Facts About Hollywood I Didn't Know

At the Willamette Writers conference I heard numerous people refer to William Goldman's book Adventures in the Screen Trade, so as soon as it was over I jumped onto Amazon.com and bought it. I just started reading it and within a dozen pages I've already learned some cool "Hollywood History" tidbits.

Did you know:

1. Previous to 1910 stars were not promoted by name. If you were a fan and wanted to write to one, you'd labeled your mail to "The Butler with the Mustache" or "Girl with Curly Hair."

2. In 1910 a girl named Florence Lawrence was stolen away from her current studio by another one who promised to promote her actual name.

3. By 1912 many stars were being promoted under their actual names and began demanding higher and higher salaries.

4. By 1919 a star named Fatty Arbuckle became the first celebrity in history to get a million dollar per year contract. (DANG! A million bucks in 1919! That's serious cabbage!)

5. Thomas Edison invented motion picture, and most early movie studios were NY-based.

6. Studios had to pay a fee to Edison for the right to make movies, and because movies were in such high demand, many pirate companies emerged and tried to evade the fees. They did it by moving as far away from NY as possible. Hello Hollywood.

These bits were just with the first dozen pages! I can't wait to read more of this book! Thank you, Mr. Goldman!