Queer People

Queer People, by Authors Carroll & Garrett Graham, is a novel which satirizes Hollywood in almost libelous terms. Its horrid characters are drawn so plainly from life that they set Hollywood's hair on end. The hero is a drunken and unscrupulous libertine who, while performing ably as "professor"' in a sporting house, receives a splendid tip from a producer whose identity Hollywood sophisticates claim to know. The heroines of Queer People are insistently immoral and the scene of their depravities seems to combine the worst features of Sodom and Gomorrah. The uproar of Hollywood's bigwigs at the book's publication was trifling compared to the one which greeted the subsequent announcement, by 26-year-old Producer Howard Hughes (Hell's

Angels, The Front Page), that he had bought screen rights to the book for $15,000 and intended to produce it immediately -- with the original cast, if they would consent to appear. Producer Hughes hired Leo McCarey to direct the picture, Ben Hecht to work on the dialog. When he came to the problem of selecting a cast, however, Hollywood's indignation interfered with his plans. Only three cinemactors are under exclusive con tract to Producer Hughes -- Billie Dove (sometimes reported engaged to him) ; Pat O'Brien (Front Page) ; Jean Harlow (Hell's Angels). Forced to hire actors from other producers, Producer Hughes found that other producers were reluctant to let him have actors for any picture, that they flatly refused to help him cast Queer People. Independent cinemactors were afraid to appear in the picture. Further, it became clear that if Producer Hughes did find a cast, he would have only the theatres which he controls and the comparatively unremunerative independent theatres in which to show Queer People. The large chains, controlled by the important producers, would have none of it. Last week came a disgruntled announcement from Producer Hughes: "In spite of the fact that we have invested more than $100,000 in the story and preparation of Queer People, its production must be indefinitely suspended because we cannot obtain a satisfactory cast. ... It is not a question of salary as we can afford to pay adequately for players required. . . ."

Producer Hughes was considered one of the queerest persons in Hollywood when he spent $4,000,000 'On Hell's Angels. He was considered somewhat less queer when the picture's profits showed signs of reaching $2,000,000. His personal income, estimated at $4,000 to $5,000 a day, inherited from his father who invented an oil drill, was further augmented by the takings of The Front Page. Observers familiar with the Hughes determination wondered whether he had really decided to abandon Queer People, wondered why he did not hire a cast of legitimate actors who would have nothing to fear from Hollywood's bigwigs.

Universal has bought picture rights to a less savage Hollywood satire, Once in a Lifetime by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

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