1959-03-28 — Page 13

IN

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1959, --

THE MIGHTY MOGUL THAT

'OWNS' FILMDOM'S TOP TALENT

AGAIN

INSIDE SHOW BUSINESS

MAKES PUBLIC THE

Caetente Oliwet

UNSUSPECTED INFLUENCE

Alired H14 ati

Pater Ustinay

BEHIND THE

NAMES YOU FOLLOW

BY JOHN LAMBERT

an expensively elegant suite of London offices a careful check is being kept on the Hollywood activities of three of Britain's top stars:, Sir Laurence Olivier, Peter Ustinov, and Charles Laughton,

The three laitlats on the door of these Piccadilly offer M.C.A.--sland for the biggest Brm of "Ten Percenters" In show business-the Music Corpuration of America, the star-spangled octopus with the strongest grm an the top talent.

Among the stars who pay 19

per cent of their salaries to сте Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Sir Alec Guinness, Ingrid Bergman, Joa Craw- ford,

Leille Rex Harrison, Caron, and Virginia McKenna.

THE GRIP OF · M.C.A....

MICHAEL RAND

SHOWS IMPRESSIVE RELECTION OF THE

STARS CONTROLLED

BY THE OCTOPUE

U.S. Government Akures showed recently that from sucia names M.C.A. collects are making in Hollywood now. €1,500,000 1 year in agents' Berides the 10 per cent from fees.

the calories of this trio, the stopu will get a much fatter feed.

But the real power of M.C.A. can be judged by the film that Olivier, Ustinov, and Laughton

JACOBY on BRIDGE

DONALD Parson's, "Fall of

Cards" is the bridge book to appear.

latest

It analyzes 100 bridge hands. They are all old friends that have appeared in the some or very similar form in this column and other bridge writings over the years but they are treated with a sprightly freshness many illustrato points of play that are apt to be overlooked.

niid

He stresses safety plays to make your contract. Thus in one hand South is declarer at three no-trump after a spade overcall by West, a double by North and @diamond rescue by East,

South wins the third diamondt lead and tes that he con afford to lose a trick to the king

Universal Studios, where the £1,000,000 eple "Spartacus" is being made, were recently bought by M.C.A. for £3,750,000, So the company will collect rental fees fun,

I can be judged by the success of a Klant Alm like "The Big Country," which is 310W touring Britain to tre mendous business,

M.C.A. not only collects 10 per cent from larg Gregory Peek, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker and Charles Bickford.

Maren Montpe

• Montgomery Calt

John Gretzud

MCA

Lesise Caron

Hinom Hulden

William Walet

Alec Guinness

Bay Bygraves

Rea Harrison

Moirs Shearet

Clark Gable

Bar Scheil

It also collects the same pay-olt from the Bim's farned director,

William Wyler.

It can be judged by anyone Wagon Train." who watches TV serials ke,

Virginia McKenna

Marlon Brando

Charlton Heston

Carruil Baker

precise man who looks more like an art collector then an netor's agent.

Gregory Peck

A top casting director siad: "I reckon, that at least 10 per cent of the budget cost of a

Bim major

goes to M.C.A.

These agents could ently be mistaken for Lloyd's under- writers in dress and personality.

clients. Even the elegant furnishings

He does not care to have even his shadow photographed. Yot Last year, one respite hin mild, diplomatie in the executive suites Dru of M.C.A.'s associated com- manner he has the reputation panies invested £11,500,000 on malding such films.

of the shrewlist, and toughest, minds in the business,

And it can be judged by the fact that these assets are only the top, visible layers of a vast network of M.C.A. business Interests. In one year the com- pany collects £10,000,000 from its enterprises.

Dr Jules Bteln, the founder of the company, is 口 short,

ay one

The antiques

business assels. They дел! valuable antique pieces, which not only impress the clients but increase in money values as time goes by.

"I avoid the company when possible for the simple, economic reason that its control over so mony stars gives it overwhelm- ing power in bargaining."

I can

But a top star sald: "Eam with M.C.A. because an acting aro an asset

Most other ten percenters in career must be a business like London fear or distrust the any other, and few clars have His methods are followed In M.C.A. octopus. One top egent any real business sente, every offer he controls. In told me "We find ourselves leave the arguing to others, and London, a staff of 14 agents buliding up young actors only rii get top roles ni top prices," handle the carvers of stars like to face the threat of M.C.A. Bir Alec Guiones. Virginia Juring them away when they McKenna, and Rex Harrison. become stars."

Mr. Lom lifts the

LIMELIGHT, by Thomas

Wiseman

of spades If West holds i bAN eminent American

WEST

87642 832

• Q93

NORTH AAQES

KS +54

#87432

БЛЯТ AK

"BOUTH"

J108

AQ74

482

AKO

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16

KJ 107 0

North and South vulnerable

South West North Kast

14 Double 2

1

2 N.T. Pass

JN.T.

Pass Poss

Opening leadė 3

PASS

head-shrinker (the

local term for a pay- chiatrist) reported re-

veils (off Hollywood...

treated by psychiatrists are

cently, somewhat ten- the people who are being "Whenever people get dentiously one Can terribly normal people who not help feeling, that want to be made less normal." threequarters of Holly-

ALL MINK

Mr Lom conceded that thera

in the world à difl who drove

wood actors were mad. Or about to go mad. were, of course, certain local Perturbed by a mental carte che customs which might strike on picture of starlets run- movie practices, as symptoms of

derangement. ning around in body- hugging straitjackets Furlance, where loo and movie idols residing around In a car completely in mink-padded cells, I covered in white minus, except thought I ought to check sidered in need up on the Hollywood of protection, 1959, the incredible shrinking mirage. ... mement this is considered

for the wheels; might be con-

оf сате and

there is such a starlet al

the

together," he sild, "They talk about their salaries, their friends salaries, their wives' afimonies, their percentages and their gross.

