The Washington times., 1916-04-25
Actor May Have Natural
Monopoly on Special Form
Of Playing Roles.
PRODUCERS MAKE PROFITS
High Salaries for Photoplayers
Explained by Law Of Supply
and Demand.

That motion picture may develop
q star who Is a natural monopoly;"
That competitive" demand ana
apparent" supply are controlling
factors;
Also several other reasons are
given as to why motion picture stars
are paid the fabulous salaries tney
are reported to be paid, Is the state.
ment Of John r. Freuler. presluent
OF the Mutual Film Corporetion;
This is more or less REPUTATION OF
the statement published In The
Times yesterday from Marc klaw, OF
Klaw and Granger, to the erect
that the taking OF salaries In the
publicity matter of motion picture
stars has a bad effect on the busi-
Mr.. Klaw might have said that
the taking OF great many things
about the motion picture stars has q
bad effect on the pictures. There
are certain producers to whom fax
Ing Is absolutely essential They
fake the most immaterial and unin-
teresting things when the truth
would be highly material and very In
teresting. They tell the most alb
surd and foolish stories about their
stars that do not add to the stars
popularity in the slightest degree,
when the actual facts concerning the
Star Gets SIS Per Month!
The taking of salaries Is the least
OF the evils. And probably the
least of the taking. Mr.. F'reuler de-
clares positively that he has agreed
to pay Chaplin what amounts to
more than half a million dollars per
year. The Famous Players Com
rany are willing to prove Mary
Tickford Is paid as much, or nearly
as much. as the President Oh the
United states.
What the picture producers don't
tell IL that there are hundreds or
very popular actors and actresses In
motion pictures who are not earn
ing enough money to keep them
alive.
There is one star who recently APP
peared In a film show IN wash
which cost the producer several
thousands Of dollars. The star-and
she Is really a capable actress, en-
ployed by one of the biggest hrms
In the picture business and a veteran
OF the business-draws the munih-
cent salary Of SIS per month! she
evidently isn't natural monopoly"
However, let Mr.. Freuler tell It:
'The services of notion picture
stars arc bought and paid for at
prices controlled Precisely the same
as the sery ices CT anybody else.
Competitive demand and apparent
supply are just as truly the con-
trolling factors in star prices as In
the price of wheat. OF course. there
are such things as corners In stars
as well as In wheat. A star may
have o natural monopoly IN son,e-
thing that the film maker holds cx.
trcmely desirable.
May Get a Million a Year.
"Chaplin has teen able to get this
salary of 100000 because of cur con-
victicn that we could pay him that
much and make considerably more.
The same considerations govern tho
salaries OF every other star in the
business.
ut is rot at all O flight of magma
ton to say that 1t Is altogether pos
sibIe that few years hence might
see some star drawing a couple of
million dollars O year for appearing
in the films. II any star could give
reasonable promise that by paying
such a salary q fair profit might
be. made. the salary would be paid
today
"1'he star salary Question is really
nothing &c be excited about at all.
It is automatically adjusted. 1t is
truo that not few motion picture
actors have been considerably over
paid. but that has been because Of
the bad business judgment Of their
employers" q. M.