Evening star., 1935-10-13
Illusions are H0lysv0od's tread andb butte>,
its sUo,k and its life. Here q noted
film author tells an amusing tale of bunk
and beauty at the capital Of moo1edom
bv DOROTHY SPEARE

room is milling with distracted chair warmers
impressed with the purple face and the raucous
cries of this unfortunate damsel The doorman
and several junior executives are bending over
the girl in vain attempt to bring her back to
lucidity. We gather around, the newspaper
lad suggesting that it may be epilepsy.
II know guy in New York who can fall
down an foam at will" he says, 80 people
hire him for practical jokes to do it at parties,
see - he makes good living out of it, simply
falling and foaming -"
But he is glared at with such horror that
he subsidies; and besides, the poor girls means
are drowning him out. We learn that she
collapsed in the street outside the Paramount
main entrance. Someone says she has been
coming to the waiting room every day for
months without ever getting past those doors.
Someone else says that her money has given
out and she is starving.
There is a distinguished addition to our
group as Josef Won Sternberg's La-Boheme
curls and Gay-Nineties moustachios swirl
themselves into the circle of sympathetic
faces. The moaning girl seems to be briefly
conscious of the presence of great director.
Her eyes fix on him and for moment lose
their vacant stare.
"Oh Mr. Won Sternberg" she cries. II
thought the American Tragedy was just
wonderful
Then she relapses into her shrieking and
muttering, which keeps us all rooted to the
spot, paralyzed with pity. An ambulance
arrives and one of the junior executives ex-
plains the case to the white-coated attendant.
HAS she shown any signs of rationa1ity1"
he asks.
"Yes" speaks up Mr. Won Sternberg. "she
recognized me. and spoke very intelligently
about one of my pictures"
There is a pause in which only a few
midget minds dare to laugh. The girl is carried
away.
We are all so shaken that we have to 60 and
have coffee in the studio restaurant. Half an
hour later a phone call from the hospital
devastates our dolor with the news that there
is absolutely nothing wrong with the poor
crazed thing beyond an acute attack of show
nanship. The aspirant to picture fame had
become weary of never getting past the
waiting groom doors; she had devised way to
make the mountain come to Mahomet and
watch while Mahomet demonstrated his
acting ability!
You would think that little rage at having
been duped would mingle with the laughter
that follows. But Mr.. Won Stemberg and
everyone 60 around positively beaming be-
cause someone was smart enough to fool them.
Moreover, the news is spread by the Office
grapevine that the girl will now get her
chance She put on good show. and Holly
wood will reward anyone who puts on good
show, even if it is at Hollywood's expense!
Hollywood. which lives by creating illusion,
demands illusion in return.
It is when learn that our heroine has been
told to report to the casting director for test
that I call the playwright sulking in his
Warner Brothers castle. "A girl can meet
boy like this" tell him. "She can pretend
to throw fit outside of wherever he is and
make him rush out and rescue her."
groan from my telephone-tortmer
That's too incredible! No boyd be taken in
by such an old gag"
When tell him that quite few boys over