Exhibitors Herald (1927)

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March 26, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD Harvard Students Hear Hays Lecture on Production Costs THE STUDIO DOLLAR and how it is divided in making a production is shown here. Sol Lesser Forms Company; U.A. May Release Product ( special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, March 22.— Sol Lesser, former heavy stockholder in West Coast theatres who recently sold his interests for $1,000,000, has formed a new producing company with a capital of $1,000,000. Associated with Mr. Lesser who has been elected president of the new concern is Michael Rosenberg who will act as secretary and Col. Fred Levy of Louisville, Ky The concern will start immediately to produce ‘When Knights Were Bold” on the Educational lot and have engaged Lupino Lane to be starred. Lesser owns rights to the following Harold Bell Wright books; “The Calling of Dan Matthews,” “The Printer of Udells” and “Shepherd of the Hills.” The new concern is negotiating with United Artists for a release of its product. Hope Hampton*s Suit Asking $58,000 for Broken Contract Opens (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, March 22. — Hope Hampton’s suit against Charles Dillingham and Martin Beck, producers, for $58,000 damages, charging breach of contract, is being heard this week in Supreme Court. Miss Hampton charges that Beck broke a contract by discharging her from the star role of “Mme. Pompadour” in 1924. Wilda Bennett assumed the role on Miss Hampton’s departure. M, P, Exposition Proves Financial Loss, Report (Special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, March 22. — The recent motion picture exposition held at the Ambassador auditorium proved a financial failure, it is said. Poor attendance and lack of interest in the exhibits was manifest from the opening day. Only 75 people, it is said, attended the third day of the exposition. Paid to Players, Directors and Staffs One T enth of a Picture's Cost Goes to Scenarios and Stories — One Twentieth to Raw Film Manufacture (Special to the Herald) CAMBRIDGE, MASS., March 22.— Will Hays addressed Harvard’s Graduate School of Business Administration last week on “The Motion Picture Industry’’ and the choicest portion of the talk was a careful analysis of production costs showing that actors receive one-fourth of the money invested in a single motion picture. Salaries for directors, cameramen and their assistants amount to ten per cent of the cost of a picture, he told them. An item ranking next to actors’ salaries is studio overhead which includes management, cutting, assembling and titling a picture. That cost is 20 per cent. Sets and Location Cost 27 Per Cent Neighboring on that is the expenditure for the manufacture of sets which takes 19 cents of every production dollar. Aside from that is the estimate of eight per cent for the rent of ground and properties and for transportation for location trips. The cost of scenarios and stories amounts to ten per cent of the entire production cost. The smallest item of all is that of costumes, gowns and makeup. Three per cent takes care of that expenditure. Very near to that cost is an item of five per cent for the purchase of raw film. Mr. Hays briefly explained the function of the Central Casting Bureau as follows : “Many of the actors and actresses are ‘free lances.’ Important ones are under contract. The extra people cannot be contracted for because one day a company may need a thousand and for weeks thereafter may not need 25. Operated by Producers “The free casting bureau is operated by the producing companies and there are registered 18,000 persons who are qualified to work as extras for one reason or another. Some are qualified because they have a wooden leg, others because they possess a fine growth of whiskers, some because they look like Italians or Germans or French, some because they own dress suits and can wear them in a distinguished manner, some because they own horses and can ride them. “The casting director of a company decides how many extra people he will need for tomorrow and lists their qualifications. “Perhaps he indicates certain individuals he wants. This list goes to the Central Casting Bureau, the proper persons are notified and they report the next morning. They are told what clothes to bring, and if they are to work late they are warned Paramount News to Have 150 Offices (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, March 22.— Paramount News will have 150 established offices throughout the world and associated with these will be hundreds of contact points, says Emmanuel Cohen, in charge of short features production for Famous. to bring overcoats to keep warm, if they are to be in scenes in which they will get wet they are notified to bring a change of clothing. “The casting bureau registers not only those extra people who are actually needed. There is a much larger supply than demand for ordinary extra people in Hollywood. Children and pretty girls, for instance, are a drug on the market. The industry wants new faces and talent always, but the question of the extra has been more or less of an economic and social problem. Try to Hold Down Registrations “A definite effort is being made to try to hold down registrations so that those who are capable may be able to make a fair living. “These extras work from day to day. Each day’s work is a job. More than 250,000 jobs were given in the last year: an average daily placement of 710 , average wage of $8.46. The total of wages for 'the year was $2,195,395.65. “The extras who work regularly manage to make about that earned by the average clerk or stenographer. Some have other means of livelihood and get a day off from their jobs now and then to work in the movies. “An average of only 12 children a day are employed through the casting bureau. These children are under the care of teachers assigned by the Los Angeles Board of Education and paid by the producers. No children may act in the movies unless they are well up in their school work. School hours are maintained in the studio.” Garbo Back from Her Strike, in M-G-M Cast at $2,500 Per Week ( special to the Herald) HOLLYWOOD, March 22. — Greta Garbo, Swedish actress, who recently refused to play a role assigned her by MetroGoldywn-Mayer officials, has agreed to behave and is once more back at work. She has been assigned a role in “His Brother From Brazil” which Robert Z. Leonard is directing. Linder her new agreement Miss Garbo is said to be getting $2,500 a week.