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108 Hollywood Rajah
ting the dedicated Miss Mathis to relinquish her authority. With difficulty he got Niblo and Novarro ensconced. Then he left Rome, leaving Bess Meredyth and Carey Wilson, another writer whom Thalberg had picked, to size up the situation and revise the scenario. They did both and returned to New York with Loew in August, thence proceeding directly to the Coast.
Mayer and Thalberg heard their estimations and their reading of the scenario. They telephoned Loew and naturally told him the latter was the best they'd ever heard. They also told him they thought the production should be pulled out of Rome and completed at the Culver City studio. Loew replied, "If our company cannot maintain the distinction of producing this great film in Italy, then we had better shut up shop."
It was partly to prevent that off-chance hazard which Mayer saw as a possibility if his people didn't do a job on Ben-Hur, that he accepted the suggestion of Loew that he take himself over to Italy and see that there were no more delays on the film. The grapevine had it that Niblo was having trouble getting things underway. Mayer also liked the idea of a trip to Europe with all expenses paid. He hadn't been back across the Atlantic since he had arrived in America as an immigrant boy.
With his wife, his two daughters, now young ladies, his family physician (whom he wished to have close by) and the personable Carey Wilson, he left for Europe in September. First they went to Paris. Mayer insisted on seeing all the sights and was as pleased with the standard attractions as any tourist first visiting the City of Light. He sent his daughters to do the town with Wilson, whom he sternly cautioned to be most careful where they went. He wanted them to see Paris thoroughly, he told them, because he didn't know when they'd have a chance to do so again.
Then they went down to Italy, arriving just in time to see the shooting of the scenes of the great sea battle between Ro