Evening star., 1932-07-10

is 1.4Oo week. in Hollywood or anywhere
else.
Adolphe Menjou had a similar salary battle
with Paramount along about the time the
taIkies were getting under way. Menjou at the
time was getting about $4,000 a week. He
wanted $1,000
Studio executives told him that they were
perfectly willing to keep him at his existing
salary but that they could not possibly give
him the raise ne wanted. Menjou then started
negotiations with several other studios for q
new contract. But not one would meet his
terms.
Denouncing all producers for teaming against
him, the actor finally departed for England.
after making an announcement that he never
again would make picture in Hollywood. Ap-
parently. however. the English didn't place
quite as high a value upon Menjou's talents as
he himself did. He made two or three pictures
over there and then returned to resume his
career in the United States
DuT not only did he fail to get the $1,000 per
u week he had demanded; he went even
further and accepted considerably less than
the $4 500 which he could have been receiving
by remaining at Paramount. r tia4aoss seslsssg
One of the best known battles in movie
history was the one between Cecil B. De Mile
and Jetta Goudal The actress was under con-
tract to De Mile, who at that time headed, his
own studio Known always as one of the
most temperamental actresses in the business,
she was attacked by particularly hot hare-up,
walked out of the studio and fatty refused to
return.
Failing to reach any agreement, Jetta finally
took the matter to court by filing a suit for
some $4,000 against De Mile, claiming that
amount was due her salary on her uncom-
pleted contract. The suit dragged out for
-lxr ov1I half hstt oil uaa
tied in the actress favor. However, she has
worked very little since that fatal declaration
Of war"
Probably one of the strangest fights Holly
wood ever has witnessed was the one between
Colleen Moore and First National Colleen'S
husband, John Mccormick had been produc-
ton chief for that studio.
Then came one of those shake-ups which
have q habit Of hitting the gigantic film fac
tories at various intervals Mccormick was
out. So Colleen, then the highest salaried
star in Hollywood, walked out, too. They
weren't going to treat my John" that way.
incidentally. he isn't my John" any longer.
n Naturally that cou16nt last Colleen ut
~ the time was receiving $12, 500 per week
and while she had become financially inde-
pendent through wise investments such sum
of money was too large to be treated lightly.
So she made deal with the studio whereby
she would return to complete her contract
providing Mccormick also was brought back to
supervise her productions. That suited the
studio bosses. since Mccormick always had
been very successful with his wifes produc-
tions. So the peace pact was signed. ssts
Perhaps these various fights can be cited as
one of the reasons why Hollywood regards gold
as its god Each OF these persons thought he
had an excellent reason to fight. Yet each
gave in to the studio when those fat pay
checks stopped rolling in.
They could be very hostile as long as the
pay checks weren't stopped. But when the
now Of gold was cut or they cooled on amaz-
fngiy fast Yes money Is the best lnguist IN
HoilyyoQa.1 % . aell1l ,I2a llI.esl-h la1-.--.t