Old Hollywood Horrors
We hear of bad conditions on modern-day sets or bad contracts actors are forced to follow through with.
However, it’s nothing compared to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Actors were controlled in ways that boggle the mind and make anyone want to call the cops – right down to who they married or what their name was.
Jean Harlow
She was one of the original Hollywood, blonde bombshells of the silver screen.
However, when she wanted to marry actor William Powel, the studio forced her to sign a morality clause that forbade her from getting married at all. They thought that as a hot, single woman, she would be more desirable to men, and therefore the studio would make more money off her.
Loretta Young
After having an affair with fellow actor Clark Gable, the actresses ended up getting pregnant.
However, she refused to “get rid of it” like the studio demanded. Instead, she blamed her morning sickness on an “illness” and then adopted her own daughter after she was born.
Rock Hudson
Hudson was a huge Hollywood hunk – and the studio made millions from this.
But in 1955, they forced him to marry Phyllis Gates, all to hide the fact he was gay. But the marriage only lasted 3 years before he couldn’t take it anymore and filed for divorce.
Judy Garland
Garland might have been the shining emerald of the MGM, but she would only stay that way if she “remained young”.
The big wigs were furious when she married without their consent. They even forced her to have two abortions (arranged by her mother, no less). On top of it all, she was forced to take dangerous weightloss drugs.
Joan Crawford
Back then, studio contracts were horrendous. They had control of everything – even the names the actors went by. Some examples were Rita Hayworth and Judy Garland.
Joan Crawford was among this group. However, her name came from a studio contest! Even if she used it, she made it well known she hated it.
Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock might have been one of the “fathers of horror” but the real nightmare was behind the scenes.
He was controlling of his leading ladies to a disturbing degree. They had to drive to work with only him and weren’t allowed to speak with other cast members or crew. He wouldn’t even allow other to touch “his ladies.” The attack scene in The Birds was with live crows instead of fake ones because he was angry that the actress rebuffed his advances.
Rita Hayworth
Not only was her name fake, but her entire appearance was as well.
The studio put her on their assembly line of “hack and slash” surgery to transform her from aLatina nightclub singer into a wholesome all-American girl.
Hattie McDaniel
Black actors and actresses had it even worse on sets.
McDaniel shattered the box-office with her amazing performance in Gone with the Wind. But she was only nominated for an Oscar after she plopped the glowing reviews on the director’s desk to make sure she was put in for consideration. After she won, she was forced to dress in Mammy-like clothing and take on all maid roles. She was never allowed to be anything else.
Shirley Temple
The studio did everything they could to stretch Temple’s youth for as long as possible.
They even doubled her birthdays – skipping a real one and then celebrating it the next year. She had to stay skinny to hide any curves that came with her teen years. But at 12 years old, her golden curls turned brown, and she was dumped.
Mickey Rooney
Rooney suffered from the same drug problems as his sweetheart Judy Garland.
He was forced to work 18-hour-long days and take a non-stop cocktail of uppers and downers to keep him going. Any time off, right down to sleep, was strictly monitored and any time off came out of his paycheck. His happy presence on screen was from heavy acting, when inside he was utterly miserable.
Lana Turner
Turner was another actress that came into the industry at a young age.
But the studio was quick to monopolize on her curves and sexualize her in scenes as fast as possible. They even forced her to have an abortion (without anesthesia) because having a child would break their crafted image. Turner’s mother was also part of the coverup.
Everyone
Any actor or actress of the time had to sign long-term contracts with the studio.
They were never allowed to say no to a role (even ones the bigwigs knew would flop but wanted them to star in to tank a career). They were also never allowed to work for another studio, unless the powers-that-be lent them out. But that’s just the tip of the disturbing iceberg.
Caretakers
When kid-stars were young, their parents controlled them how the studio wanted.
But when the youngster came of age, they were given “friends”, “nannie” or “caretakers” to “help” them – when in fact they were spies who reported back to their studio executives on anything and everything that happened.
Judy Garland ... Again
Poor Garland had it the worst of any Hollywood star.
She was forced to go on a diet by her bosses. They went as far as ordering the canteen staff what to give her. There were also people sent to watch what she ate, and would literally take the tray away from her if there was anything on it that wasn’t green-lit. On top of it all, she was forced to smoke 80+ cigarettes a day to keep slim and suppress any hunger.