"Hollywood held this double lure for me, tremendous sums of money for work that required no more effort than a game of pinochle"

In this quote, Ben Hecht is revealing his destination to the beauty and also monetary rewards of operating in Hollywood. He defines being drawn to the industry by the guarantee of gaining large amounts of money without having to apply much effort or ability. He identifies the job as being as simple and also meaningless as playing a game of pinochle, which suggests that he watches it as an easy way to make a living. This quote reflects the attraction of Hollywood's celeb culture as well as the idea of accomplishing wide range and success with little effort, which continues to be an effective draw for many people today.