The Moving picture world (December 1920)

840 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 18, 1920 There Is No Handwriting On the Wall for Real Artists, Says Jesse L. Lasky Executive Amplifies New Famous Players Policy NO real artist need have any fear of a so-called handwriting on the wall, for the judgment of the public is sure and just," is the essence of an interesting statement issued this week at Los Angeles by Jesse L. Lasky, vice-president in charge of Lasky Corporation. "The alarmists," he says, "may be numbered among those who are not sure of either themselves or their public." Mr. Lasky's statement is in amplification of Famous Players-Lasky's recent announcement of the re-organization of its production forces into a super-star stock company, which, he says, is simply a definite working out of the company's policy of pleasing the public. The statement follows : "The motion picture star must always be judged by his or her drawing power and paid accordingly. In the last analysis, producing motion pictures is a business as well as an art and must be conducted along business lines if it is to succeed. Much as some might wish to subordinate all commercialism to art, it is impossible to do this and exist, unless art happens to meet with the approval of the final arbiters of all our fortunes — the public. Must Please the Public "Whoever it was who gave utterance to that ill-advised retort, 'The public be d d,' was very soon answered by a great showman who declared with even greater emphasis, 'The public be pleased.' Nor has anyone ever been able to succeed who purveyed popular or even specialized entertainment without making this the basis of his activities. "The public must be pleased or there will be no public for the one who provides its amusement or entertainment. Therefore, the star who is to succeed and continue to be popular must please the public ; the motion picture producer who hopes to maintain his position must continue to please the public and this is his standard of work. True, he may continually — and should — improve the quality of his product ; if the public needs lifting up, he should be able to provide uplifting material. Too Much "Piffle" "But there has been a great deal of 'piffle' written and spoken in this regard. The public is pretty well convinced of what it wants and why it wants it. It is quicker to find a flaw than one might imagine. Let some producer of photoplays permit a few anachronisms or flaws of other sorts to appear in his pictures and he will quickly find that the public sees them in astonishingly quick time and is ready to tell him about his shortcomings. "Therefore, the star or player who pleases the public and continues to do so will always be sure of his income, commensurate with his box-office value. "That the judgment of the public is reasonably sure and just, is proved, I think, by the fact that really great actors and actresses have maintained their positions and commanded handsome incomes. And the really great artist need have no fear, has none, in fact, because he is sure of himself and his public. "The alarmists may be numbered among those who are not sure of either. They may see the handwriting on the wall, if they feel themselves lacking in the essentials to popularity. As to Salaries "I will not say that exorbitant salaries have not been paid to film players or stars. But these were the results of ill-advised efforts to force popularity or to outdo someone else in bidding. The moment the player received more than was commensurate with his drawing power the producer suffered in like measure. The road of film-producing is strewn with the bleaching bones A Jolt for Ilion The agitation for Sunday pictures in Ilion, N. Y., received a sudden jolt at the meeting of the Village Board of Trustees on Wednesday evening, December 1. The petition was voted down by the board, four being against and one for the proposition. Some weeks ago a petition was presented to the board, asking that it grant the petition or present it before the voters at a special election. The board returned this petition on technicalities and another one of 1,401 signatures was presented at the previous week's meeting. This petition was not acted upon, but was held over for this week's meeting. At the last meeting a petition bearing 2,440 names was presented against the proposition. Ilion theatres are controlled by Benjamin Young. They are the Big Ben and Temple theatres, playing straight picture programs, and the Ilion Opera House, which plays pictures and one night stands. of those who tried thus to disregard that cardinal principle of showmanship— 'the public be pleased.' " 'You can't fool all the people all of the time.' No sane producer tries to do any such thing, even for a part of the time. "Thus the salaries that are legitimate are going to continue just so long as the public accepts the stars and is willing to pay in sufficient numbers to see them act. "Always the wise producer strives for the best, for something better. He dreams of the future and then realizes his dreams in the actuality. He makes his dreams come true in other words. He is a practical dreamer. If he isn't, he falls, never to rise again. Why Some Fear "All the agitation that may have arisen or may arise to the effect that the great stars and players are to be cut down financially is the result, no loubt, of the alarmed utterances of those who read who are not sure of themselves. "So far as Famous Players-Lasky Corporation is concerned, in its new policy to present all-star casts, or great pictures with several great actors and actresses in principal roles, it is simply advancing with the age and striving to give the public what it wants. These pictures will cost far more than the average production. They are written by foremost writers, acted by foremost actors and directed by foremost directors. They will be produced with every facility for perfect work and will mark a new era in motion picture making. The best answer to the rumors of salary cutting is the manner in which the stars and others concerned have accepted the idea. One and all have been enthusiastic and have realized the immense benefit accruing to all involved. Definite Working Out "It is simply a definite working out of the policy of pleasing the public, through the exhibitor who retails the product, and represents the combined study and application of men who have been for a number of years devoting their thoughts and energies to providing the highest class motion picture entertainment to the people." The death notice of Walter A. Bunyon in a Brooklyn daily caused quite a stir among the friends of Walter P. Bunyon, who has been auditor for the past twenty years for the Vitagraph studios at Flatbush, Brooklyn. Strange to say it was a brother of the Vitagraph Bunyon, with whom W. P. lives.