Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-15
Combine of Movie Stars
as Producers Causes Big
Stir Out in California

Local movie fans will be interested
in learning of the stir caused IN the
film producing state OF California over
the conf ine recently announced in the
news columns whereby Mary Pickford.
Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin.
William s. Hart and D. W. Griffith
Will prodGce their own pictures anu
relea Sc them directly to exhibitors
The bare announcement made in the
daily press that the stars and leading
producer of the country were 20 poor
their fortunes was received with IN
terest by all who patron!Ze the
movies. for all feel that they have a
personal acquaintance with these
prominent people in filmdom. But
this far away from the home OF the
fourth largest industry in the country,
it was not realized what stir the
announcement made on the Pacihc
coast. Just what effect the new com
bination would have on the Paramount
corporation and the First National
Exhibitors circuit was the natural
order OF speculation by Los Angeles
newspapers.
The Times outlines the objects
sought by the new combination, ana
quotes the two old producing COM
panies as to their plans when the
stars whose pictures they now handle
leave them to make their own pictures.
The Big Five as the stars are
popularlv called. have determined upon
their new venture, according 10
Douglas Fairbanks, because "of their
desire to market their own pictures in
the open market for the American
public" The step has been taken after
much deliberation and was determined
upon finally on the announcement that
the large producing companies. and
booking corporations were to become
merged into a billion dollar motion
picture trust" BY their combination
the stars hope to deal directly with
the exhibitors, thus eliminating the
distributor as a middleman. Exhibitors
may rent the pictures. Mr.. Fairbanks
explained. just as they desired, with
out being compelled to take other
pictures Of lesser merit. In the past. 1t
was explained, exhibitors who have
had the big pictures of these stars
were compelled to take other pictures
which they did not want.
Adolph Zukor, president OF the
Paramont company. upon being in
terviewed, said that the Paramount
company would go on just the same,
regardless of the artists combine. An
officer Of the First National also was
quoted to the effect that his company
still expected to stand on its own
legs" Mr.. Zukor expressed himself as
not being worried over the situation.
and pointed to the fact that It would
be some time even yet before the stars
would be free TO produce their own
pictures because OF being bound by
present Paramount contracts. The pro-
ducers also predicted that it would not
be all smooth sailing with the stars.
that the selling game had not been
taken into serious consideration by the
new combination. and that jealousies
would arise between the stars who
were producing their pictures as
company.
The name agred upon tentatively Tor
the new combination is the u United
Artists Distributing Company. It was
limited at Los Angeles by the stars
that Clara Kimball Young. Blanche
Sweet, and Jack and Lottie Pickford
also would become identified with the
! new combination. n.