Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-28
Flashes From the Screen
News and Comment of the Photoplay.
Bv c. E. Nelson
By C. E. Nelson.


p. G, Wodehouse, writer of fiction
who has been holding down 6
mahogany desk in one or the
elaborate scenario departments OF
the West Coast. 1t was just q
year ago that the well known
author was signed to contract
calling for his writing services
His salary, rain or shine, was to
be $4,000 per week. Each Sat-
urday he was to draw his pay
envelope, and all he had to do was
write stories for the movies
preferably funny stories of the
WodehouSe type.
Well, in the past IL months Mr.
Wodehouse has notwithstanding
to his own figureS-$104,000 In
cash from the cashier of his
studio. Yet, he says, he has never
seen one of his stories in the
movies. Twice during the year,
he says, they brought me COM
pleted scenarios or other people
stories and asked me to write some
dialogue for them. I estimate that
at least Is or 16 people had tam
pered with these stories before
they reached me. The dialogue
was really quite adequate, and all
I did was to touch it up here and
there. Then they set me to work
on a story which was to have
some musical numbers. 1t was a
pleasant little thing and I spent
three months on it. When it was
finished they thanked me politely
and remarked that as musicals
did not seem to be going so well
they guessed they would not use
it. That about sums up what ]
was called upon to do for the
100000. Isn't it amazing?"
The Wodehouse bombShell has
struck Hollywood as rather bad
taste. The author, according to
studio standards, should have
drawn his salary and said little
about his job-what he did and
what he did not do. However, the
Hollywood methods of conducting
business affairs struck WodehouSe
as unique, and thus his statement
His case is an outstanding one
but it is only one of many. There
are dozens Of expensive authors
living on the West Coast and
associated by contract to the
movie industry who have never
really earned a buffalo nickel.
A couple of years ago, B. D
(before depression) that marvel
Gus screen comedian, Charlie
Chaplin, employed a New York
columniSt as rs gag man,
signed him to ? contract calling
for salary OF $4,000 per week
and shipped hEn to Hollywood
This particular writer had always
been a rather busy newspaper
man; he had absorbed the atmoS-
phere of a newspaper Office until
he was bundle of nervous energy
He made the trip to Hollywood
was welcomed by the film colony
and had his typewriter thorough
~ overhauled in order to start
work for his famous employer. But
Mr.. Chaplin was not ready to take
up the idea of a new picture. Life
in Hollywood was quite pleasant
as the weeks and months rolled
along, but the former Broadway
ColumniSt became a nervous wreck
from sitting around and journey
ing to the cashiers window each
Saturday afternoon. Finally, he
cornered his employer and
announced:
Charlie, I'm quitting my job. y
Whats the trouble?" asked the
comedian.
Well" answered the writer
I'm going back to my newspaper
job. I can't stand the strain out
here. I've been here for months
and have not moved except to
draw my salary. You say you
don't know when you want to
start another picture. Please &C
cept my resignation and tear up
my contract"
During the past months econ
omy has been heavily stressed
around Hollywood; hundreds of
workers have been discharged IN
the studios, and all this makes
the Wodehouse statement more
interesting. One film writer comes
forward with an idea that the
author was employed to keep him
from signing a contract with any
other film company. If this is
true, the scheme cost just $104, 900
In any case, the WodehouSe story
checks with other yarns Of Holly
wood extravaganza and ineff1-
ciency-and in a year which has
seen great distress in other
industries.
The For producing company
hereby formally announces that
it has discontinued the filming
OF gangSter pictures. The state
ment lUaS made Just before
Winfield r. Sheehdn, Uice preSi-
dent in charge of production,
left Nea0 York for the Pacific
Coast te1D days ago. TtDo reu-
sons are behind this moOe-the
first, beGuSe OF an oUerprodu-
ton of this type OF picture, and
the second, general public dis
satisfaction 1Uith the under
,Uorld SUBJECTS.
ONE of the monuments OF Holly
wood, the first Mack Sennett
Studio, is being RACED, and the
ground is to be. turned into build
ing lots. In several ways this
Sennett Studio made film history.
In the building, some 20 and rs
years ago, experiments were made
which aided materially in placing
the motion picture upon sound
foundation as an entertainment
medium. Many of the film stars
of today were bathing girls and
comedians on the Sennett lot.
Several of the we'll known direc-
tors of today received their first
asSipnmn1tS and learned the
technique of the photoplay:
In the Sennett studio Charlie
Chaplin was employed at salary