Evening star., 1938-04-17

- VERY actor in Hollywood has
l. suddenly become aware of an
apparently systematic and
- concerted campaign on the
part of producers to beat down the
high wage scale.
Favorites Of long standing. as we'll
as newcomers, are feeling the pinch
Hundreds of options on promising
contract youngsters have been per-
mitted to expire in the past few
months. Stars and featured players
are being firmly requested to overlook
increases mentioned in their stop-go
contracts. Most have done so; those
who didn't are sorry. because lining up
new connection-unless you're in
the heavy draw class-is a difficult Job
today.
The new drive on top-heavy pay rolls
IS causing actors to think more Sc
riously of future welfare than ever be-
fore. But survey has revealed that
few have anything to worry about.
If all today's headliners should re-
ceive notice in tomorrow's mail that
the movie jig was up and that six
months hence they would be out of
pictures, officially and finally, the
gloom would be thick enough to. dish
out with spoon-but, as for finan-
cial apprehension. there would be very
little. Most Of today's celluloid pets
have accumulated substantial back
logs Of savings, insurance and annui-
ties, Government and other bonds.
Most stars have only remote ideas
of their financial condition of the mo-
ment. They leave all those Grass mat
ters to members of new profession
that has sprung up out here in recent
years-the business manager These
money spending (and saving, experts
collect salaries. hire servants, pay bills,
set personal allowances and handle all
other money details From these
consewators it is possible to obtain
fairly accurate idea of the stars
Worth-and their prospects of keeping
OFF the bread line should fat contracts
suddenly be torn up
HE easiest time. of all active stars
would be enjoyed by Norma
Shearer. who owns three millions in
Locw,s (M-G-M stock and a lot of
other solidly invested money-the
legacy of her late husband, Irving G.
Ihalberg, Carole Lombard would be-
gin leaning on the S-5O.0OO cash and
liquid securities she has rolled up
RAPIDLY within the last few wears.
Gary Cooper could scare of the wolf
with quick cash roundup Of close
to million. Associates of the secretive
Kay Francis believe this stately
brunette. who plans to retire before
her wedding in the fall. must have
saved at least half a million in her
seven years Of movie work.
Bette Davis is not so we'll off as she
might have been had she not essayed
long legal battle with Warner Bros.
two years ago-one which, according
to her own statement, left her broke. "
But with a fresh start and fortunate
investments. she could count on an in
come of at least couple of hundred
dollars each month. Dick Powell is a
careful spender and wise saver and
he has taught his wife. Joan Blondell,
lot of those tricks Together, they
would be worth approximately $780,
600 six months from now-and could
live quite comfortably from invest
ment incomes,
Clark Gable has been investing a
definite portion of his savings in an
nuities for the last six years. Il have
SIS week coming in for the rest of
my life-no matter what happens,
Gable told this writer proudly the
other day. I've often lived on an
awful lot less than that"
Copyright. 1898. BY the North American
Nsvsoaper Alliance, 1nc.)