Evening star., 1941-08-20

among INDUSTRY leducTS SpOfAuiCdiy
for many years, but now with the
admitted arrival Of crisis in the
crusade for new faces" the stock
company scheme gives promise OF
taking definite form.
The present system Of selecting
newcomers for trial Is conceded to
be a grab-bag affair, with luck the
predominant factor.
Figures show that no more than
one candidate out Of rs signed to
contracts develops into a profitable
acting asset The remainder are
carried along for many months.
sometimes several years. at salaries
ranging from SIS to $500 q week,
only to be dropped quietly when
studios eventually conclude that
their chances are nil.
1t Is not uncommon for q young
ster to be kept on the pay roll two
and three years without getting a
chance in q single movie. These
come under the headings OF costly,
not noble, experiments.
The current hit-and-miss system
might have gone on forever II 1t
hadn't been for the arrival Of bit
ing bit Of Federal legislation known
as the consent decree. This took
a whack at the industry's time
worn sales pattern and forced a
radical change IN the whole system
OF distribution.
Nowadays, the exhibitor doesn't
have to buy movies in job lots, sight
unseen. Today he must be per-
mitted to see each picture before he
buys and it's agin' the law II any
company tries to sell him more than
five features in one parcel. That
puts the exhibitor in the drivers
seat. II his patrons don't like an
established personality whose pic
lures he has been forced to buy IN
the past. the exhibitor can pass that
stars offerings up.
Hence. many old line stars who
have been stars only In the fanciful
minds of Hollywood producers must
now fall by the wayside. At least
a dozen familiar names are slated
for career execution before January
/. 1t is the replacement problem
that now tortures Hollywood-and
80 the once mythical Hollywood
academy Of drama threatens to
take actual form.
It's not the fault Of the studios
that potentially fine box-ofnce
talent is driven away week after
week. Casting directors and talent
scouts aren't gifted with second
sight. The first sight may show
beautiful face. So they'll gamble
with their second sight that the gal
has latent talent, too.
The fault lies in Hollywood's lack
Of training grounds for young artists.
When the old theatrical stock COM
pany passed out of existence the
greatest of all training grounds for
fllm talent went by the boards.
In the ONCE of a casting director
the other day we saw five huge
files. They contained the names OF
hundreds of applicants for acting
jobs, with all the notes and data
pertaining thereto. Looking through
these at random we read. again and
again, the notations: mo acting
ability" Little acting ability"
Doubtful acting ability, but
might improve with training"
Concrete plans for the movie
farm" az advanced by Taylor Man.
ming, veteran industry worker in
charge of the drive, call for the
leasing of q theater in central
Hollywood and the establishment Of
stock company presenting shows
on a regular theatrical basis at
popular prices.
The best stage directors In Amer
lea would be borrowed at intervals to
train the players and present a
wide variety Of plays.
For each presentation the academy