Hollywood Superstitions

Every one has one or two things that we sort of believe in, something that we do for good luck. A lucky pen that we take our tests with, a lucky charm we carry everywhere. Dice in our car to keep accidents away (even thought we can't see through them).

I was wondering about the superstitions the great and powerful in Hollywood have. I mean if anyone bases their carrer in luck and talent, its them. why do some become great when their acting is mediocre and some stay behind when their acting is great? could it be all just luck?

Lets look at some charms and superstitions in Hollywood.

First night telegrams, congratulating actors ont their performances, are usually stuck on dressing room mirrors. if they turn yellow quickly, it is considered a sign that a production will enjoy a long run.

When the show closes, each telegram must be taken down after each actor's last entrance on teh final night. some are torn up, especcially if the show has not been a success. Others are kept in the hope that the 'good luck' will continue.

Wishing an Actor "A good run" or to say "good luck" is considered a jinx. but wishing the actor a "great opening" or saying "Break a leg" is considered good luck.

Did you know that if an actor uses an used soap that belongs to a "lucky" colleague they believe that that luck will rub off on them. but is a lucky Actor forgets the soap, the luck will run out, and they may never be employed again?

good luck charms is something that most of us have, or believe in. cats are usually unlucky for most people, but for actors they are good luck. The British actor John Mills had a lucky black cat that he took every where and was kept in his dressing room.

Hollywood star John Wayne always used the same six-gun he used in his first western. and James Stewart wore the same hat all through out his career. 

John Wayne and his six-shotter

Like I said cats are considered bad luck every where except in the theater and Hollywood. but should one of those cats run across the stage during a performance it is considered bad luck, which makes sense. can you imagine a roman empire scene where the emperor's wife is dying in his arms, and all of the sudden a cat runs across the stage? I would say that would be bad luck.

opening an umbrella on stage is bad luck, dropping a comb on stage is asking for trouble. and if someone is knitting anywhere near the stage the actors should expect trouble to be on its way. (maybe because the person does not find their acting interesting enough to watch) 

The worst omen possible for actors however is inside their dressing room. should someone whistle in a dressing room it means that one of the casts will soon be out of a job. the person who whistled must leave the dressing room, turn around three times, and knock three times before re-entering to vanish the bad omen. 

If a director wants his play to succeed the last line of the play must never be rehearsed. A good problem free dress rehearsal must mean that the opening night will be a failure, however it is considered good luck if there are lots of problems during the rehearsal. 

so to you actors out there I would just like to say, may your cat stay in dressing room, may you break a leg and may your dress rehearsal always be disastrous.