Exhibitors Herald (1925)

April 4, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 23 Speaking of Hollywood A Little Journey via Printers' Ink to the Home of Pictures and Picture People, By M. J. Q. Perhaps our readers would like to join us in a printer’s ink tour of the West Coast studio land. Such a by-proxy tour may be somewhat lacking in graphicness but it will have its compensations in that the tourist will not have to commit himself on the subject of California’s weather and there will be no real estate agents to dodge. At any rate, the tour has been decided upon and the freedom of the press will see it safely on its way. “On the right” is the United Studios where Mike Levee, the genial proprietor, makes the opinion unanimous in declaring that it is a terrible place to make pictures. But he somewhat confuses the question by adding that anywhere that pictures would be made would be terrible. Levee, who once supplied reading matter to the capitalists of La Salle street, Chicago, at a penny a copy, in front of the Rookery building, is now supplying $100,000 sets to leading producers with the same smiling countenance — and he does not have to shout for orders. The United Studios is a great and efficient picture-making plant. It is the place of preference with many of the leading directors and artists. Joseph M. Schenck is an owner and, doubtlessly, has had a hand in the very great improvement and development that has taken place there in the past two years. Will H. Hays is in town and there is an air of expectancy about. He addresses the directors’ association and then shows the megaphone men several reels of censor board cutouts. The directors publicly agree with his contentions and then privately wonder “how it can be done” and still give the public what it wants. Hays proposes a set of “Standards of Avoidance” which, if kept in mind, should go a long way toward enabling a director to know what not to do. H: * =1: The Christie studio at Sunset and Gower streets has a new and refreshed look about it. Here the Christie brothers — A1 and Charlie — have blossomed into prominence and affluence and those who know them best feel that they have solidly earned every bit of success that has come their way. The Christie brothers are two far-visioned Angelenos who long since realized what was going to happen to Hollywood in a real estate way. They do not say, “We could have bought that corner” for so much; but instead, “We bought that corner” for this sum or that. And while they have not allowed rising real estate values to escape their notice, their major attention has been devoted to making comedies that come very near fixing the standard. Pat Dowling, their publicity man and general what-not, is now off to Europe on a holiday. * * H: It being lunch time the production capital now moves to the Montmartre Cafe, which is a typical Broadway restaurant set down in Hollywood boulevard. Here a great galaxy of studio persons and personalities assemble at noontime. On a fair day the four walls of this place probably encompass a greater number of names that are famous with the general public than might be found anywhere else. It is an excellent business man’s lunch place, with no distractions from the sober thoughts of finance and commerce but — the jazziest kind of an orchestra, a dance floor and what the studios afford in the way of feminine allure. Out Santa Monica boulevard is the Hollywood Studios where Harold Lloyd, the eminent handball player, occasionally knocks off between games to make a few scenes for a picture which he thinks he will not call, “Rah, Rah, Rah.” Harold remarks that it being a college story some subtle genius of his institution had to go and evolve this unusual title. At the same lot Hunt Stromberg, who does everything to pictures except acting, is directing an opus. He is a very hard working young man and we are going to hear a lot from him and about him. On an adjoining stage Renaud Hoffman, an up and coming inde pendent producer-director, is putting in a few final strokes on a piece concocted for the screen by A1 Cohn. The same A1 Cohn is a former newspaper man who has been immersed in Hollywood for a number of years and during his confinement there has developed into one of the very best informed men on every phase of production. * * * Out in Culver City the MetroGoldwyn-Mayer studio is booming along at express train speed. Many things have happened there since Louis B. Mayer, arm in arm with Irving Thalberg and Harry Rapf, walked in about a year ago. And many of the things that have happened have made history in this business. The renewed and rebuilded studio is in itself a tremendously impressive institution. And the mainspring of this great picturemaking plant is composed of the triumvirate above mentioned. As one man put it, “Marcus Loew is now making pictures with money — and intelligence” and the directing intelligence referred to are these three men. Louis Mayer has about him today the confident reserve of a man who knows he is on the right track and knows he is going to reach the goal he has set out for. Great good fortune has been his in selecting such assistants as Irving Thalberg, who typified the youth, resourcefulness and brilliancy of the motion picture industry itself, and that tried and proven veteran — Harry Rapf. Back on a far stage on this lot you can see evidences of the effort that is being made on “Ben Hur.” Just ready for the camera now is a miniature set representing a whole city that is a marvel of ingenuity and science. A revelation this is, of the time, expense and intelligence that is being invested to make “Ben Hur” a picture for the next generation as well as this. And no facetiousness is meant in this because, while in speaking about “Ben Hur” it has been said for sometime that it will be ready by Christmas — without specifying which Christmas is meant — yet while much time has been spent on the production the