"It is no longer considered a disgrace for an actor to appear

per port or die talking. in a dreadful flim—not if he has

People will say: He may be a lousy actor, but he's a damn: smart business man'.

After saying all this, does Mr Lum wish to return to Holly- wood?

"Oh, yes," he said, "I hope to, go there regularly. After all they paid me 300,000 for mak inst one. Dim.

BY THE WAY

by Beachcomber

Prodnose: Obviously a mis-, But in Hollywood-where THE perpetual smile of ballet

dancers provoked a lover of print for truncheons. ballet to ask, in a correspondenpelyself: Don't be silly. Angry column, why ballerinas always demonstrators don't eat run-

cheons.

shrewd self-promoton.

wear a set smile.

The idea is to suggest that, Misunderstood •

roughly they ore

however

Herbert Lom han just relummod cannot let East get the lead for from there after playing Herod -Again, if in London any out- those two good diamonds. WestAntipas in a $5,000,000 produc- of-work wriler made à pile of ought to hold the king of spades tion of The Big Fisherman, a for his overcall but who cares. Biblical cplc.

his books in Plocadilly Cirous hurled about the stage, they are A BOY who set fire to his and publicly burned them he enjoying themselves. This uncle, stole his father's savings, parents garage, stabbed his South plays dummy's ace of

Mr Lom is, of course, the man man who did just that in Holly wore a spades, drops East'a singleton

-might be quietly led away; the sion would be destroyed 30 they

smashed all the windows, and king and makes five no-trump w psycho-analysed Ann Todd wood Boulevard and hiscit cursed under their breath. I perpetual frown, and

destroyed the furniture with un In The Seventh Veil and started front-page story the next day remember an occasion

axe, after shooting the cat, the fad for screen psychiatrists and was offered several

when probably come from "an un- with foreign

Sonia Tumbefova ricocheted off satisfactory home." socenis, popping

tracts.

hump of scenery and fell into

London Express Service). the orchestra pit.” The audience theheld fts breath in an agony of that anxiety, but up the popped,

How does ho make dve no- trump? A sample squeeze .against East does the trick. On the fourth spade lead `East has to unguard either the queen of clubs or the jack of hearts.

♥÷CARD Sensek♦

The bidding has been: North

East

West South Pass 2NT. Pass Paxi

Рата

མ་

Fax

Pass

You, South, hold;

eyes and hypnotic voices.

What about the seven veils It might also strike of Hollywood, I asked him, and uninitiated as rather odd once they had all been die

con

millionaire stars should glaughing loudly and merrily, to corded, what was the horrible und keprowing dimes from spin round in terrifle pas de 1ruth?

the clapper boy, telephone calls.

about

to make calls.

Captious critic

•!

"The horrible truth Hollywod said Mr Lom, i

“But thip explained Mr It was her first visit to a theatre. that it doesn't have more than om," because when you have

(Now Item) a couple of voils. And they are sally rivet af is not the dono REPORTER who once pretty transparent.

thing to carry money with you. | A asked a nian whether he It clutters up your pockets '80, had enjoyed his first visit to a “You can sco ali you want to and anyway stay đẹ not sup- | play received the disconcerting see within a maple of weeks, posed to need money.

reply: "First, it simply, wasn't and there isn't all that much to "It ja -ruther mulgar and fires | true. None of it. Secondly, seme to pull out a wallet and there was no reason for it at pay for something." A xlie Just | all. Thirdly, it was nothing larly mich, unless you consider have a damp in your pocket is a A kindly gesture

fe everything. Not to whatever to do with me,”

SKIN WIGS SA, 19 SİDE 1987.

What do you dot

AB four nostrosen. This dantel be read an Blackwood but migula le the chosporă bid you calm madre. Your two moviramp was 'a issinfonia to sfazë WIEKU

SENI TORATE QUESTION

-Your partner bldg trò gond kvak your four, no-feuung, What, do you do, down?

Aufmer on Monday

"I didn't find anyone particu- size.

an obsessional interest in money sign that you're really right."'"..

a sign of treurity. Even in the

colloqulat, senise Hollywoodi isn't

as mad as one was told it used

to be.

MONEY TALK

1:46 A 130 cur polics too kind-

A hearted?" saks an oh-

saver of the social scane, One IL was this as of Holly. Yould úfnie so, from: A TOCMAI wood that Mr. Irma din fakt report which, pildy The police POL_Cum, Everyone tally triglibining, tile kutjey rea

Idrow their o funchan and about "When I was ki apałynfy Trotn

| @Avanced on the Pena to Evidently with intent

[4ão grub with the det

the way google might say "When Ing thi piticillatarika

Ta do Vanico; but kádak

TARGET

How

many words of Your letters or more can YOU MAX. from th letters in the SQUATE 0 the right? In making eset Word, LES letters t

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kimall squares may be mand onçu only, Kach word must contain the large latter in the centru mecare and there must be at Jest one mind-letter word in the list. Ne plania: uo fortigu words 1 DO USTADEN names. ZUQAY'A TARGET: #words Good / 41 perik, gery woods worda prepliant. Dotatiou

THUMIDATE FOLUTION: Album [Aime:alnog Krung, hald; Mayıs kronini tone foam lumber. Sanor FRAUEN MANl vara (molar; mezaj

That opinion, no matter what the pros and cons, is shared by a lot of the top talent. It is the strength that keeps the star- spangled octopus, stretching.

-(London' Expresă Savilca).

- Page 18

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