Year book of motion pictures (1925)

The responsible producer must look to the future. He must protect himself by bringing in lew people who can be trained and built up into definite box-office attractions. Famous Players-Lasky Corporation is taking the lead in this matter. Already, in the last few months, we have signed up eight promising young women whom we expect to develop into important box-office personalities. We have engaged several young di rectors who already have justified the policy by the success of their first pictures. Morevover, wc are training young writers in our studios to the end that they shall know the requirements of the screen and write their fiction accordingly. All of this is progress and it is a little more than present progress; it is insurance of progress in the future. THE INDEPENDENT In submitting my opin>ll as to the outlook of mr industry for the forthiming year, I have made ix such statements for the ast six years. Maybe I as overzealous or too egostical, but conditions em to take the opposite f my view point. For a }ng time, I used the old tereotyped line, "condi10ns were never better." and I used to Yes myself Max Graf to death, believing it. We all know the industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and conditions were never better for the old line producers. Realization has finally come that a trade mark is just as valuable in the picture business, as it is on a loaf of bread, chewing tobacco or a can of sardines. Of course, I must speak as an independent producer, who has taken the hard knocks of distribution, and must look from the indpendents point of view. It is a long known fact that the old line companies intend to make most of theii own productions and I cannot for the life of me see what is going to happen to all the independent producers who are struggling for exitsence. A stroke question of late has been, "What's wrong with the movies?" During the past, according to my theory, the industry has been more or less in a comatose state. Producers have permitted politics and destiny to guide the screen, until at last they come to a realization that the Goose laying the golden egg was growing sick and thin for want of proper nourishment, and that if the harvest was to continue, they must change her diet, hence old line distributors making their own pictures. Now, we revert back to the independent producers. Independent producers will undoubtedly be combined in an organization, with one common clearing house. In the first place, distribution costs are so high that one clearing house formed of independents, who have been in a position to stay in the business would materially reduce this cost, which today is the Boogy-Boo of the industry. Independents have been talking organization for some time, but as yet no definite plans have been formulated, nor has there been conceited action to bring the question to a head. The independents have demonstrated, that they can produce pictures cheaper, since they haven't the excessive overhead, as they rent their studio space, and that expense ceases with the completion of the picture. The independents must make good. The responsibility of a superior product rests heavily on them, otherwise they would have been snuffed out long ago. In the first place, no one distributor can corral all the brains of the industry. There are too many young people coming up, who have brilliant ideas about picture making. These ideas combined with the mechanics of the industry, mean success. I predict within another year, we will see many more independents, composed of new people, entering the producers class for the first time, and if proper distribution arrangements are made, these will be the people that will dominate the industry. As one reviews notable pictures, you will find the outstanding successes have been provided by the independents, with organizations that will make more and better pictures. BETTER PICTURES COMING I am very optimistic ibout the outlook for next /ear. There is in sight •lore of the better class of ictures. Presentations ire getting better and I >ok to see 1924-1925 one f the best yea-s we have ad in some time. There is an evolution roing on in the film busi;ess that is just now taking concrete form. The ,, business was never so Koxy stable as it is at this moment and I think with the producers vieing with one another to produce wholesome, clean box office attractions, exhibitors are stepping forward and giving the public better presentations. The response from the public is sure to be encouraging and whole-hearted. I think that a better understanding between exhibitor and producer will result to their mutual benefit and I think this is being brought about by various forces now at work. WHAT'S AHEAD OF US W. RAY JOHNSTON At this time of the year the executives usually sit down and write a lengthy oration on "1925 Will lie The Greatest Year in the Film History," etc., which is all right in itself, as, if we believe in this industry, as I do, we should feel that each year will show material improvement and advancement in all lines. 1924 in my opinion has added little to date, except a tightening up of the Producer-owned theater combination, which certainly cannot prove a step forward in the right direction for the industry as a whole. For the new year which I firmly believe will be a bigger and broader one in every sense of the word, we should look ahead to more constructive thoughts. Every exhibitor, if he is not progressing in the right direction, should spend a few hours checking up on himself and seeing just where he is wrong, and how he can better the situation and, even if he is on the uphill grade, a few hours thus spent would furnish him with many thoughts of wherein he is wrong, and in laying out his plans for the New Year even those defects could be remedied. Too many exhibitors in my opinion are too well satisfied to go along in a rut. They rent a picture, advertise it in the regular way and then wait for them to come in. Almost every picture has some special angle to play on if only a little thought were given to study its merits. Everything possible in the way of courtesy and convenience that would appeal to the patron should be worked out and by booking a consisistent program of pictures there is no reason why the new season should not be a good one. Certainly we are advancing yearly in production quality and if the larger companies can only be convinced that the picture with the suggestive title really gets them no place in the long run, we should be on our way to bigger and better things. 371