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8 <^ ^> ^> The Motion Picture Industry
or three or more times a week." This plan, however, clearly could not continue beyond the time when the public began to manifest a substantial interest in the type of picture itself and in the actors who participated in it. Indeed, it gave birth to what came to be known as the "star" plan, whereby, although groups of pictures were offered the exhibitor, the offerings consisted of several series of seven or eight pictures, each series featuring a particular star. An exhibitor, for instance, bought six Pickfords or six Harts. Thus the stress ceased to be on the program as a whole and came to be centered on the star. This plan predominated until between 1917 and 1919, coming to be used less and less thereafter because of rising costs. The causes for these increased costs, accompanying the policy of producing feature pictures in which stars were emphasized, are not far to seek. Scenarios became more expensive. The filming of the pictures cost more and more as they were made ever more elaborate. Another major factor was to be found in salaries paid the actors. It was always the stars who were advertised to the public. Many of these became immensely popular and came to feel that it was their personality and acting, rather than either the plot or the producer's name, which attracted the public. Therefore, the stars demanded substantial increases in salary, so substantial that the producer deemed them excessive.
This dependence upon the reputation of an individual star came in itself to be considered debatable policy, wholly aside from the question of salary. The cost of building up such a reputation was not inconsiderable. Furthermore, even though successful, it was likely to prove, for obvious reasons, somewhat ephemeral. Combined with the generally rising costs of production all along the line, it led to a belief that a further revision of the basis of sales was necessary. Eventually, it led to the general adoption of a new policy of block booking, relative to which more will be said presently. "~ A third development which probably playecj some part in