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

CHAPTER IV PRODUCTION (continued) No discussion of the problems of production can avoid consideration of the cost of producing pictures, particularly since the banking and electrical interests have come to play such an important part. Both these groups naturally are very substantially interested in the control of costs, and it is quite understandable that from time to time those representing them should become impatient with production officials who, having become accustomed to spending large sums of money without being so rigorously checked as they might be elsewhere, seemingly waste a great deal. An example of this controversy is furnished by the argument which is centered around the use of the star system. Almost since its inception, the motion picture industry has employed the star system, whereby production and exploitation have been centered largely on a selected few screen personalities. Since the star system involves the payment of high salaries to actors and large expenditures for personal advertising, producers from time to time have attempted to effect its abolition. Motion picture actors, in general, are either stars, featured players, small-part players, or extras. This classification is by no means rigid. For example, featured players at times assume star roles; character actors often are featured; and, less frequently, stars play feature roles. The elevation of an actor or actress to stardom, while determined by producers, comes largely as a result of public opinion measured in terms of box office receipts. Stardom, as applied to actual production, usually guarantees stars the most prominent part in each picture in which they play, a larger share of camera 117