Film Children Earn Fortunes Youngaterl of .. Our Gang" comedy troupe enJoy an Ea.ter party. Left to right: ••Spanky" McFarland. Carl ••AUalfa" Swit.er. Darla Hood. and Billie ••Buckwheat" Thoma.. But Relatives Big Money for Little Stars • Topping the list of the juvenile stars of Hollywood is none other than 8-year-old Shirley Temple, whose income is a half mil- Row Over lion dollars a year. She's the pri:ed performer of Twentieth Cen- tury-Fox. In his suit for an accounting in October, 1936, Jack Hays, her former director, estimated the chiId's earnings iince 1932 .Money, had been one million from films and another million from royal- Mrs. Martha Holt with her two children. David and Betty. the firlt of ties. In 193<1·she was getting $1,000 a week and her mother was whom hal found a place in the filmL (ConuDued from page one.) getting an added $250 a week. "The studios are to blame," .agatnst another. It goes with- she says, ••only because they Reverberations of the battle Others in the big money are: out saying that the court bat- need children in pictures and over dollars still go on, as you tles' are the result of attempts pay the boys and girls large know it you have been reading VIRGINIA WEIDLER: Par- SYBIL JASON: Warner amount. Ten. Court approved Brothers. Nine years old. Court by one party or the other to salaries. The money attracts the recent Taylor murder Inves- gain control of the child's earn- parents with eligible children tigations. ' contract Oct, 4, 193+, $50 to approved contract May 23, ings and refiect a selfish disre- to Hollywood. The parents will Virginia Lee Corbin sued her $250 a week over ~ven-year 1937, $150 a week. period. gard of the child'strue interests. do anything to attract the at- mother for an accounting of the JANE WITHERS: Twe n- DEANNA DURBIN: Uni. tieth Century-Fox. Ten. Court Miss Birdina Anderson" who tention of casting directors to funds she earned as a minor has been the studIo school their otrspring, and it's the chilo and seems to have had little versal. Fourteen. Court ap- approved contract Dec. 18, 193+. Salary $1,000 a week. teacher at Samuel Goldwyn's dren who sut'fer."· but a fractious disposition and proved contract July 2, 1936, $150 to $1,250 a week over SPANKY (GEORGE R.) Mc- studio for a number of years, What Miss Anderson finds so nervous trouble to show for a seven-year period. has a low regard for child stars' pathetic is the failure of young film career as a child. Virginia FARLAND: tBaht. Contract JUDY GARLAND: M·G-M. approved March 18, 1937, was parents and guardians, bellev- people who were sensational Brown Faire is another; Peggy for only one year at $200 a ing that the majority of them child stars. She believes this is Montgomery, famous as Baby Fourteen. Court approved con- tract Oct. 15, 1936, $200 to week. A year before the court are interested only in exploit- due to the fact that they were Peggy, lives on a small income, approved a contract calling for Young Mickey Rooney. boy actor $1,000 over leven-year period. ing the children. Miss Ander- Withheld from normal develop- of the mo'Vie. recently leen in trying to beat her way back to $+00 to $1,000 over six-year MAUCH TWINS, ROBERT son's motive may be absolvmg merit by parents who wanted to Metro·Goldwyu..Mayer' a .. Captainl a place in the moviesun. From period. Apparently the first AND WILLIAM: War n e r the studios from blame for abo exploit them. CourClgeouL" contract had been dissolved. these and other cases one can Brothers. Thirteen. Court ap- normal development ()f child Some etrort is made by the CARL ••ALFALFA" SWIT- but conclude that the fruits of proved contract April 1, 1937, ZERI Bight. Court approved stars, but her experiencein such courts to protect children from to make the contract with the child stardom are often ex- $350 to $2,250 a week over matters carries weight. their parents. The studio has child's legal guardian. Whether tremely Illusory, vie wed in seven-year period. contract March 28, 193+, $50 terms of lifetime satisfaction. to $275 a week. BONITA GRAN'VILLE: DARLA HOODI Five. Court As for present advantages, Warner Brothers. Fourteen. the threat of kidnaping always approved contract 0 ct. 21, Court approved contract March 1935, $75 to $750 a week over is hanging over a child star 11, 1937, $300 to $2,500 a seven-year period. Bodyguards, iron bars on win- week over seven-year period. Baby PcitlY Doria May of •.Our BABY PATSY DORIS MAY: She is a Chicago girl. dows, restricted habits, heavy Three. Court approved contract Gang." Sh.'