BEVERLY HILLS—HELLO AMERICA! Now that we’re approaching the end of another year in Tinseltown, again I find myself reflecting on the industry as a whole. There have been some beautiful moments, and there (as usual) been some very lackluster times, causing one to hunger for the old Hollywood that rang with inspiring musicals, dramas, comedies, all  bigger than life stars and the projection of more exciting films with new faces of tremendous possibilities.

Shows such as "Dancing with the Stars," "America’s Got Talent," "The X Factor" and "American Idol" all are much needed and appreciated shows, but in some ways they do a lot of damage, emotionally and psychologically, to a lot of people. Watching a panel of judges if one really concentrated on them as genuine talents, would easily wonder why and how they reached a level of acceptance and artistic responsibility. The contestants are forced to believe they have to deliver a possible unnatural performance far exceeding anything that is expected from human existence. Even when one does shine to that possible level, they are critiqued harshly or end up in the bottom, giving rise to any hope of reaching acceptance. 

Under this type of artistic requirement, many of our beloved actors, singers and dancers of yesteryear would have never made it.  Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Marilyn Monroe, Frankie Laine, Greta Garbo or even a Bette Davis – we learned to love and look forward watching all of these people, but one has to remember that it was a time when the chosen artist was put under contract, nurtured, given test-film assignments which allowed them to grow and explore who they were as artists. If you watched some of the screen tests of many of our major stars, you quickly realize how fortunate they were to be selected; even though they were easy to look at physically, in the talent department, much had to be developed by the studio. Let's face it: the studio did a helluva job with most of these people we so love and tout today as great artists.

When I arrived in Hollywood during the 1950s and was fortunate enough to be a part of the industry at a major studio, watching wonderful actors and performers such as Eve Arden, Orson Wells, Elena Verdugo, Dan Dailey, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and tons of others, it was obvious they were aware of being in the throes of searching who they were as creative artists. Now, unfortunately, the kid who might have tremendous possibilities, is put in front of a camera for millions of people to see and evaluate without a chance for development or given time for discovery.  They are given the feeling of being losers if they don’t get big numbers from the viewing audience—how sad! 

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