The Motion Picture Director (1927)

16 THE MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR OF HOLLYWOOD February A Dream Come T rue {Continued from Page 10) ture is not a complete success it will be the greatest blow of my life. However, I feel that we have made a really fine production in ‘The Flag Maker.’ George Spoor’s telegrams regarding the film which has been developed in Chi¬ cago, have been most encouraging — and Mr. Spoor is not the man to mince mat¬ ters if he is not satisfied. Just a word of thanks to all those who have helped me in this huge undertaking. I have never received such marvelous treatment at the hands of my associates as I have during the filming of this picture. I firmly believe Charles Ray has given the finest performance of his career, Bessie Love was ideally cast, and there is no finer ‘heavy’ in the business than Ward Crane. Evelyn Selbie, Maurice Murphy, J. P. Lockney, Banks Winter, Dickie Brandon and the rest of the players have made me very happy by their work. They are all wonderful troopers. “Further I must express my sincere appreciation to the United States Navy, to officials of the Navy Yard in San Diego and to the gobs, who gave me such co-operation and assistance. I know not what would have happened without them. “And to Sam Friedman, that genial host at the Fine Arts Studio, my best wishes. We found the boys at Fine Arts the snappiest go-get-’em crowd at any rental studio in Hollywood.’’ It seems that with the general enthusi¬ asm shown by every member of the Spoor-Blackton unit, success is the only thing possible. Safely we may say a dream is coming true. MAURICE MURPHY W ho gives a fine performance in "The Flag Maker" One of tbe nicest things about “na¬ tural vision’’ is that no matter how bad our seats in tbe theatre may be, we shall not behold curious creatures with thin, spiky heads, noses three feet long and strange bottle-like bodies. The scene will be perfect from any angle. We have already seen pictures in natural colors and heard voice synchroni¬ zation. This year of 1927 will see the combining of the three great advance¬ ments in picture production — then we will have reached the highest goal in the industry — the ideal picture, natural vi¬ sion, color and voice. Coming out of the East about a year ago, totally ignorant of motion nicture production in any of its phases, Samuel Friedman, now vice-president and gen¬ eral manager of Fine Arts Studio, prob¬ ably the largest independent film leas¬ ing plant in the West, evidences the fact that common sense and a business train¬ ing are the chief requisites in studio management. Formerly one of Cincinnati’s promi¬ nent financiers, Friedman decided to cast his lot in the West with Hollywood as his ultimate destination. Upon his ar¬ rival here early in 1925, he decided to interest himself in the motion picture in¬ dustry and he purchased a substantial interest in the studio plant he now man¬ ages. Immediately following Friedman’s advent in the Fine Arts concern, things began to happen. New stages were con¬ structed and the lighting and property equipment of the plant was augmented by several thousands of dollars’ worth of modern devices. Another innovation in¬ troduced by the erstwhile financier was an equitable leasing contract, giving pro¬ ducers, large or small, an opportunity to film pictures on a cost plus basis and with overhead expenses trimmed to the minimum. In the year Friedman has presided over the destiny of the Fine Arts plant, which, by the way, was the original pro¬ duction home of D. W. Griffith, many large companies have moved into the plant. Among those who produced pic¬ tures in that period at the leasing studio are First National, J. Stuart Blackton, Jackie Coogan, Pathe, Charles Rogers, Harry J. Brown, Preferred Pictures, Sterling Productions and scores of others. Friedman is now recognized as one of the leaders of the motion picture inde¬ pendents and although not a producer himself he has done much for that group of screen impressarios who have no regular studio affiliation. Friends of the studio executive predict a brilliant career for him and it is hinted that it will not be long before Friedman will be making pictures himself in addition to supervis¬ ing the management of his space leas¬ ing plant. RAY KIRKWOOD Assistant to Mr. Blackton Being An Assistant Director With J. Stuart Blackton Suits Me to a ‘‘T’ RAY KIRKWOOD