Rules Old Hollywood Stars Had To Follow

Old Hollywood seems like the realm of fantasy with its glitz and glamor. For those A-list stars at the time, it seems like the world was their collective oyster, existing only for their own pleasure and fulfillment. Unfortunately, real life wasn't quite as lovely as the image that Hollywood maintained. Stars were required to hand over much of their autonomy to the studios that, in many ways, controlled their lives entirely. Relationships, weight gain, the projects that they acted in, and even their private personal lives were all heavily monitored. These are the rules Old Hollywood stars had to follow.

#Hollywood #Glamor #OldHollywood

Sign on the dotted line | 0:00
What’s in a name? | 1:12
A whole new you | 2:08
Out on loan | 3:14
The De Havilland Law | 4:26
Acting lessons | 5:12
Cultivated backstories | 6:19
Worked to death | 7:17
Contractual weight limits | 8:19
Arranged marriages | 9:16
A strict dress code | 10:09
Studio spies | 11:08

[apgx]

As a child watching old black and white movies I thought what a glamorous life a film star lead. After watching this I realise being ordinary is by far the most preferable as that life looked like a nightmare.

[annwe]

About 20 years ago I was a massage therapist for a while to an elderly Swiss lady who lived in a beautiful, sprawling home in the Hollywood Hills. She had led a fascinating life, having survived the bombing of Dresden in WW2 before moving to California in the late 1940s. Her first husband was a successful Hollywood agent and she helped him with his business. She met many of the golden era stars, either through her husband's work, or at the glitzy Hollywood parties they were regularly invited to. She said they would usually only stay at these parties for the first hour or so, because after that they would descend into full on bacchanalian orgies because so many actors were repressed by the studios, and it was a place they could all safely let their hair down for the evening. She never mentioned any names, still living by the old honor code of industry insider secrecy, even though many of the stars she would have known were already dead and gone. She was a sweet and lovely lady, and now long gone too.

[heatherhillman]

Judy Garland was absolutely ruined by Hollywood.Amazingly talented woman, but she was treated SO badly it's shocking.

[susanrobinson]

After watching this, all I can say is thank God for the beautiful, talented Katherine Hepburn for causing a ruckus by wearing pants! I couldn’t imagine only being able to wear dresses and skirts!

[TheDukeofMadness]

Looking back, it wasn't such a Golden Age after all. The best thing that ever happened in Hollywood was the Anti-trust case in 1948 which broke the monopoly of the studios.

[michellemcknight]

Bette Davis deserved a mention on this, she fought for what was to become 'The De Havilland law' years before but unfortunately lost!

[professorsprout]

Just got home from Palm Springs and had a great tour of many of these stars houses. It was touching to see how close they we're emotionally and physically houses across the street or down the street so they could see each other and in the case of Ava Gardner run to Lena Hornes house when fights with Frank got too much.

[youfuckmywife]

When I first moved to Hollywood in 2003, the apartment building I lived in was built by the studios to house the starlets. It is the Fontenoy Tower at 1811 N. Whitley Ave. everyone from Joan Crawford to Tom Mix lived there at one time or another . In the 1980’s Nicholas Cage lived there. Johnny Depp videotaped himself being interviewed after returning from the Philippines shooting the movie “Platoon”. He currently owns one of the Penthouses . When I lived there, he rented it out to Crispin Glover . I occasionally shared an elevator with him . He is an extremely bizarre person .

[JulieannsSerenity]

I love the Golden Age of Hollywood and I loved this video! Thank you! It’s atrocious what these amazing stars had to go through. It’s truly upsetting when it comes to people like Judy Garland. She was absolutely worked to death. Every time I see her in a movie I can’t help but think about the personal drama she must have been going through. There will never be another Golden Age of Hollywood and as much as I find that unfortunate, I’m also very thankful.

[spokanetomcat]

My grandfather worked for the studios as a backdrop painter back during these days. He told my dad stories that would curl your ears. Like most things, what happened in the studios stayed in the studios. Well, mostly.

[deerhaven]

Things were so much worse for actors/actresses in the early 20th century than they are today. I remember my grandmother telling me how she was approached by a casting director once around 1930 to screen test for MGM, and she refused as, being a resident of LA, she'd heard all about the "director's couch". I used to tease her saying, "gee Grandma, I could've maybe been like a Barrymore!" I didn't really understand how bad it was until I saw a documentary on Fatty Arbuckle years ago and they really took a deep dive into how awful the Hollywood movie culture was back then. People today don't realize that even being an actor/actress was not a well respected vocation to pursue in those days.

[justinmileman]

For many decades, having a "stage name" also gave the actors and actresses some privacy in their personal lives.

[samprimera]

I was watching with interest how studio execs changed people's looks and I was reminded of Loni Anderson.
She originally had black hair but was getting tired of playing indians.She died her hair blonde, became the bombshell of WKRP In Cincinnati and the rest is history.

[denniskoppo]

Thank you for all the clips from the movie "Hail Caesar", one of the greatest underrated Hollywood satires of all time!

[julianaylor]

It was common to whitewash Hollywood actors and actresses ethnicities, for example Merle Oberon was Anglo Asian, so her Indian ancestry was hidden, by her stage name and her official biography.

[lion]

This was an excellent video!!
I love watching anything informative about the Golden Years of Hollywood and really hope you do more like this.
In fact I loved this video, and your dulcet tones, so much that you can consider me subscribed!

[akiramatoi]

grew up watching a lot of them on TV cause my dad LOVES Black & White movies.. didnt know Hollywood was that crazy back then too Lol.. hasnt changed a bit.. if anything. . . it just got worse lol

[carrieorsel]

I love classic films. I try to appreciate them all the more because of what the actors endured to make them.

[mlk]

Olivia de Havilland wasn't blacklisted she was put on suspension - meaning she couldn't work for them or any other studio.

[dhenderson]

The tide has turned.

Back then, studios told stars what to do, or the star didn't get work.

The studio "owned" the star, and had to do what they are told.

These days, stars dictate terms. If Tom Cruise wants $30m to be in your movie, the studio pays it, or gets someone else, who doesn't bring as many tickets.

The big stars now have much more stroke, and studios are much more determined for hits, so the studio had to cave in at times nowadays.