We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
AVARICE AMONG THE AVOCADOS 93 to placate the studio brass. "God save me from the tyranny of the executive mind" was, in variable form, a pet motto. Generally, what information the executives were able to eke out resulted from informal spying or quizzing a DeMille sub- ordinate. They watched the requisitions flow into the studio from the sand dunes. One was especially irksome; it set forth food requirements for a single day: 750 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of coffee and tea, 4,000 eggs, 900 pounds of butter, 1,500 pounds of meat, 150 gallons of canned fruit The $5,000 paid out for the span of black stallions for the Pharaoh's chariot was almost the final indignity. An angry executive waved the invoice in DeMille's face. "Are you trying to ruin us? You have spent a million dollars and the picture is only half finished!" At this time Zukor, Jesse Lasky and DeMille each were draw- ing $3,500 weekly from the firm, Famous Players-Lasky. Zukor and Lasky shared also in the firm's profits, an exclusion that nettled DeMille. DeMille's attorney, Neil McCarthy, went to see Zukor, who greeted the visitor with something less than a faint smile. "Cecil is trying to break us," said Zukor, adding bitterly, "Religious pictures! Long dresses on men!" "Will you sell the picture?" McCarthy asked. Zukor was not unprepared for this shift. "My god, can you get me the money? Ill sell it at cost, one million dollars." Both knew there was nothing binding at that point. McCarthy was interested in knowing just how wrought up Zukor was over the venture, and Zukor was intent on finding out just what would prompt a man to pay one million dollars for a half- finished picture. DeMille now faced the task of raising a million dollars. He sent McCarthy to see Joe Schenck, the 20th Century-Fox board chairman. Schenck put up $250,000. DeMille visited a short time with the raw-film magnate,' Jules Brulatour, and