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

40 ^ -^ ^ The Motion Picture Industry Leader Specials were the company's highest-quality regular feature pictures and often were given extended-run exhibition. All stories for Leader Specials were selected and assigned, and in some cases were in process, prior to the production season. Sometimes such important players as George Bancroft and Nancy Carroll were featured in conjunction with an all-star cast. In others, the title of the story predominated, and the cast of stars was featured as of secondary importance. Because of the impossibility of accurately measuring public opinion, Leader Specials were known to have exceeded more costly pictures in total box office receipts. Exhibit 11 Form of Cost Summary of Productions Kept by Paramount Publix Corporation Number of Productions Classification Total Cost Average Personality Pictures Commander Specials Leader Specials New Show World Specials Total Total Cost (not including New Show World Specials*) Average Cost (not including New Show World Specials*) * Because of their production costs and greater exhibition value, New Show World Specials are not included in the general average costs. New Show World Specials were the Paramount Publix Corporation's extended-run pictures that commanded $1.50 and $2 admission prices when prereleased for roadshow purposes. "Glorifying the American Girl", a Ziegfeld production, assigned to a high-salaried director, cast with allstar players, and staged on an elaborate basis, was typical of this type of picture. In that particular case, the use of Ziegfeld's name represented a large cost in itself. Because New Show World Specials required extensive preparations, as a general rule their production was started before the opening of the regular production season. For control purposes a summarized cost statement, the form for which is illustrated in Exhibit 11, is compiled for all four classifications.