Evening star., 1939-05-21
Donald Crisp
AnOld>Tiner
Who Is BUSY
After 80 Years He
Still Is Very Much
In Demand
By Harold Hefernan.
HOLLYWOOD.

One of the busiest and best-paid
actors in Hollywood is a man who
dates continuous screen service back
to the Pickering days Of Biograph-.
and that's long time back, even in
this so-called infant industry.
He's incomparably the most prom
lnent OF the few remaining old-timers,
left on studio contract lists After
80 years of acting and directing he's
still important enough to warrant
an outlay of S2,500 a week for his
services. He plays top character
roles in nearly all "A" pictures pro-
duced by one major studio. In 18
months he has had exactly two days
off.
Introducing, in the Warner Bros.
corner, that champion of all acting
old timers, that indefatigable char
acter elineator-Donald Crisp.
Having been around this business
long time and being an intelligent,
observant individual. Crisp probably
knows more about the inside of the
motion picture industry than any
other actor on the screen.
There was time, however. when
he felt that his $50 a week as the
| director of two features. every seven
days was the probable peak of his
earning capacities Today he makes
more than 25 times that amount
| and If, at this late day. the movies
should ever let him down. his name
probably would not grace the rolls
of the motion picture relief fund.
That's because Mr.. Crisp has a
playing hobby In addition to
his high rating as an actor, he is one
Of the most influential men in the
business life of HOLLYWOOD. An ad-
wiser on film loans for one of Cali
fornia's largest banks. he helps ma
terlally to provide many studios with
| their working capital. He is popu-
larly supposed to be one of the
Wealthlest men in pictures.
"One of my first jobs in Hollywood
was to direct Blanche Sweet. Mae
March and Bobby Harron in The
Escape" the veteran recalled. "At
first I received $40 a week. which
was mighty good pay at the time.
For this amount I was expected to
| turn out two features each week
and did so for many months.
In those days, a directors word
was law. 1t isn't any more Today
| there Is too much temperament
among players. The average direc-
tor nowadays must be a pacifer, a
diplomat and an appeaser He is
called on to do almost everything
except direct. The players do much
as they please. in my opinion"
Crisp directed many battle scenes
for The Birth of 2 Nation which
were fought over the terrain that
is now part of the Warner Studio,
where he is under contract. At the
time, Crisp was one of the highest-
paid movie moguls. He got $50 each
week. And lived luxuriously, he re-
members. in s14-a-month room.
Thirty years ago. when an actor
was in pictures it meant a lot
more than it does today" said Crisp.
I'm those days. the term meant that
one must be able to play any part,
do the work of actor, director or
cameraman, paint scenery, find
wardrobe and chase ill-tempered
dogs away from the locationl'
That wasn't always easy" Crisp
added, Because sometimes the dogs
had more right to be there than we
had"
Scripts were meager and allowed
both actor and director plenty of
liberty to interpret a scene accord
ing to their own lights Instructions
would read, She comes out of the
door and She is angry
I'VE would find the door-almost
any door would do so long as there
wasn't ferocious dog in front Of
it, explained Crisp And our lead
ing lady would slip inside. The
camera would be grinding and she
would come stomping out. We had
practically no repressed acting then.
All gestures were broadly generous
and of the kind which left the
audience in no doubt as to their
meaning.
Studio equipment was slim. in
deed. A frock coat indicated the
man in it was Judge or at least
a public official. A badge made one
policeman. A silk hat indicated
wealthy villainy and a gingham
dress was badge 0 purity These
were fundamentals. and they we're
accepted as such by early fans"
Crisp believes the peak of his
financial manipulate in 80 years
OF movie making was reached four
years ago. when he was paid a
small fortune for five months of
leisurely fishing in Southern waters.
The story, he thinks, can be safely
told now
Crisp was member of the "Mu-
tiny on the Bounty" cast, and, be-
cause he's sea-faring man at heart,
he enjoyed the work. He was sur
prised and disgruntled, however.
when the unit manager informed
him late one Saturday afternoon
that he was CLOSED out as of that
date and would be sent back to the
mainland from the Catalina Isthmus
headquarters of the company on the
film boat that same night.
I have some more scenes to
make, according to the script" he
protested. What about them?"
They are out of the picture" he
was told
What about retakes?"
"There1l be no retakes," the COM
pany manager said. You're closed
out as of tonight"
Crisp rode the film boat to the
mainland, arriving at midnight, and
called the skipper of his yacht, the
zahma, from there He told him to
be ready to sail at daylight. Then
he called his wife and explained the
situation.
IF any one calls for me-" he in
structed her. 'just say I've sailed
and you don't know where can be
reached"
Crisp sailed straight out into the
Pacific until he caught a favorable
wind and then headed toward Pam