Evening star., 1938-10-09

Of some sort will be created to stuCy
the plight of the 8,400 extras who de-
pend upon the industry for a liveli-
hood. At a meeting called to initiate
some solution Campbell Mccullough
head of Central Casting. the extra
clearing house, revealed that the av-
erage annual pay of the atmosphere
players is 5000.
Even in California this is a low wage
ard is provocative of many evils
Under the proposals which are now
being considered by industry leaders,
the list of extras is to be slashed to
approximately $500 and each one will
be placed under contract to Central
Casting at a monthly salary OF from
$50 to SIS. This will serve as a guar
antee and will allow the extras to eat,
and with the total list radically re-
duced, it is probable that each of the
atmosphere people will earn from sl25
to 5000 month.
In shaping the program the Pro-
ducers' Association and the Screen
Actors Guild will seek the active par
ticipation of the California Welfare
Commission, the State Labor Board
and Nine. Perkins, Secretary of Labor
While the proposed restricted list ap-
parently will work hardship on sew
eral thousand by forcing them from
such a glamorous business. they GER
tainly will be no worse off for being
compelled to find other occupations. 1t
was hoped that the great number
would be reduced when all extras were
| forced to join the Screen Actors Guild
but the supernumeraries preferred to
pay their dues and accept the sketchy
existence offered by the studios than
to go to work elsewhere. Under the
plan in mind, occasional workers, rel
atives and housewives, who want to
pick up a little extra money, will be
ruled out.
With scenes that suggested the hey
day of Helen Holmes, Pearl White and
| Lottie Pickford, two former ladies of
the drawing room, Joan Crawford and
Margaret SULLIVAN. this week brought
| action to the screen in rarin', tearin'
fire sequence in Metros "The Shining
Hour" Miss SULLIVAN rushed into a
blazing building, where a flaming floor
fell on her, and Miss Crawford, in a
manner that did the memory of Ruth
Roland proud, followed and dragged
her from certain death. If the trend
initiated in this keeps up, we may yet
see the ladies in THE Gal Sheriff OF
Red Gulch.'
The scene gives evidence of being as
exciting fare as has come from M-G-M
this season. Making slight conces-
sion to truth, it must be admitted that
the Misses SULLIVAN and Crawford had
doubles for some of the hair-rasing
action, but they did appear in the less
dangerous of the shots The signifi-
cant thing is that either consented to
appear in such an elementary picture.
Maybe the sophisticates of Hollywood
are getting wise to themselves. More
likely, we are just an optimist.
The interior of the burning house
was recreated on sound stage. Miss
Sullavan rushed into an inferno that
was accomplished by pans of burning
naphthalene, from which emerged jets
from which belched flames fed by
compressed gas, and which created the
appearance of extreme danger. Miss
Sullivan had to make this entrance
three times because on her first two the
man on the catwalk at the top of the
stage missed her when he dropped the
smoking balsa wood. The third time
Hal Saucer, an expert in such things,
was sent up and he scored bulls-eye.
The rescue scene was filmed but once,
for Miss Crawford was able to rush in