Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-19

ME Quiet Gay, III 6QAQeQ,
secluded patio In Beverly Hills,
quiet save for the splashings
Il and gigglings from q nearby
swimming pool, an impressive
movie magnate opened up and con-
feSSed to me that the perforated cellu-
loid business is rotten and due to get
worse. 1 shall refrain from divulging
his name. not because he imposed an
oath Of secrecy upon me, but because if
I did designate him he would instantly
announce that he had been grievously
misquoted in this column.
I'VE don't know what the public
wants." he said. And don't think
that's because we're ignorant. because
we amt. The whole trouble is that
the public don't know what they want.
And even If they did, and we gave it
to EN-, they wouldn't like it. So what's
the use?
In the old days we could build up
a star and sell her to the fans, and
when we'd squeezed her dry we'd build
up another one. 1t was a cinch But
look at what's happening. We build
and build, in the way we know how to
do, and what do we get? The Bronx
cheer! Would you like to know how
many real stars there are in Hollywood
today?"
confessed that I was fairly itching
to know.
-Four" said the great man. Just
four. And when 1 say real stars
mean the foolproof kind-the kind that
can play in a whole string of bad pic
lures and still look good to the fans
the kind that bring the dough into the
box office without any help from the
directors or the high-hat writer's or US
hard working executives. There used
to be plenty Of stars like that-sure- fire
Stars-and now there are only four
l waited for him to announce the
names of this stellar quartet, but he
had lapSed into the brooding silence of
jade image. Finally requested him
to come clean with the identities.
Chaplin is first" he said, and Carlo
is second, and then after them are Mar
lene Dietrich and Joan Crawford"
The first two certainly called for no ar
gument, but it seemed to me that Norma
Shearer, Ronald Colman, Janet Gaynor,
Will Rogers, Constance Bennett, Maui
rice Chevalier Ann Harding, Douglas
Fairbanks and Ruth Chatterton. among
others, were qualified to rank with or
ahead of Misses Dietrich and Crawford
as popular attractions. My distinguished
informant, however, knew better.
Those people you mentioned are all
good, reliable performers, he told me,
wouldn't like TO have under contract
right this minute. But they amt real
stars like Dietrich and Crawford"
But Marlene Dietrich has only ap-
peared in three pictures. Is that a fair
test of a real starr"
Certainly it is. Just watch what she
crosses on her next one, whether its
good or whether it's bad"
And admitting that Joan Crawford
is a fine actress" I continued. merely
to prove that I knew a let, too, she
year to compare with Norma Shearer's
The Divorce, or Strangers May Kiss
or A Free Soul"
"All right. all right" said the oracle
IT agree with you perfectly. But the
fact remains that there amt any stars
left in Hollywood outside of Chaplin,
Carlo. Dietrich and Crawford"
So that Is that, for whatever it's
worth.
THE cinema genius made other state
ments, including one to the effect
that the principal subject for imitation
during the forthcoming season would
be Grand Hotel" the play and novel
by Vickl Baum. which has been one of
the biggest hits and best sellers of the
past year.
Those who have seen or read Grand
Hotel know that it deals with a group
of previously unrelated characters who
happen to meet under the roof of a
Berlin hosiery. The sudden entangle-
nent Of their contrasted lives provides
the drama which has thrilled millions
and brought colossal sums in royalties
into the needy German republic
Any dramatic formula which has
proved its worth in terms of dollars or
marks is certain to be seized upon
avidly by the film producers. and so
there will be innumerable variations of
Grand Hotel" There will be melo-
dramas on ocean liners and tranSc0n-
tinental trains, in theaters. railroad
stations and department stores-any of
the institutions where strangers may
meet, and kiss, and murder each other.
and then proceed along their devious