Box Office Poison

Ready for your daily trivia: what do Kay Francis, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn, and Mae West all have in common?  If you were going to say that these gals, including Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich were all at one time tagged as box office poison, you are correct! While MGM had a stellar year in 1939 with films such as Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, and The Women to name a few, just a year prior the industry was not as stable. The war was looming, and studios were dumping loads of cash into stars hoping to get a huge return, and some just weren't. Katharine Hepburn had success with Holiday co-starting Cary Grant, but other films such as Break of Hearts, and A Woman Rebels flopped. Mae West had made loads of dough for Paramount and wanted $300,000 a film, but they weren't drawing in the crowds like they used to. 

                                       

  On May 3, 1938, the Independent Theater Owners Association published an ad in the Hollywood Reporter naming names and letting all of Hollywood know just what they felt about big stars with big salaries who's movies were "drawing in nil". Harry Brandt was responsible for the ad and didn't stop there. He went on to add to his star list in an article for the Independent Film Journal including Norma Shearer and Delores Del Rio, and even added some men to the list, John Barrymore and strangely Fred Astaire. While it's true Barrymore was having a hard time with alcohol and could not read his lines without cue cards, Fred Astaire had a relevant career that would see more highs than lows. 

                                                                               

When the ITOA published in the Hollywood Reporter, it took the industry little time to notice. Before long the news was everywhere and started affecting contract negotiations and salaries. Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons even got in the mix. But in the end it didn't make much difference to some stars who continued to have lasting solid careers in Hollywood. It was just momentary ruckus that got Hollywood in a tizzy. Looking back decades later and who was "box office poison" it might be a bit comical as Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, and Joan Crawford won Oscars later in their career, with Katharine winning 4 and being nominated 12 times. Way to pull out of the trenches!