YES, MR.DEMILLE (1959)

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AVARICE AMONG THE AVOCADOS 109 In the skit, Ford Sterling represented the Famous Players- Lasky Company, At each chair die actor paused and made brief comments to a companion, Marshall Neilan, in the role of a prodigal son returning to the Paramount fold. The last chair bore the name of Mr. Cecil B. DeMifle. In addi- tion, however, it had a wreath with red leaves, such as are being used on coffins— The prodigal son asked where DeMille was. "Ah, he went down to the road of yesterday/' *... Al Harston, an exhibitor, could not stand it; he yelled: "That's lousy! It is too dirty! Take it out!" In the merger between the Lasky Company and Zukor's Famous Players, DeMille had felt insecure in his position as Director-General, and he had resented attempts by fellow ex- ecutives and money backers to restrict his choice of stories. As early as 1918 he was talking with various persons about forming his own organization to produce pictures independ- ently, and reap the profits undivided. Adoph Zukor was busy too. He widened the power of Famous Players-Lasky, soon would change its name to Paramount. He had set the partnership on an equal-division-of-profit basis, among himself as president, Goldwyn as chairman of the board, DeMille as director-general, and Lasky as vice-president. Zukor, a very short, spare man, kept the closest kind of watch on company affairs. His size was not a measure of his power, nor of die deference accorded that power. He was at his huge desk in his plush Paramount Building offices in New York one afternoon when an irate woman confronted him. "Mr, Zukor, when I enter an office I am accustomed to having the gentle- man stand up." Whereupon the diminutive prexy replied, "But, madam, I am standing." Zukor was not happy with Goldwyn's methods from the start. * DeMifle's first picture following his departure from Paramount was The Road to Yesterday.