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"The Birth of a Nation" was the first picture to earn a million dollars. To date, that picture is estimated to have
brought in earnings exceeding four million dollars.
The Movies Conquer New Worlds of Money
A review of picture conditions during the past five years which have made possible more big productions in the future than we have ever had before.
By
Edwin Schallert
IT may safely be predicted that the next five years will see a great gain in the profits from motion pictures.
The big moneymaking production, which a few years ago was a rarity, is §#§ becoming more and more a routine affair in the film industry. The stars and directors who can capture large profits with their talents are
steadily increasing in numbers, and the possibility of clearing huge earnings through the lure of an outstanding attraction is becoming more and more an exact science rather than a game of mere chance and luck.
Up to five years ago, there had been scarcely half a dozen features which had yielded gross returns of more than $1,000,000. Really only one film had brought in a sum greatly exceeding that amount — that being "The Birth of a Nation." The yield from that picture to date is estimated to be in excess of $4,000,000.
That return has been equaled and exceeded now — or will be in the near future — by the profits from at least
four or five different features. Notably, these are "The Four Horsemen," which has already brought in approximately $5,000,000; "The Covered Wagon," which is expected to gross nearly the same amount; "The Ten Commandments," generally regarded as the greatest moneymaker to date, which may yield all of $6,000,000; not to speak of "Ben-Hur," which is still to be heard from and will have to earn nearly $10,000,000 for its producers, before it will show any margin to the good. Chaplin's "The Gold Rush,"
which is also rather too new to comment on accurately, is heralded as another big financial winner.
The number of productions that have actually returned, or that are on the way to returning $1,000,000, have been multiplying surely and steadily. Even the list of those that have earned over $2,000,000 is imposing, including as it does the following array: "Way Down East," "Over the Hill," "Robin Hood," "Scaramouche," "The Sea Hawk," "Orphans of the Storm," "The Thief of Bagdad," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "The Iron Horse."
To these may be added a number that are legitimately
WHAT DO THE MOVIE COMPANIES EARN?
Here are the figures, recently compiled for the Fed eral Trade Commission, showing the earnings of thi larger companies for 1924:
Warner Brothers, with tangible assets of $5,000,000, showed earnings of 21.5 per cent.
First National, with assets of more than $11,600,000, showed earnings of 16.1 per cent.
Famous Players=Lasky, with assets of more than $40,370,000, earned more than 13.5 per cent.
Loew=Metro=Goldwyn=Mayer, with assets of more than $40,200,000, earned 13.4 per cent.
Universal with assets of nearly $11,000,000, earned 12.8 per cent.
Fox, with assets of nearly $16,500,000, earned 12.2 per cent.
The increase in earnings of some of these companies over the previous year was: Warner Brothers, $900,= 000; Famous Players, $1,200,000; Loew=Metro=Gold= win=Mayer, $2,400,000; First National, $900,000; Fox, $200,000.
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