Year book of motion pictures (1928)

2. I would like to see moves on the part of all companies to cut down the number of productions. With fewer pictures demanding our attention we will make better pictures. The present high speed momentum certainly tends to hamper efficiency and affect quality. Greater revenue per dollar invested will return to both producer and exhibitor from fewer pictures — better made. 3. There should be a stop to the tendency toward vulgarity in picture incident. We are heading for trouble. Censorship is already costing the industry heavily in money, and even more heavily in the curb it puts on creative talent. We can hope for eventual relief from censorship only by sincere cooperation with the forces of public opinion that have been responsible for its creation. *'■ * * CECIL B. DE MILLE Pictures will mean more than personalities on the screen of 1928. The personality of itself will not draw. The good picture even lacking conspicuous personality will be an absolute success, whilst the picture not so good, even if it has a great name or names to further it, will not do half so well. Nineteen hundred twenty-eight will offer an especially great chance for the new picture personality and for the writer and director. * * * CLIFFORD B. HAW LEY President, First Nat'l Pictures, Inc. I believe that the recent Trade Conference was one of the most important events in the history of the motion picture business, not so much, perhaps, in what was actually accomplished as in its indication of what will be accomplished. This conference pointed the way to a closer union of all branches of this great industry. It showed the value of getting together for a frank discussion of the problems which we must solve. During the coming year I look for substantial progress in the solution of trade difficulties which after all. should not be unduly magnified. As a better understanding is realized among producers, distributors and exhibitors in the domestic field, we may look for the spread of cordial relations with our friends in foreign countries. I think we are all getting more of what we may term the "international" viewpoint in the making of pictures and in their marketing. As we become more "international" audiences will receive fresh inspiration from the art of foreign countries. We will steer clear of the rut of provincialism and realize new and momentous accomplishments. I believe that the year 1928 will go far towards establishing this "international" era to which I refer. ♦ ♦ ♦ NICHOLAS M. SCHENCK President, Loew's, Inc., & M-G-M Corp. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer enters the new year with a feeling of confidence, not only in its own product, but in the general conditions affecting all members of the industry. To prophesy progress in the motion picture art and business for the new year is to forecast something which is as1 inevitable as the change of the seasons. Of course, improvement in product and method are not always sure indications of commercial prosperity. But there are other signs which forecast a year of great monetary success for everyone concerned in the picture business. Not only do all the leading bankeers and financial experts of America herald the year 1928 as a year of plenty, but all reports from exhibitors and from other film merchandising sources also point to a new year of unparalleled prosperity. Speaking as a showman, I can safely say that never before have I seen motion pictures so consistently designed to serve as universal entertainment. Few theaters will be able to report in the coming year that such-and-such a picture did not please its patrons. For popular appeal and simple and human themes, handled in a big way, will be the general characteristics of the photoplay of 1928. Look forward to excellent business. Never before have theater men and producers been in such close and profitable alliance as they will be during the coming year. EARLE W. HAMMONS President , Educational Pictures Believing firmly in the truth of the adage that, "It is darkest just before the dawn," I believe the outlook for the motion picture industry in 1928 is good. There is, as I see it, only one important issue that is holding up the progress of the screen, and that is the '"presentation" craze. And I feel sure that the year 1928 will see a pronounced reaction against this and a return to the serious treatment which films deserve from exhibitors. It is possible that there may be a still further growth of the use of vaudeville as "presentations" for a while. But the darker it gets the surer is the dawn to break. And with the financial showings being made now through the too expensive use of "presentations" as opposed to pictures, the continued spreading of this craze would only seem to make the reaction surer and more pronounced when it comes. Herein lies the brightest side of the outlook for the future. When exhibitors stop relegating films to a position of decided inferiority on their programs, and devote to the cost of films a fair portion of the large sums of money they are putting into vaudeville, picture production will immediately take a great leap forward. This is true of pictures of all kinds, long features as well as short features. And the increased prosperity will be felt at once all through the business, from studio to theater. * * * JESSE L. LASKY 1st Vice President. Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. In considering the future of the motion picture business I am always an optimist, and I am particularly optimistic over the prospects of the industry during the coming year. I think, however, that our greatest progress in the next 12 months will come from consol.dation of our positions. By that I mean that during the last two years we all have been expanding at an enormous rate, both in production and exhibition. Now we must devote our attention to settling down, to strengthening the place we have, to the elimination of waste and inefficiency. Therefore, I feel that during 1928 we shall make great strides forward, but that progress will be made by keener thinking, by tightening up of organizations and by the most bitter unremitting warfare against waste, incompetence and unproductiveness. Great progress along this line has already been made in production. While raising the standards of pictures', we have nevertheless reduced waste to a minimum. A greater percentage of every dollar spent in the studios is finding its way to the screen in entertainment value than ever before in the history of this business. And we are getting better pictures. But we must not stop there. Not only have the studios been guilty of extravagance, but incompetency and the frittering away of resources Other branches of our industry must get down to a hard-shell, common-sense basis of operating, because it profits nobody to save a dollar in production and then throw it away in some other branch of the industry. I have confidence, however, that in coming year all branches of the industry — production, distribution, exhibition — by giving each other's problems careful study will march forward to a greater prosperity than this business has ever seen. * * * ELMER R. PEARSON 1st Vice President, Pathe Exchange, Inc. I cannot remember any New Year which has dawned with brighter prospects for the industry than does 1928. I have no wish to seem unduly optimistic, but I firmly believe that, notwithstanding the great strides that the industry has made in the past few years, they will be dwarfed by those to come in the near future. I do not base my opinons on any one factor, but rather on a series of developments which have come under my observation within the past few months, and which are not confined to any one organization, but seem to be general throughout the entire business. Recently I have made two trips to Hollywood. The change in the production centre which most 503