The Washington times., 1935-11-23
Protests Over
! Rain-Soaked
reatment
BY ANDREW r. KELLEY

Hollywood, has taken up the
cudgelS in behalf of the long
suffering and poorly-paid extras
Of the studio.
Their guild magazine grows
higly indignant over the treat
ment accorded a group of 40
girls who braved pneumonia and
all the ailments incident to ex-
poSure in order to lend reality
to a studio rain storm. AS the
guild recites it:
Forty women received the call
to report at $50 p. m. october
80. to the set. The call from
Central Casting Corporation had
specified Eight rain" The cos
tunes were furnished by the
studio with only two costumes
for each extra. The set worked
IL hours until $50 a. M, and
each woman received a check
and-a-half-$11.25. Lunch was
not called until IL midnight
six-and- nd-one-half hours after the
extras reported to the set.
"A few minutes after 10 p. m,
the women were ordered into the
rain for the first time. The set
was equipped with overhead sprinE.
lers, three fire hoses, and three
wind machines. The latter created
such a terrific gale that a number
of women were forcibly knocked
down and bruised in each take.
One woman was knocked uncon-
scious, while another, who took the
full force of the stream Of water
from the hose ON her back, was
paralyzed from her hips down Tor
several hours. Four women were
temporarily blinded when the
water hit them full force in the
eyes.
Change the Law
"Within the first 80 minutes
both costumes which the studio
supplied we're soaking wet. The
dressing room tent was equipped
only with small heaters. Only two
wardrobe women were provided to
take care of approximately 20
women. No equipment was pro-
Vided for drying clothes, and as
the women took their clothes of,
the wet garments were thrown III
q pile, only to be issued again &c
some other person. Some of the
women changed into wet dresses
aS many as nine times.
Between scenes the studio issued
one blanket to each extra. BY
1890 p. m. this blanket was soak
ing wet and the studio failed to
provide additional dry blankets
for the balance Of the night. Face
towels to use for drying wet faces
and hair were missing until $3.50
a. M, at which time but small
supply was furnished. A number
of women did not receive a single
towel all night.
Without exception, each extra
testified that this was the most
terrible and horrible night Of her
entire experience in motion pic
lures. Several Of the women upon
whom this abuse was forced were
elderly while others were young
girls in frail health. All gritted
their teeth and stuck it out, though
more than half needed medical
attention Immediately after they
were dismissed. Several still are
confined to their beds, while
several others have weltS and
bruises on their bodies that will
take weeks to heal.
"And for all that they received
the sum Of $11.25!"
A Stupid Boss
The Guild is perturbed not so
much over the apparently inhu-
man treatment permitted by stu.
dio executives, but more over the
fact that couple Of "jokers" ir
the California laws pertaining TO
the employment of women, permit
such abuses without legal redress.
For that reason the Guild will di-
rect its campaign against changes
in the law which will make those
responsible for such crueltieS
Amenable in the courts.
Things like this help to strip |
Hollywood Of much of its glamour. |
Not however for the young hope.
fulS who yearn to land in magic |
city and begin movie career. |
They still feel that luck or fate
will treat them more kindly.
sometimes wonder why any
body ever wants to be a profes- |
sional actor, either on stage or
screen. For the road to the top |
in either profession is studded |
with the hardest kind of bumps.
On the way up there are all kinds |
of idle weeks and plenty of heart
break.
Young girls and boys Of i'm
pressionable age read about the |
stars and the Hollywood annointed
and see nothing but the faScinat-
ing features of such life. They
apparently never stop to reason
that those who are picked as in
teresting subjects are those who
have attained success. The hun
dreds upon hundreds who meet
disappointment and failure sell
dom get into the headlines or in
the feature stories.
Yet I wouldn't discourage those
who feel they have a genuine
talent and are willing to perSe-
we're. I mean by that those who
are ready to take the knocks when
they come. Not necessarily by
having the fire hose played on
them, but more because of sparse
employment opportunities.
I don't think, either, that the
above case of hardship for the
extras is typical, for the studio
where il occurred is nna of the hast |