The Film Daily (1922)

THE DAILY Saturday, March 18, Sunday's Issue Hearst Talks Out (Continued from Page 1) never knew criticism to harm anyone,, even when it was unfair. "It is only natural that there should be a great deal of envy on the part of many people to people in the picture industry, with this star getting so many thousand a week and this director so much. But why the producer should be envied I don't know. He makes no money." Adolph Zukor broke into hearty laughter at this point and led the applause which followed. "All the money I make in my newspapers," continued Hearst, "I sink in making pictures. I hear about some producers who make artistic successes, but that's all. Financial successes we don't hear about." Again the crowd roared, but Hearst sobered them the next moment when he said: "You, Mr. Hays, can put this industry on a sound basis. You can unite us. You can inspire us. You can give us cohesion, confidence. You can give us confidence in our leaders; in our selves, in our worthiness." Lasker's Offer to Hays Alfred E). Lasker, head of the U. S. Shipping Board, and also of Lord & Thomas, of Chicago, surprised the crowd when he informed them that he had offered Hays a larger salary to come into business with him than Hays was getting from the picture industry. "You must give the lie to the suspicion that he (Hays) is to do otlu-r than he has contracted to do," he said. Brady Attacks Directors "Why haven't you done something, you directors?" asked Peter J. Brady, of the Federation of Labor," to prevent these aspersions being cast on your industry." He then laughingly ■ uggestcd that if the directors wanted to form a union that Federation officials were on hand to weld them together and suggested they give Hays the job as walking delegate. Then l)ecoming serious again he said the motion pictiu'e industry was "on the defensive. And you might as well admit it. But you can 'come through' if you will set aside your petty differences and work together." Brisbane on Hearst Arthur Brisl)ane suggested that the censor laws be tested out "with some little inexpensive pictures" but not the kind that Hearst made. "He never made one for less than half a million," he said, "and nobody on his papers can get a raise." Secretary of Labor Davis, of the Cabinet, feelingly told of how Hays left the Cabinet, "and there wasn't one of us with a dry eye. But in the language of Whitcomb Riley, we told him, 'You know where you're going, Bill — take care of yourself.' " Other Speakers Among the others who spoke were Svdney S. Cohen, president of the M. P. T. O., who said he "extended the hand of friendship to Mr. Hays and all others who in any way contribute to the motion picture inisiness, merit, character and integrity." The rest of a long address, which he read, was devoted to telling the history of what the organized theater owners had accomplished. John Emerson, after greeting Hays, asked some pointed questions with reference to the new organization which he heads, during which he said, in part; ".Vo movement for good or ill has ever been started in tlie history of the world which has not met with criticism of one sort or another. And this is as it should be, for it is only by critical examination that our character is tested and our worth is proved. And while I have satisfied myself that the honest purpose of this organization is to benefit the workers in the industry, as well as the producers and distributors who form its membership, I nevertheless have no desire to poo-poo the fears or misunderstandings of any of my confreres, among the writers, the directors, the actors or the exhibitors— as poopoojig never satisfies an inquiring mind, and to me it is perfectly right and proper to hold one's mind in a state of inquiry on tins or anv other subject whatsoever. "So' in order to rid ourselves of any possible misunderstanding, let us consider for one moment what ground, if any. exists for the fears held by some, as to what may happen if these gentlemen should by any chance be so ill-advi.sed as to misuse whatever added power might come to them through a perfected organization. "In the first place, will they attempt to control production, or distribution, or both, and so be able to hold up the helpless exhibitor for any price they wish to charge liim for his pictures? ".'\nd secondly, are these producers and exhibitors going to weld themselves into such an intimate and brotherly cooperation that they will agree together that all competition for the services of directors, of writers and of actors shall cease, and that no writer, director or actor shall receive more tlian a fixed amount for his services, no matter what those services may actually be worth? ■■1 should, without hesitation, answer 'No' to both these questions. Because, in any organization of this kind, the majority must rule, and while there might occasionally arise some misguided member who had become so swollen with his own importance that he bad come to believe that he and bis ought to breathe all the air and acquire all the power ill the world, I don't believe he would succeed in carrying any considerable nmnber of these gentlemen with him, nor do I believe that he would cause a quiver in the solid, sane, honest, kindly, far-seeing attitude of Mr. 