Motion Picture Magazine (Feb-Jul 1925)

^M^ Qu7> Keen Comment by TAMAR LANE Illustrated hy Harry Taskey Read 'Em and Laugh XE of the most amusing ot recent event was the publication of the income taxes paid by various personages prominent in the public eye. After a perusal of the figures given out, it beanies apparent that Denmark is not the only country srhething is sour. It has always been a common slief in this country that John D. Rockefeller was one )f the richest men in the world — if not le richest ; and that J. Pierpont Morgan /as running him a close second for )nors. Banish the thought ! Rocke ;ller and Morgan are just moder tely well-off, that's all. At least, :cording to the tax reports they irned in. For while John D. tated that it was necessary for im to pay a tax of only $124,266.47, and J. Pierpont announced that his income tax amounted to only $98,643.67, our screen favorite, Douglas Fairbanks, paid the Government no less than $225,769.04. In other words, almost twice as much as the famous oil magnate and almost three times as much as the famous financier ! Even Thomas Meighan was forced to pay $51,239.97 and Carl Laemmle, president of the Universal company, $50,249.89. Jack Dempsey, with a tax of $90,831.31, paid almost as much as Morgan. It strikes us that either the reported wealth of some of our noted millionaires is nothing but the work of ex-movie press-agents, or else our screen celebrities have not yet learned the knack of the proper way in which to make out an income tax report. make the premier comedian lose all interest in seeing his name in print, and if we are any judge of Chaplin, theatergoers can look forward to something very fine in the way of celluloid entertainment when the comedian's next film is released. Call It Anything But Good Paramount recently released The Story Without a Name. YVe saw it, and we dont wonder that they were unable to discover a name for this strip of celluloid. As a matter of fact, if they had found a name for the thing, it would have been The Name Without a Story. This film is so bad it should make a lot of money. Rockefeller and Morgan are only moderately well off, according to the income tax which each of them paid as compared with that paid by some of our screen celebrities Charlie's Silence Means Something long and 'or the past few months there has been a heavy silence from the direction of one Charles Spencer Chaplin. To those who know and a p p reciate Charlie's love of publicity, and how he delights to bask in the head-lines of the daily press, this means much. It is an im Something is brewing in the brain of t v, Charlie Chaplin. Theatergoers may look ot business forward to his next film that will The Big Hollywood Auction Sale Tt is funny what strange ideas people have concerning Hollywood and the motion -picture colony. For some reason or other the opinion seems to prevail that there is so much money in the film business that every studio member has a large bank-account and two or three Pierce Arrows to ride about in. Some jewelers came to Hollywood recently, took over a store, and started a big auction sale. I witnessed the sale on the opening night. The jewelers put up for sale such little trifles as $5,000 rings, S4.000 tiaras and S8.000 necklaces. They must have thought everyone in the town was a millionaire. There were no bids received on these articles and they were tucked away back in their cases. A little later in the evening the auctioneers got more reasonable and they did a very good business in such Hollywood luxuries as thimbles at 50 cents and alarm clocks at $1.25. Eleanor Boardman to the Fore Again Wj,E N Eleanor Board m a n b u r s t upon the screen in her first i m portant role, she drew forth many predictions for (Continued on page 110) We nominate Boy of Mine for the best film of 1924 and the $10,000 prize 67 PAfi t -r-l