Yesterday in The Money Behind the Movies, you saw how MGM kept track of its money in the silent era, and now here's a look at how Fox kept records for some of its best-loved classic films.
First up, we've got a breakdown of the salaries for the 1950 classic "All about Eve," which took home six Oscars including Best Picture. Everyone in the legendary cast was worth their weight in gold, and here's what they actually took home for their iconic roles:
Look carefully and you'll recognize the eleventh name on that list is Marilyn Monroe, who was earning $500 a week. Two years later, her rate moved up to $750 when she appeared in "How to Marry a Millionaire" (listed below under its original script title, "The Greeks Had a Word for It"), making far less than star Lauren Bacall:
By the time the film opened, Monroe shot to stardom in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and had enough clout to receive top billing on the posters over her co-stars. If Monroe worked the full ten weeks scheduled for the film, she'd have a final paycheck of $7,500. That's about $60,000 in today's money, which is way below what popular actresses make today. For example, the highest-earning blonde now is Reese Witherspoon, who can pull in upwards of $28 million a year. In other words, she can make up to twice in a day what Monroe earned for an entire film.
Another classic, "An Affair to Remember," starred Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, who had a set picture contract rate. This initial salary breakdown for the film, prepared on New Year's Eve in 1956 with the original scripted title of "Love Affair," reveals their rates as well as the fees paid to the supporting cast:
After that list was completed, the studio prepared a formal production budget including the rates for all of the significant players, from the main stars to small speaking roles, here under the title we all know today:
All images courtesy of the Margaret Herrick Library's Special Collections, available for viewing by appointment.
Which classic Hollywood star do you think deserved the biggest payday? Tell us in the comments below:
