Gambling Compulsion
In every facet and area of his life, Wilkerson was compulsive. Sitting at his desk, for example, he would consume an average of twenty Cokes and three packs of cigarettes daily. But just like his father before him, Wilkerson's greatest weakness by far was gambling. A lifelong "compulsive gambler" long before the term was coined, he regularly risked vast sums of money. In the first six months, for example, he gambled away close to $1 million, and came perilously close to bankruptcy.
From the moment Wilkerson awoke in the morning he thought of nothing else but gambling. He planned his entire day around the gaming tables and race courses. Usually, he would work in the morning and head out for the track in the afternoon. He paid regular visits to Santa Anita or Hollywood Park. He kept a pair of dice in this coat pocket, and a deck of playing cards was never far from reach. At restaurants he would roll the dice on tabletops to determine who picked up the check. Even in his own restaurants, guests paid if they lost.
Until the late 1930s, Hollywood was wide open to gambling and prostitution, but when California outlawed these activities, compulsive gamblers like Wilkerson were forced to travel out of state in search of legal gambling. Las Vegas was a favorite gambling spot of Wilkerson's. He would charter a plane in the morning from Los Angeles Municipal Airport, and after a short cab ride he would be inside a casino. He would then spend a few hours at the tables, making or losing between ten to twenty thousand dollars before returning to Hollywood.
Most chronic gamblers are superstitious. Wilkerson was no exception. An ardent Catholic, he relied heavily on prayer and a lucky rabbit's foot on his key chain that had gone bald from rubbing. He would stand by the table with his eyes closed, clutching the rabbit's foot and whispering Hail Marys as he rolled the dice.
Wilkerson had three main loves in the world of gambling: craps, poker and the track. He rarely missed the legendary private poker games that were held weekly at Samuel Goldwyn's or Joe Schenck's house. These games were played with $20,000 chips, and Wilkerson regularly lost thousands a visit.
Wilkerson at long last began viewing gambling as an affliction rather than a hobby. He poured his heart out to Joe Schenck on a November evening over a quiet dinner alone at the movie tycoon's home. Schenck listened sympathetically as Wilkerson admitted his problem. The mogul was quick to offer the beleaguered publisher a valuable piece of advice: "Be on the other side of the table if you are going to suffer those kinds of losses". When Wilkerson asked what he meant, Schenck added, "Build a casino. Own the house."
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