Evidence study no. 25 of the motion picture industry (1933)

34 ^> ^ -c* The Motion Picture Industry A separate record is kept for high-salaried stars not classified as stock players. That record contains information on an actor's present occupation, on the time of his availability for the next production in which he will take part, and on the title and starting date of that production. All assignments are made approximately one month in advance of the date designated for starting actual production. This precaution is taken to prevent delays arising from changes in assignments caused by such uncontrollable factors as outbursts of temperament on the part of actors. The report on directors under contract serves the same purpose as did the Stock Company List and the report on high-salaried stars. The form of this report is shown in Exhibit 7. It is revised every 10 days because, as a rule, Exhibit 7 Record of Directors Kept by Paramount Publix Corporation Report of Directors under Contract Name of Director Title of Production in Process Start Title of Next Production Start changes in directorial assignments are numerous. These changes, however, rarely occur after a production is in actual process. All directorial assignments are made at least 30 days prior to production.3 Directors' salaries, in 1929, ranged from $100 to $750 a week and upward.4 In general there has been a reduction in directors' salaries since 1929. Like its competitors, the Paramount Publix Corporation 3 Immediately following the introduction of sound, there was considerable discussion in some of the producing companies as to whether or not two directors, one a dialogue director and the other a pictorial director, should be used instead of one director for dialogue pictures. 4 See Motion Picture Almanac, 1929 edition, p. 111.