Picture-Play Magazine (Sep 1916 - Feb 1917)

The Observer 83 Taking advantage of such a situation, players who really are good actors, and whose talents have led them to the borderland of stardom, not only demand that they be made stars, but that they be paid such salaries as will raise them above the standard of the mediocre class of "stars." The producers allow themselves to be held up thus, and then turn around and hold up the exhibitors for rentals thev cannot afford to pay, but which they are forced to pay because of competition. Now, Ave believe, the producers have awakened, and the near future will see the end of the near-disastrous star craze. It is not the amount of money that is paid to a star of the first caliber that counts, but just how much legitimate profit the manufacturer can make from him or her without causing the exhibitor to suffer. Naturally, huge profit can be made only from stars who are exceedingly popular with the public, and therefore only such players can be paid stars' salaries without some one losing money. John R. Freuler, president of the Mutual Film Corporation, who paid the record-breaking six hundred and seventy thousand dollars a year to Charles Chaplin, recently sized up the situation cleverly, and admitted that, though he sought real stars daily, he was unable to locate those he believed would qualify. Following are some of Mr. Freuler's remarks on the subject: "I'd give a million dollars for another Chaplin, and more if I found a man or woman worth it. Back of the expressions of the men who charge that the exploitation of stars is a detriment to the film drama you will find a shortsighted desire to reduce the costs of production, and a hopeless attempt to foster a market for a photo drama of a mediocre quality. . "To attain stardom for an actor is simply to gain the public's stamp of approval. The actor who serves and pleases the public best is the greatest star. The primary purpose of the film drama is to furnish amusement. It is mere primer reasoning to say that that which pleases best is most in demand. The largest-selling him generally is played by the most popular players. Therefore, the investment, if wisely made, returns the price/' A LARGE Middle' West newspaper and a prominent film-producing company recently had words which almost led to a court action, because a person who was titled "motion-picture critic" of the paper made remarks regarding a certain film which were entirely unwarranted, and did the film a great injustice. The publisher of the paper took time to see the film personally before the affair got too far, and at once realized the unfairness of the criticism. Through his columns he acknowledged it, and thus the incident closed. But it revealed a great truth which many motion-picture people have believed for a long time — that many newspaper critics have little use for motion pictures, and everything they write on the subject is done from a biased point of view. We speak only of the guilty ones, for we all know that many real motion-picture editors and critics on the newspapers work with their heart and soul for anything which will better the industry. The undesirable class will be found to come mostly from the ranks of former dramatic critics — ranks whicn have been greatly reduced since picture plays have come into popularity. They were schooled in the drama, they wrorship only the drama, and they look upon