The Moving picture world (December 1920)

1008 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 25, 1920 Zukor, of Paramount, Says Bring Year Long Moving Moving Picture World has aske(' me to pick out some of the high spots in the progress of our industry during the year 1920 and to state what, in my opinion, will be the outstanding feature of the coming year. In looking back over the year just drawing to r. close, I find that the progress of the industry in closely interwoven — in fact, practically synonomous — with the progress made by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. It would be false modesty, indeed, that would cause me to base anything I might say upon any other assumption. So I am going to say that I believe that the two greatest forward steps taken in the motion picture industry during the year have been the signing of contracts by Jesse L. Lasky with such great authors and dramatists as Sir James M. Barrie, Sir Gilbert Parker, Henry Arthur Jones, Elinor Glyn, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Edward Knoblock, Arnold Bennett and Avery Hop wood to write directly for Paramount Pictures; and the reorganization of the Famous Players-Lasky production forces into a great stock company which will make super-star productions in which authors, directors, scenario writers and players shall share equally the responsibility and credit. Making Movies Becomes an Art "The story's the thing," has become during the past two or three years a decidedly trite phrase. But now, with this great in flux of literary and dramatic genius, it means something. I wonder if anybody fully realizes what a handicap the producers of motion pictures have been working under. We have all seen great stories brutally mangled in making them into motion pictures. How many Hamlets have we seen, with Hamlet left out! This has not been the fault of the scenario writers, many of whom are masters of dramatic construction. They have made, in countless instances, fine screen stories. But often they have been oblged, in their adaptations, to distort the original stories to such an extent that people of literary tastes have been offended and the authors themselves have suffered grave injustices. Now we are bringing the greatest brains of literature and the drama into the field of motion pictures. They are making a careful study of the technique of the screen. The result, in my opinion, will be the securing for motion pictures of a place for all time among the arts. For Better Pictures The organization of our super-stock company is an event of hardly lesser importance. In this I feel that we are merely the leaders. Other companies must follow. There have been too many stars who have not been worthy of the name. They are going to be shaken out. Fortunately, our own organization is not burdened with any such people. The move on our part is a move for bigger and better pictures than were possible under a single star system. Our object is to please the public, and this, I am frank to say, means more money for the producer and distributor as well as for the exhibitor. No real artist need have any fear, for the real artist, as Mr. Lasky has said, is the one who is sure of himself and his public Future Will Picture Runs And this brings me to my prediction as to what will be the big thing of the coming year. It will be the pictures produced under the new policies outlined above — pictures, for instance, like "The Affairs of Anatol," which Cecil B. DeMille is now starting, with Gloria Swanson, Wallace Reid, Bebe Daniels, Wanda Hawley, Elliott Dexter, Theodore Roberts, Agnes Ayres, Dorothy Cumming and Theodore Kosloff all in the same cast, and with Avery Hopwood collaborating with Jeanie Macpherson, Beulah Marie Dix and Elmer Harris on the scenario. Will Run Months We will make the majority of these great productions, because we are now prepared. Some of them, perhaps, will be made by other companies, provided they are able to marshal the necessary forces and have the courage to put similar policies into effect. This will make inevitably for longer runs — runs of months where the present type of picture runs weeks, and so on down the line, according to the size of the exhibitor's clientele. Yes, I have predicted a year's run for pictures on Broadway, so confident am I of the character and drawing power of the picture of the future. Many, no doubt, think my prediction somewhat rash. But I have made predictions before, based upon my dreams, and I have lived to see most of my dreams come true. Albert E. Smith Says 1921 Is to Be a Very Successful Year for Vitagraph ALTHOUGH Vitagraph, through its increased facilities, has enjoyed the most successful year of its career and reached its highest point in both the quantity and quality of its productions, it proposes to permit no let-up in its actvities during the coming year. Albert E. Smith, its president, who is in New York on a brief business trip from the West Coast studios where he is speeding up Vitagraph productions during the winter months, said upon his arrival this week that not only would the twelve regular companies now busy on Vitagraph feature productions, comedies, chapter-plays and special productions with all-star specially engaged casts be kept intact and urged to even greater efforts, but that individual special companies would be formed to increase the output of special productions. Completed Four Specials During the past year four of these special productions were completed. The first, "The Courage of Marge O'Doone," by James Oliver Curwood and directed by David Smith met with enormous success, and the succeeding special productions were equally popular. They were the first Tom Terriss Vitagraph production, "Trumpet Island," based on the story by Gouverneur Morris, and another Tom Terriss production, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" by E. W. Hornung, which is now being shown in the first run theatres with unqualified success. "Black Beauty," adapted by Mr. and Mrs. George Randolph Chester from the famous story by Anna Sewell, with Jean Paige in the stellar role has just been completed at the West Coast studio under the direction of David Smith. It will have its premiere early in the new year and will set a new standard in classic, but spectacular photo plays. A third Tom Terriss production, "The Heart of Maryland," with Catherine Calvert in the role created on the stage by Mrs. Leslie Carter is now nearing completion. Another Stage Success This will be followed by another stage success in which two prominent screen actors will appear as co-stars. The new year will also see active work on 'The Son of Wallingford," by Mr. and Mrs. George Randolph Chester. While Mr. Chester is the author of the "Get-Rich-Quick-Wallingford" stories, his new story, which also will be published in novel form, is brand new in theme, introducing new characters but retaining the notorious J. Rufus Wallingford and his famous partner, Blackie Daw. Early in the new year five of Vitagraph stars will have completed their first offerings of the new year. These will be Alice Joyce in "Her Lord and Master;" Corinne Griffith in "It Isn't Being Done This Season;" Alice Calhoun, Vitagraph's newest star in her first production, "Princess Jones; Earle Williams in "Diamonds Adrift," and Antonio Moreno in "Three Sevens." V ery A ctive Larry Semon and Jimmie Aubrey, whose popularity has increased in an unprecedented manner during the past year, will be particularly active during 1921. Both are now busily engaged on the preliminary, work on new comedies which will be begun immediately after the Christmas holidays. Vitagraph's two serial companies, headed by William Duncan and Joe Ryan, respectively, are working under pressure at the West Coast studio keeping up with the demand for their pictures. Mr. Duncan, with Edith Johnson as co-star, is more than half through with "Fighting Fate," and Mr. Ryan in his first production as an individual star, is well into "The Purple Riders." In order that there may be no delay in their serial productions during the coming year, Mr. Smith, who writes the chapter-plays in collaboration with other authors, already has their new vehicles well under way.