More specifically, it’s from Our Dumb Century, page 47, from December 6, 1933. Other headlines include “18th Amendment Repealed: Could Alcohol Cure Nation’s Depression” and “Stalin Announces Five-Year ‘Everybody Dies’ Plan.” The headline I’m wondering about is a blurb in the lower left corner–"Hollywood Careers Destroyed Today: Bow, Clara, Brooks, Louise, Fitzgerald, F. Scott, Gilbert, John, Haines, William, Keaton, Buster (Continued on page 10, column 1). I recognize most of those names, but I don’t get it.
McCarthy UnAmerican hearings??? Maybe, idunno
Talking films, maybe? Silent era stars who couldn’t survive with talkies?
Were they all gay?
I DO know that Clara Bow’s (I actually typed Kate Winslet…lol) career was ruined by “talkies” because everyone saw her as this petite little brunette-she actually had a very thick, heavy Brooklyn accent, spoiling the effect.
I don’t think there’s any single joke to it.
It’s just funny.
Studi
Now that it’s pointed out to me, I get the end of the silent era joke, and I think I get the William Haines one–he was gay, right?
I guess what I really don’t get is the F. Scott Fitzgerald–his career as a Hollywood screenwriter, however pathetic and demeaning, took off in the 1930s.
The person to ask about this is Eve. If anyone would know, it would be Eve.
Only thing I could find that seemed even remotely related is that was the day Ulysses was found not to be obscene.
Whew! here just in time. Yes, inded, they were all silent stars whose careers ended with the talkies, but most of them had nothing to do with “bad voices.”
Bow, Clara—private scandals and the fact that she was an instinctive actress who hated “sticking to a script” ended her career. Her Brooklyn voice was no worse than those of Mae West or Barbara Stanwyck.
Brooks, Louise—Ruined her own career by walking out on her Paramount contract. She was notoriously unstable and uncooperative.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott—This makes no sense at all; he never did scenarios for silent films.
Gilbert, John—Feuded with Louis B. mayer. he actually had a perfectly servicable voice, but was put into lousy vehicles.
Haines, William—Also put into lousy vehicles. He wasn’t outted as gay till 1938, by which time his acting career was long over anyway.
Keaton, Buster—Drinking problem, amnd the end of “silent comedy.”
Now, anyone for the Talmadge sisters? Pola Negri?
Could it be a reference to the end of Prohibition? Certainly Fitzgerald wasted no time in drinking himself into oblivion.