Evening star., 1938-04-24
Film Moppets
Have Their
Worries
Many Look Ahead
To Trust Funds,
However.
.. Bv Sheilah Graham.
HOLLYWOOD.

JACKIE COOGAN'S stepfather
threw quite bomb into this vii
lage by his publicized statement
- that all the money earned by the
famous child-star before he was 81 be-
longs to his parents. Lawyers corrob-
Grated Stepfather Arthur L. Bernstein
"a moppet's entire earnings belong to
his or her parents or legal guardian
unless the adults voluntarily and le-
gally relinquish all or as much as they
want to of the child's earnings.
Perhaps this explains why so many
former infant favorites must work as
| extras and at other badly paid jobs
when they grow up.
Wesley Barry. remember him?-the
freckled-faced kid-earned $3.50 week
in his childish heyday. He is married
| now and earns his bread and butter
playing "bits"-very small "bits"-fo
RKO-Radio.
In Baby" -eggys lucky screen days.
she is said to have earned a total of
half million dollars. So did Baby"
Marie Osborne. Both young ladies
played minute "bits"-and were, glad
of tin Having Wonderful Time"
Before that Baby Marie was stand-in
to Ginger Rogers for two years.
Nine-year-old Sybil Jason didn't
have to wait till she was grown up to
feel the poverty pinch. OF course. she
did not earn very much by movie
standards last stipend was $500
a week. But she has not worked for
II months, and leaves this week with
her uncle and sister illegal guardians)
for an indefinite stay in her native
South Africa.
Old-time stars with little to show
for the years they spent inside studio
include Anita Louise, whose mother
invested her $3.50 weekly earnings in
property, plus good education: Jackie
Cooper, who does not have to work
today. I understand that his mother
invested Jackie's money in an an
nuity payable at 81. But the 16-year-
old Jackie dislikes idleness and is now
adding to his capital with a featured
role in White Banners" and occa-
sionally does personal appearances
for s2,5O0 weekly.
M1TZI GREEN is another who does
not have to work today, due to
the foresight of her parents, who in
vested her $1,000 weekly earnings
wisely and we'll
What OF today's starlets? The child
star Of today, like the adult star of
today, is in the business to make
and save-money. Apart from Fred
die Bartholomew, who has spent most
of his earnings settling the court
squabbles between parents and guard
ian, nearly all of today's screen mop
pets will be rich when they attain
their majority.
Sixty per cent of the $500 a week
earned jointly by the Mauch twins
was invested by their mother In an
nuities. The rest Is purchasing q
small home in the valley and will see
the boys through a Notre Dame Col
lege education.
Bonita Granville will have quite a
nest egg when she comes Of age She
and her widowed mother had strug-
| SAC Ao1 CAloVCA1SC SA4lUAl oO1l4Ud 6COl Gu
in These Three" Now Bonita earns
about $400 weekly and is under a con-
tract to Warmers that will see her
| through the gawky stage. As much as
can be spared from living expenses
in the small house in North Hollywood
is invested in annuities, payable in 10
years
Bobby Breen. the child star with a
five-point career-U motion pictures,
ca radio, 90 commercials. a. per-
sonal appearances, and (5) phono-
graph records-is allowed so cents a
week pocket money. Most of the rest
of his income is placed in trust for
him by his sister. who is paid 500 q
week to take care of him. Bobby sup
ports his father, who is a semi-in-
valid
DEANNA DURBIN and Shirley
Temple are the biggest under-age
money makers In the business. Deanna
has the edge in talent, with radio and
| (see GRAHAM, Page Fay