The Film Mercury (1926-27)

Hollywood, Calif. THE FILM MERCURY, FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1927 Page Nine Will the Wall Street Influence Improve Motion Pictures ? Wall Street, that big machine that swallows everything placed in its path, has now opened its jaws to devour the movie. There is an old saying that “Wall Street owns everything.” Well it can now include the motion picture industry. Before long the cinema will be almost entirely in the hands of W. S. brokers. The brokers have complained rightly about the small percentage paid on their investments. For the first time they are going to take an active interest in the picture field. Will these business men, who have grown cautious because of their dealing with film producers, allow to remain at the head of the cinema industry, the very men who have brought about this financial chaos? Or will Wall Street, suspicious of motion picture people, place as executives men whom they trust and whom they control ? Time will show which choice the financial magnates make. Time also will prove the wisdom of their decision. No doubt the making of pictures looks easy to the men who sit in their office and issue commands to buy this or sell that. Probably their righteous contempt for the public’s taste causes them to underestimate the necessity for knowledge of screen production. When these men want something or someone, they buy it. Like Wm. R. Hearst, Wall Street probably figures if the money is available, an order to buy talent will result in getting talent. Wall Street has lots to learn about the movies. Accustomed to deal with commodities like steel, wheat, automobiles and railroads, necessities which the public requires, the brokers are ignorant about things that are amusements and which can easily be done without. It is easy for Wall Street to look with reproving eyes at the money that is wasted on pictures, but it is debatable how much better they would manage things. This article is not written to excuse film producers, as they are supposed to know the motion picture industry, while brokers are not. If the screen magnates entered Wall Street, they would not be expected to operate as successfully as men who have devoted years to stocks. Mistakes have been made by the heads of filmland, inexcusable mistakes, but it would be unwise of Wall Street to put men in who know nothing about picture production. Nor does the writer believe that it is possible to teach the making of successful cinemas. The knowledge of what goes to make a successful picture has to be born in one. It is true one can learn technique, also gain a certain knowledge, but in the making of numbers of films, an intuitive gift for sensing what will go with the public is what really counts. Wall Street can say, we need a clever executive, get him. We need clever writers, get them. We need clever actors, get them. We need clever directors, get them. The reply to Wall Street would be the same that is given to the present crop of m. p. producers. Where? ANABEL LANE. % ..sSsS' *88 Leigh JacobsOn An Original Story For LAURA LaPLANTE “Anybody Here Seen Kelly?” In Production for Emory Johnson “The Arm of the Law”