. in the cUltody of her costs to be paid out of the EDITH FELLOWS: Colum- Dec. 13; 1937, $30 to $200 a grandparentl. child's earnings, make life not bia. Thirteen. Court approved week over five-year period. so agreeable nor so natural as contract July 23, 1935, $150 to BOBBY BREEN: Eleven. grandmother of Edith 1"ellows, one would like it to be for a $1,000 a week over seven-year Singini star of Sol Leller Prin- 13-year-oldactress, won the cus- child. Shirley Temple and Jane period. cipal Productions. Nets $1,000 tody of the star from Mrs. Har- Withers have been the objects FREDDIE BARTHOLO- weekly from radio, pic t u r e riet G. Fellows, the girl's moth- of threatening notes, and many MEW: M. - G. - M. Thirteen. work, recordings, records, per- er. In the testimony the bitter- other child actors who have not No complete contract data aonal appearances, and commer- ness of the child against her publicizedthe matter have been avaiIable, but he was supposed cial tieupa. He is u n d era mother Wasbrought out. similarly terrorized. to be makina $1,500' a week in seven~year contract, with salary Patsy Doris May is another ••School days, school days, 1936 when hiI parents attempt- for film' work risinll with the ed to reaain his custody. yearly options. child star whose custody' by dear old golden rule days," are grandparents has bee n sus- not for the child movie star. tained by the courts. 'The fa- There is little chance for the is eight hours. Half of thts battle between Freddie Barthol· ther, James Dittemore, a steel free and easy democracy of the time must be spent in studies. omew's aunt, Miss Myllicent worker, contested the validity classroom,one of the important At best the whole set-up Mary Bartholomew, and Fred· of the custody; but the grand- foundations for future cltlzen- makes for an unnatural envl- die's mother, Mrs. Lillian May parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ross ship, in the life of a film star. ronment for the typical movie Bartholomew, in which the May, established that Dittemore A tutor or the studio classroom child. At worst his life becomes aunt retained custody of the had abandoned the baby after takes tl'e place of this. A pub- one round of lawsuits among boy, is well known; but there the death of the mother. lic school is out of the question bickering relatives,all trying have been others. Naturally such blckerlngs can for a child star; first, because to get control of some share of After a long-drawn-cutcourt result only in the child's hating Bonita GrCll1'VWeof Warner Brothers. equally lkilful Jackie Moran of Paramount. whOle work in ••Valiant he would attract too much at- his earnings. The case of the fight Mrs. Elizabeth Fellows, one, g r 0 u p of relatives as in ••mean brat" or .ympathetic roleL II the Word for Carrie" cla •• ed him a. an artist. tention to make normal routine possible; and second, because the guardian is an aunt, an his movie work takes so much uncle, or the child's real mother of his time that special school- Letters published in this department should be written on one side of the paper. or father, the guardianship has ing is the only thing practica- \Ioice of .I.e ~o"ie If you wish a personal reply please inclose a !tamped, self-addressed envelope. to be established in court. The ble. Aggressive playmates in, F.n court specifies that the guard", the ordinary school would cultl- Ian must make periodic account- Mae Tin~e: I saw a preview of II Par- Mae Tin~e: Thoughta after seeing gave all its flnest in acting, setting, and we are truly American; it is, in fact, our vate his friendship and toady nell" in this city, and I found only one "Romeo and Juliet": mechanisms to again bring to glorious life most American trait. ing of the child's earnings from fault, and that the most beautiful love story ever known. time to time. This tends to pro- to him because of his fame; and BASIL RATHBONE as Tybalt: As cold CARL A. JOSSECK was, why didn't other children, resenting this, and relentleas as the shining blade he PATRICIA SLOAN. Editor'a note: There you have said tect the child's interests. the director put would be unpleasant to him, unsheathed so readily. Ed4tor's note: Ha4Z1 Bomethingl e e e perhaps jealous or cruel. His a full black beard on Mr. Par- JOHN BARRYMORE as Mercutio: Jest. Child stars, or their guard- very importance destroys the ing at all, even death. possib1lity of forming natural nell? He wore Dear Miss T1n~: I learned long ago ians, also have to worry about a full black beard REGINALD DENNY as Benvolio: Full that "one's man's meat is another man's a factor that doesn't bother friendships.