'Will Hays. "Ah, but you may say, 'That's an idealistic attitude, and this is a Tiractical world.' \'crv well, let's be practical and just remember that trusts and monopolies and consjiiracies in restraint of trade are all out of fashion. Mr. Sherman and his little law put a terrible crimp in that sort of thing, and we must give these gentlemen credit for realizing as well as we do, that we are living in the twentieth and not the nineteenth century. "And still speaking practically, we must remember that the gentlemen forming this association are like the rest of us, (|uite human, and whatever altruistic qualities they may possess, they are nevertheless bound to kee]> a weather eye on their own interests, and get for their own individual productions the best writers, the best directors, and the best actors the market affords, and if any of them should be so ill advised as to agree to limit to a fixed amount the payment to be made for the services of any of these workers in the vineyard, you may rest jolly well assured that in the nature of things such an agreement could never be kept. "And to be more 'practical' still, let's remember this, that the first o]>pressive act of this corporation toward the exhibitors would be the cue for those same exhibitors to get together in their own association, form a connection with the directors, the authors and the actors, organize their own producing units and make their own i)ictures. The battle would then be on more fiercely than ever, the whole purpose of the new organization would be defeated, and these gentlemen — the producers and distributors— would have spent their time, their effort and their money for nothing, a thing which I am thoroughly convinced they have no intention of doing. "What they are trying to do is a great big. fine, constructive thing for the motion picture industry and it's up to us to get behind them and give them a boost. "With Will Hays at the head and with all of us behind him, there isn't anything we can't accomplish. "So let's try to iron out all our misunderstandings and dissensions within the industry, and get together for a concerted attack upon the common enemy without. For unless we are able in some way to ward ofif from our industry the blighting effects of the frightful wave of Puritanical fanaticism whic has engulfed a small but exceedingly active and powerful minority of the citizens of this country, the motion picture will soon be reduced to a state of pap fit only for babes in arms, mental defectives and the Reverend John Roach Straton." Hays Effective When Hays spoke the dramatic fervor with which he invested his exclamations really drove his points home with force. He received applause several times and many congratulations at the conclusion of his address. Several compared the force with which Hays speaks to that of Senator Walker. When Adolph Zukor spoke he caused a laugh by declaring that Marcus Loew told him that "as a speech-maker he was a good pictureinaker." ley O'Reilly sat at a table res for guests of Marion Davies had a good time. "Connie" Tahnadge arrivetj l)ut danced with Adolph Zuko caused a stir. Paul Brunet headed the Pa i)le — which was a lively or many of the other compani^ tables. Bob Leonard tried to have a o time at table 17 while his wif w up with the moguls on the dais i most succeeded. Billy Brandt had a big cro T. O. C. C. members and the "something" under the table li seemed inspiring. How George Sargent was wo He worked the whole aflfair ti then worked it out. There wa one flivver — the moving pictu the ball seemed more like an tisement of the Craftsman L tories than anything else. Charley Pettijohn was expet the same table with J. D. W a but failed to arrive. William t scheduled to sit on the dais big ferred a table seat with his wi: Some Notes Marcus Loew was on the dais, but later joined Mrs. Loew at one of the tables. He had been in Boston earlier in the week and hadn't had a chance to talk to her. John Emerson's heavy black eyeglass band attracted much attention; almost as much as Will Hays' long, nervous fingers. I Harry Warner, Harry '"oef Harry Rapf, with their resi;t wives and others, made up a ta ;. Bill Farnum's table was so the side he was almost lost. The "guest" family was th large numbers. One almost at table. At 4 A. M. yesterday mi Rubens', Linde's and other houses took care of the br crowd. Much discussion as to who was the most beautiful — Mae Murray, Betty Blythe or Corinne Griffith. Jury was out at 4 A. M. yesterday morning. Syd Cohen's organization was well represented. Plain ordinary exhibitor meinbers not counted, there were on hand the following presidents of state organizations: O'Reilly of New York, Evans of Pennsylvania, True of Connecticut, Woodhull of New Jersev, Fay of Rhode Island. Tables 58 and 59 •were reserved for some New York exhibitors, but the waiters got things mixed and Char STUDIC To Rent Beginning April Best in Times Sq. Disi Fully Equipped — Low I 232 W. 38th St.— Fitzroy ' A FORTUNE FOR Si Will sell U. 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