We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
THE CAPSTONE
277
ideas gibed — “a high-class production and nothing else.” In those days, the serial mystery film was sweeping Chicago. Sam Katz had done his best to keep such fustian out of his theatres. With approval he noted that Zukor had never adopted this easy way of making money. They fell together at once. Zukor had one of his rare loquacious moments. He talked so eloquently on the future of films — always provided the producers kept to a high level — that he left the brilliant boy of twentyfive his follower and disciple. During the next three years Baliban and Katz, on the profits of the Grand Central, opened three more first-class theatres in Chicago and began to stretch a web of houses through the Middle West. And they all served unofficially as exhibition outlets for Famous Players-Lasky.
In 1920, Zukor and Katz had another long talk, this one less satisfactory. Production, Zukor remarked incidentally, was the heart of the business; and on this he disserted at some length. Now Sam Katz was still in his twenties, and a born enthusiast. To him, the world revolved about exhibition; the producers and distributors were only feeders to the theatre owner. First National, owned and conducted by exhibitors, had long been hammering at Baliban and Katz. Returned to his office, Sam Katz drew up in parallel columns reasons why and why not he should throw in the fortunes of the company with First National. “ Some of the reasons, I know now,