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The costly lobby setting used in the pictunzation of “ Grand Hotel.”
purchased the negative so that the film could never be released.
Ann had seen the film. And she thought the idea a sensible one.
So, the story goes, she went along to the producers.
And went away again.
They wanted 500,000 dollars for it— about £100,000, according to the rate of exchange at that time f
Where does the money go ?
The answer is easy. In fact, once you begin to look into this question of production costs, you marvel at the manner in which the studios keep their expenses down.
And you can easily believe the fact that Gloria Swanson lost a million dollars on the Queen Kelly film which Erich von Stroheim started to direct. The picture was never shown, and not a penny of that tremendous cost was ever recovered.
Going into this matter of expenses, you have got to include studio overhead costs, payment for stories, stars' and directors' salaries, technicians’ and small-part players’ wages, the building of sets and lighting, travelling expenses, story rights, and several other things, all in addition to the comparatively negligible cost of the actual film on which the picture is photographed.
The average “ major ” studio costs an enormous amount to run. Though, of course, the expense varies according to the films in production, it is estimated that the average weekly overhead of each of the big studios is more than £50,000.
This sum covers everything except the actual shooting of each individual picture.
It includes wages paid to all of those who, in the , words of the California State Industrial Commission, “ do not act, sing or dance, or otherwise perform.”
The Commission has laid down that they shall not be paid less than £8 a week.
THIS hidden army of studio workers averages 146 for each film. An enthusiastic Radio Pictures man once counted them, and itemized them. Here is his complete list : —
20 men in the timber nulls roughing out the settings.
20 carpenters to set up the backgrounds.
6 painters to decorate them.
20 members of the art department who do interior decorating, furnishing and all architectural work.
1 art director supervising settings, furnishings and costumes.
20 seamstresses to make costumes.
8 electricians handling lights on sets.
1 author.
1 dialogue writer.
2 make-up men.
6 labourers for moving lights, etc.
3 sound men (the “ mixer,” the “ mike ” man, and the recordist).
1 director.
3 assistant directors.
1 casting director.
2 script girls.
And this list applies only to an average production.
So you can see that, even during the days when a film may be held up, the production is still
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