Narrated by Ed Asner, Central Casting is an hour-long documentary about the hopes, dreams, greed and scandal that led up to the deal prompting the Hollywood Labor Movement of the 1920's. Facing national criticism, the industry created Central Casting, an agency designed to regulate its casual, exploitative treatment of "Tinseltown" extras. But was it effective? Catch up with current Hollywood hopefuls and see what they face 70 years later. Is it any different today?

By the early 1920's, thousands of driven young men and women were pouring into southern California to seek fame and fortune in the movies.
Rumors of humiliations and sexual exploitation of extras circulated well beyond the city and were a part of life for the endless number of movie extras who flooded its streets. Victims of vain ambition, only one in five thousand would rise to stardom. Yet, without this endless pipeline of faces, an exploding motion picture industry could never have kept pace with the public's insatiable demand for more movies.

In 1922, facing calls for government regulation of a movie industry deemed immoral by many Americans, Hollywood's producers turned to Republican Party leader Will Hays to direct a campaign to restore their public image.
Hays commissioned social scientist and labor expert Mary Van Kleeck of the Russell Sage Foundation to study the problem. The study by this unlikely duo resulted in the creation of the Central Casting Corporation in 1926. Hollywood's first attempt to regulate its casual labor market. By hiring "solely on the basis of physical appearance or type," and offering its services free of charge to the extra, producers helped ease the exploitation and misery of these vital fringe players while protecting their industry from potential interference.

What's going on in Hollywood today? Who are the hopefuls and what are the formulas for making it to stardom?
How did some of today's hottest celebrities do it? Hear from film personalities like George Clooney (left) and Laurence Fishburne as they explain how they broke into the "Biz." With in-depth research, rare clips, industry and celebrity commentary, Central Casting has the scoop!