The New Movie Magazine (Jan-Jun 1933)

beats train! Beats the Twentieth Century by two minutes. You almost feel as though you could when your digestion is right. You are so alive ... so ready for anything. Lots of girls wonder why they don't feel more like doing things. A touch of indigestion perhaps. Many chew Beeman's regularly to prevent digestive troubles. You'll like Beeman's, the flavor is delicious. Chew BEEMAN'S PEPSIN GUM I'll Give a Million Dollars (Continued from page 34) industry was astonished to learn that it had been purchased by Universal at the record price of a quarter of a million dollars. When filmed, it became an immense financial success for the company and started the younger Laemmle on the way to far film places. This picture was followed by several other outstanding successes in the next two years. SHORTLY after the young man's twenty-first birthday his father assembled his leading executives and announced that his son was the new General Manager of the huge film enterprise. Before the entire group the father said to his son, "You have my complete confidence." And then the Senior made a very daring and strategic maneuver. He went to Europe and left the boy absolutely on his own. The youth watched the train fade away and returned to the huge mansion in Beverly Hills — to be alone. The fact that on his decisions alone rested the success or failure of his father's vast business had a tendency to weaken him for the first few hours. He debated with himself all that night. In the morning he went to see Paul Bern. That father confessor of Hollywood, lately so sadly departed, saw the worn look on the boy's face. "Come, Junior," he said, "what's up?" "Nothing," returned the boy, "I've just made a decision and I came to tell you about it." "What is it?" asked Paul. "Well," replied Junior, "Father went to Europe last night and left me to run the business." There was a pause "And I intend to run it." "That's fine," said Paul, "You can't fail. I've watched you for years." The kindly Bern put his arm about the youth, "And if you ever feel low you must remember old Ibsen's words, 'Never be so mad as to doubt yourself.' " "I'll remember," said the boy. Paul Whiteman had been engaged to appear in a film before Junior Laemmle had been appointed General Manager. Young Laemmle had the band leader hold his contract in abeyance until something more worthy was prepared for him. He later appeared in "The King of Jazz," which cost, all in all, nearly two million dollars. Though acclaimed on all sides a great artistic success, it was one of the biggest financial disappointments ever made. Wise men in films shook their heads. One consternation treaded upon another's heels, so fast they followed. THEN came the great decision for the boy. The famous book, "All Quiet on the Western Front," had been rejected by many companies as impossible for film purposes. Junior decided to make it on a huge scale. Older film executives warned him against certain financial catastrophe. A fortune had been spent on "The King of Jazz." Junior put all the eggs into one basket by the making of this war epic, 76 which was to cost more than a million dollars. Failure meant real disaster. Men walked softly at Universal. When it came time to choose a director for the great war film, it is said that the New York office wanted a certain director. But the younger Laemmle had different ideas. He wanted the brilliant young Russian-Jew, Lewis Milestone, for the job. It was one of the greatest "hunches" in films. Milestone had done that most surprising and charming film, "Two Arabian Knights," a tale without love. He had been at loggerheads with different nabobs, and there was none too friendly a feeling toward him. Junior selected Milestone to direct. The "location" for this film was chosen near Balboa and was on more than two thousand acres of land, far ' enough away so that the roar of guns, the explosion of shells, and the whir of airplanes would not make California people feel that they were being invaded by the Japanese. It was the sort of film Milestone could best direct — the grim, remorseless wheels of destiny grinding all human hope to dust. What Milestone did with the film forms one of the most brilliant chapters in screen history. Both artistically and commercially, it was one of the great films of all times. Clarence Brown, the fine director of "Anna Christie," upon seeing it for the first time, exclaimed, "It makes me almost ashamed to direct another picture." THE cost of "The King of Jazz" and "All Quiet on the Western Front" made Universal sell many of its theaters. This, as it turned out, was one of the shrewdest strokes ever made. A high M-G-M executive recently said to me, "Only two companies have consistently made money through the depression — M-G-M and Universal." "Why?" I asked. "We have few theaters and Universal has none to keep us broke," was the prompt reply. It was the turning: point in the upward career of Universal. Impressed with new dignity, the firm gave up making so many cheap "theater" pictures. They cut their output from fifty-two pictures a year to not more than twenty-six. Considering the number of films made each year, Universal has a very high average. The excellent film, "Back Street." is one of their latest offerings. "Once in a Lifetime" and "Okay America" are other films which will stand well up in the list of the best made this year. The thriller, "Frankenstein," was another box office score for the company. Strangely enough the locale of this tale, like "All Quiet on the Western Front," was also laid in the senior Laemmle's beloved Germany. Young Laemmle, at twenty-four, has weathered the storm. He has confidence and experience, which, combined with intuitive shrewdness, will soon make him worthy to stand with his magnificent father. He has grown strong from fighting his way up from being just a rich man's son. The Neiv Movie Magazine, June, 1933