In the Golden Age of Hollywood, the various studios controlled their movie stars with an iron grip, managing their public persona in addition to the performances they rendered to the screen. It’s hard to believe the level of control they had.
In 1935, Loretta Young became pregnant by Clark Gable (who was married). She knew that if she told her employer, 20th Century Fox, they would tell her to have an abortion. And fire her if she refused. That was how it was done.
Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland were appointed “friends” by MGM to keep track of their behaviors and report back.
Jean Harlow, the original blonde bombshell, had it in her MGM contract that she was forbidden from marrying, because it wouldn’t have meshed with her image as a sex symbol.
Of course we can all see the cruelty of this system and I don’t think anyone longs for the old studio system in Hollywood. The question is… why did old Hollywood so meticulously monitor their stars to keep their foibles private? Yes, to continue earning money.
