Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-11
Out Of Retirement
HOLLYWOOD.

on the sound stage again fol-
lowing an absence of five
years. The canny Scotland
born Crisp, believed to have
amassed a vast fortune
through screen work dating
back to early Biograph days.
walked out on Hollywood be-
cause, in the midst Of their
frantic retrenchments. the ty-
coons tried their level best to
beat down his acting salary.
Donald admits he's q sensi-
tive gentleman where money
is concerned. In his COM
handing economic position, he
could well afford to sit on the
sidelines-and wait till they
came back to him. They did
exactly that, too. At 10th
Century-Fox a few months
ago after all the casting ex-
perts pointed to Crisp as the
one ideal personality for the
role of Robert Wagner's kingly
father in prince Valiant" a
hurried call was flashed for
the old fellow.
"Okay," said Donald. I'll
take the job, but you'll pay
me the old wage" The deal
was quickly signed. At the
moment, he is on a stage at
Columbia and again he's a
father, this time in behalf OF
Tyrone Power, star Of an
other big CinemaScoper, 1.-THE
Long Gray Line" Same old
salary there, too.
Game that big slump and
they started offering me less
money" said Donald as he bit
grimly into his SCARED pipe
stem. ST figured there were
plenty Of old-timers who
needed money more than I
did, so I just quit and trav-
eled for a while. The only ap-
pearances I made during my
holiday were 80 unpaid ones
on behalf of the Sister Kenny
Foundation.
Too Monv DoWnfolIS
The famed actor, who won
an Academy Award as best
supporting actor in How
Green Was My Valley" simply
didn't believe in giving way to
lower salaries.
"The only thing an actor
has to sell are his own Serv-
ices, his own experience and
talent. I've seen too many pro-
fesSional downfallS come as a
result Of lowered pay. A lot Of
people I know who once got
$4,000 q week, in q moment
of desperation took q $100-a-
day job.
"They figure the first time
they do it no one will know.
Next thing the 500 figure is
lowered. and they work two
or three days q month or a
year at that sum. Once you
establish . low salary, there's
no such thing in this bust
ness as getting Il back up. The
mistake the actor makes Is
not having . reserve Of saw
ings to tide him over.
THE smart people in the
movie or any other business
are those who save their
money, like Mary Pickford.
When she was making $1,000
q week, her mother, Bridget
Smith. had Mary and her
brother Jack and herself liv-
ing in q $30-a-month home
living on less than 500 a week
and saving the remaining
5000. Mrs. Smith was a very
astute, fine business woman"
Because Crisp himself has
always been a saving man, he
has never had to accept a
role he didn't want. He pio-
neered in every active phase
of movie business from the
time in 1905 when he first
landed in the United States
with $50 in his pocket.
He's No Scrouge
It is the dollar aspect Of his
career that led to his errone-
Gus reputation as a scrooge
and a mlser. His stand as a
hard man with a dollar or a
dime may be largely response
BILE for the expansion Of movies
as they are today. Crisp thus
helped to Legitimate film act
ing as a profession in the days
when a stage actor would as
soon be branded a dope peddler
as admit he worked in the
movies.
Among the many stage
greats whom Crisp started on
their screen careers is Lionel
Barrymore, who, between
stage jobs, approached Crisp
for a loan Of SIS. Crisp bluntly
suggested that Barrymore
wouldn't need a loan If he did
exactly what Crisp was doing
earn up to $3.50 a day emot-
ing for pictures. Barrymore
was Mortified but finally joined
up.
His reputation as the money
man of the movies sprang
from membership on the Adj
visory Board of the Bank Of
America. In 1912 Amado Peter
Giannini, head Of the bank.
confessed to Crisp that he
knew nothing Of movie-mak-
ing and asked the actor to sit
on the board for consideration
of movie loans.
II read every script first, and
would advise the lending Of
money only If the stories were
Oss''"'sssesssssssss
1ts Max RiIoo