Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-04-01

Wallace Beery likes to fly an airPIane,
and, like a lot of flmIands diversions,
its an expensive form Of amusement.
Jim stars are paid too much money. For
years this cry has been heard from the
four corners of the Nation. During the
last two or three years particularly
there has been considerable resentment
evidenced the huge salaries paid to
film stars while millions Of men are out Oh
work.
However not so much has been said about
the amount of money spent by these same
highly paid stars. If the same proportion Oh
their earnings were put back into circulation
by highly paid men and women in other walks
of life, there would be more work and more
money for all. Granted, many MIN stars Squan-
der their money in foolish ways. Dut tney are
benefiting some one else every time they speno
q dollar, just the same.
AS matter of fact the average film star
earning 81, 900 a week, or $lO4 900 year, mas
less at the end of IL months than the buSi-
ness man who earns $4,000 a year. And
there are a great many more stars earning In
the neighborhood of 81 900 weekly than there
are in the 5000 or $500 class.
Hollywood salaries have been greatly over
rated, a perfect example Of that being the
much publicized $4,000 per week paid to Con-
stance Bennett. True, Connie did get $780,
600 per week-but for a special contract for
two pictures which were made in 10 weeks.
Her steady salary at the time was $500 per
week.
OF course some stars have and still are
earning far in excess of $1,000 weekly. But
it wouldn't take much Of q mathematician to
count them.
Tor that reason an average weekly salary Of
$1,000 Is being taken for the purposes OF
this story to show just what happens to q film
stars dollar The figures listed will be the
average expenditures Of . large group OF stars
Naturally some will spend more on some items
than others. an example being the $4,000 an
nualiy expended by some women for clothes
alone. Needless to say, there are not many
in this class the average being about half that
sum.
However, they all spend and spend and
spcnd-some of them far beyond their means
as is evidenced by the number Of bankruptcy
petitions filed during 1888. These bankruptcies
aggregated approximately 5000, 900 in liabiii-
ties with less than half of that amount shown
in assets.
During the year some Of the biggest names
in filmdom we're placed on the bankrupt lists
One might wonder just how the Aim celebrities
are able to acquire such tremendous debts. Why
do merchants and others continue to charge
it," But there seems to be no answer. APP
parently all that Is necessary in order to get
unlimited credit in Hollywood is to have the
reputation of earning large salary.
Just where does the screen stars dollar go?
To begin with, a star earning $4,000 9 week
pays 10 per cent of that or $1,000 a year. to
his or her agent. Next the Government steps
in and claims approximately $4,000 for in
come tax That shoots $40,4 400 before the star
has a chance to do any spending on his own
account
And then come those living expenses, which
are plenty high. Possibly they're too high, but
the stars contend that TO enjoy continued sue
cess on the silver screen they must live on
high scale. According to their claim the gen.
eral public. well Hollywood, expects this
luxurious living.
What would the public think if Norma
Shesrer for example, lived in an ordinary six
room house, drove a cheap car and appeared
in cheap clothes? That never would do. The
public has come to expect its film idols to enjoy
every luxury and the stars would lose large
portion of their box Office value If they did
not do so.
- sidered. The film colony has become so
accustomed to seeing its more celebrated stars
live on high scale that 1t practically refuses