Holdouts

"One hundred thousand dollars? Is that all? I think they are trying to humiliate me. . . ."

Peppery little Director Josef von Sternberg, who has repeatedly denied starting life as Joe Stern in Brooklyn, achieved his first cinema success when he made Black Oxen. Two years ago he discovered Marlene Dietrich whose pictures he has since directed for Paramount. Last week Director von Sternberg and Actress Dietrich were involved in a lively controversy with their employers. Director von Sternberg had written a story called Blonde Venus, sold it to Paramount for $12,000, prepared to direct Marlene Dietrich in it. Production Chief Ben Schulberg had the story revised. Director von Sternberg refused to direct the revised version, took a train for Manhattan. Marlene Dietrich refused to work under Director Richard Wallace, appointed to replace Director von Sternberg. Paramount threatened to sue both, named $100.000 as the amount of their claim against Director von Sternberg.

Director von Sternberg and Actress Dietrich were not Hollywood's only recalcitrant artisans last week. James Cagney, star of Taxi, Smart Money, The Crowd Roars, refused to go from Manhattan to Hollywood unless Warner Brothers increased his weekly salary from $1,600 to $4,000. He was notified that he had been removed from the payroll, replaced for the lead in Blessed Event by Lee Tracy. Actor Cagney, who last summer got his pay increased from $450 to $1,600 a week, said that if his demand was ignored he would retire from cinema, study medicine at Columbia.

Five years ago, Greta Garbo thought her weekly wage ($250) was too low. Said she: "I guess I go home [to Sweden]." She got a five-year contract, an increased salary ($6.500 per week). Since then she is reputed to have saved $1,000,000. Last week, Greta Garbo again said she was going home to retire, when her present contract expires, June 1.

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