicures who came out
here to crash the movies.
1T isn't true; Dick Charles says
he's known only few in all his
experience. And, anyway, if they
did take a steady job some place,
they wouldn't have chance to
work as extras.
4 sometimes wonder what 1t
would be like if some giant hand
could scoop up all the people con-
nected with the motion picture in