The Photo-Play Journal (Jul 1919-Feb 1921)

10 Photo -Play Journal BOSSING BEAUTIFUL WOMEN Myron Selznick discusses the dream of the average small boy By TOM OLIPHANT Myron Sclcnick bosses Elaine Hammerstein and Zcna Kcefe WHAT has become of the old-fashioned lad who used to say "When I grow up I'd like to be President?" Has he become extinct, like the poor laboring folk who used to wear cotton stockings ? Or has the influence of modern times directed his aspiration in other channels? Does the modern boy want to become a bank president or does he aspire to shine in the photoplay firmament? When I was a boy the members of my gang were ambitious to become policemen, locomotive engineers, street car conductors or President — in the order named. But that was long before celluloid heroes were dreamed of, long before the names of film stars were more widely known than those of kings and queens. Visualize the lad of today curled up in his favorite seat — front row, of course — at the neighborhood picture theatre and it will not require any invoved system of deduction to estimate his dreams of a future career. From the screen to his plastic mind are flashed the words : "John Smith presents Viola Viola in 'Love's Capture'." Then across the line of his vision there floats the picture of a charming creature, with flaxen curls, ravishing eyes and dimples galore. Her charm lays hold of his imagination, he applauds the dexterity with which she eludes the pursuit of the villain, he sighs when her smile disappears in the final f adeout. In his youthful heart she is enshrined as the acme of all that the world holds of grace and beauty. He has but scant appreciation to bestow upon the leading man in the film drama. "He's only an actor!" But the John Smith who stands back of that meaningful word "presents!" Ah ! there is an individual to be envied ! And so your modern lad goes home from the theatre to dream, not of the day when he will be the executive that guides the destiny of a nation, but the president of a film company that provides a nation with its photoplay heroines. It was not so many years ago that Myron Selznick was dreaming of the time when he would be the president of a film concern, and although he is but twenty-two today, that dream has come true. As president of Selznick Pictures Corporation his is the job that is the ambition of the modern lad — that of bossing beautiful women. And, disputing the opinion of those who declare the woman never lived who could be bossed, he might point to his successful achivement in presenting such film luminaries as Olive Thomas, Elaine Hammerstein, Zena Keefe, Louise Huff and Martha Mansfield. Moreover, he shatters another theory when he declares the job is easy. With the emphasis born of experience Myron Selznick upsets one of the world's favorite traditions in stating that flattery is no aid to bossing women. "For that matter," he says, "I don't believe there is any method by which a woman can be bossed. Of course, I am referring to the relationship between an employer and a woman who is a professional. Being unmarried, I am ignorant of the method to pursue in a domestic situation. "The stars of Selznick Pictures Corporation work with me rather than for me. I have found in picture production that successful business relationships can only be maintained if the temperament of the individual star is closely studied and taken into account. By making due allowance for individual peculiarities, by seeking an interchange of opinion rather than attempting to impose a theory, by approaching each problem connected with a picture with a desire to have its star share in reaching the solution — if this co-operative method can be called bossing then perhaps I have learned the secret of how to boss women — easily. "It should be apparent that if in the average walks of life no two women are alike the same is doubly true of women screen stars. If the talents of Olive Thomas and Elaine Hammerstein require stories of entirely different character for their proper exploitation, it must follow that the business and artistic problems connected with their studio work cannot be solved by one ironclad method. After all,