The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-15
II OLLYWO Cd
BY Paul Harrison

BY Paul
Hollywood Wednesday Is payday
at most of the Hollywood studios,
and that's the time when more than
100000 Is apportioned to the
people who help make movies.
Representatives from cashiers
offices scurry all over the lots carry
ing satchels full Of checks for the
vast army Of middle-class workers
-technicians, featured and charac-
ter players, chorus girls, and the like.
Extras are paid by the day. Stars
checks usually are collected by their
agents.
These agents race around to the
different studios calling for the
stipends of their various clients.
BY noon they have sheaf Of checks
representing a tidy fortune. These
are taken to a bank and 80 per cent
OF the amounts deposited to the ac-
counts Of the players. Ten per cent
goes to the agents themselves. It's
a very nice business.
Such stars as Clark Gable, Rob-
ert Taylor, Gary Cooper, Claudette
Colbert, George Raft, Fred Astaire,
and Eleanor Powell never see their
stldio cashier from one years end
to the next. Over at Paramount,
man named w. T. Wookey says that
being a cashier Is pretty lonely
Nfe. Only time he glimpses his
favorite celebrities is when he goes
to the movies.
With the Mob
And at RKO, a Mr.. Harry Peale
admits that he seldom sets eyes
on O player from the time the actor
riseS from the extra ranks until, the
cycle completed, the actor comes
back to them. Peale remembers
handing over $3.50 apiece to Joan
Crawford and Gable and doubts that
he ever will do that again. But there
have been many others, stars Of
bygone era, who have come down
step by step to rejoin the mob.
w. K. Craig, who Is auditor at
M-G-M, sees few Of the big money
players each week. incidentally.
this studio, with weekly payroll
of about 100000, distributes Its
checks on Friday. Franchot Tone
always drops In and picks up Joan
Crawford's check along with his
own. Jean Hersholt either comes to
the office or sends his son. Nelson
Eddy lines up with the rest of the
hired help.
The Marx Brothers troup in to-
gether and usually succeed In max
ing a scene. Recently they feigned
great indignation, claiming the
amounts were wrong, and nearly
gave Craig's Office heart failure by
tearing up what seemed to be their
checks. What they did (of course,
was palm the real checks and tear
UP blank ones.
Bing's Dad Collects
Norma Shearer, Greta Carlo,
Spencer Tracy, and Jeanette Mac
Donald are among the stars who al
ways receive their checks by mail
A few others allow their chauffeurs
to do the collecting.
Bing Crosby has his father call for
his money, which then Is turned
over to the Bing Crosby Corpora
ton. The corporation, in turn,
writes a check that is put into the
crooner's personal account.
Director Wesley Ruggles, for q
reason never exclaimed. insists on
two checks. each for one-half the
amount of hts nay.
Ted Healy, the comic, never has
made any arrangements for his
checks to be mailed or called for,
and they often accumulate for
weeks.
RKOs Mr.. Peale recalls that the
most negligent salary-collector was
Ann Harding. Almost for the dura-
ton Of a picture she said nothing |
about her money. then dropped in
one day and was astonished to find
the tidy sum of 100000 awaiting |
her.
DEFINITION
A stenographer, tipping q letter,
came across the words, literary
aspirant." Hazel" she asked.
whats a literary aspirant?"
Hazel said. 'It's one Of those tab
lets an author takes when he's got a |
headache"
hing Crosby was fred for In
competency when he tried being
. bottle-washer In q Spokane plc-
klc factory. /
Frances Langford says Palm |
Springs Is 30 ritzy this season that |
visitors put on riding habits TO
toss horseshoes.
Nike Hlzxler |
n vou,re co, Ah,R Ia talkiet0wn for |