The New York herald., 1920-12-28
$4,000 MOVIE
ACTORS AND HELP
LOSE THEIR JOBS
Stars and High Salaried
Employees Cut Off From
the Payroll.
5000 OUT IN THE EAST
Companies Dropped and
Studios Closed in Process
of Curtailment.
MANY FILMS IN STORAGE
Fewer and Better Pictures Now
Aim Of Producers With
S95. .OOO. 600 Tied In.
MANY FILMS IN STORAGE

A radical change In motion picture
production in the United States for the
coming year was announced yesterday
by leaders in the industry. The chief
aspect of the readjustment is a marked
curtailment in production already
started The reduction is of a slashing
order, as most Of the producing con-
Germs have set out to cut their produc-
tion so per cent Some big concerns
have laid off more than that proper
ton of studio companies.
Among those film corporations who
are known to be cutting down on pro-
duction, reducing the number Of
actors and studio help employed and
in some instances shutting up plants
entirely are the Famous Players
Lasky, Goldwyn. Fox, Metro. Vita
graph and Universal. constituting the
biggest array of motion picture forces.
In Los Angeles, the chief photoplay
producing centre in the world, more
than $4,000 actors and others con-
nected with the industry are now out
of work In the East this freezing
up" of the movie field already has
caused the suspension of the film ac-
tivities Of high salaried persons esti-
mated to number 5,000 connected with
the trade either as actor, technical as
sistant or film handler.
Fewer and better pictures is the
slogan now adopted by practically every
film producing company. both here and
in California. A lowering of .he i'm
portance of the Individual star is gener-
ally considered concomitant with this.
and the long lines Of optimistic pnrsoI.s
besieging studio doors in the hope OF
becoming screen stars have less chance
than ever. especially with a retrench-
ment on the number of players engaged.
The period of feverish activity in the
motion picture business. ranked as the
third largest industry in the country.
which followed the war, appears to be
over for the time being. That allegiance
in film productivity is expected TO last
into the middle of March, according to
notices Of reduced output given out by
movie companies themselves. Some
companies have announced they will not
make contracts with new actors for pic
lures until after February /. evidently
expecting the producing business TO pick
up after that date. But no one in the
business would venture a guess as to
how long the lull would actually endure.
Overproduction Hinted.
The fewer and better pictures" policy
will apply to every producing company.
both here and In California. One COM
pany recently made known that il has
$4,000. 900 worth Of Aims on its shelves
awaiting disposal. and from a source
close to the various leading companies
It was learned yesterday that s25, 900
would not be an overestinate for the
amount of money sunk in Aims through
out the whole industry which are now
stored away and have not yet been ne
gotiated for.
A prominent factor operating for over
production has been the number OF Wild
cat Aim companies that have sprung UP
in the last two years. drawn into the
business by the prospect of easy stock
selling schemes. bringing buyers with
the lure OF quick and heavy profits in
the movie business. The Vigilance COM
mittee OF the National Association Of the
Motion Picture Industry. composed OF
reputable concerns. declared short time
ago that worthless stock was offered to
the country annually at an aggregate
price of s250.o0o.0oo by irresponsible
companies.
A surfeit of pictures also has been en-
couraged in the United States by the
State rights system OF distribution in
vogue here. by which company could
produce a single feature and market 1t
easily by simply sending out salesman
with n $50 proof. railroad ticket and
an Office under his hat Well established
companies that distributed features reg
ularly through a system OF exchanges
that meant an initial outlay Of 100000
at least have been injured by competi-
tion with concerns that produced only
one or two feature pictures.
Patronage shows Falling on.
As the underlying reason why so many
expensive films have been left high and
dry without bidder one authority ad-
vanced the explanation yesterday that
small neighborhood houses throughout
the country have raised their prices dur
ing the last year and a half The in
crease has been only or 3 cents at
time, but in the end It has totalled 10
cents and resulted in a decrease In the
regular weekly patronage, and the ex-
hibitors controlling those houses conse-
quently declined TO pay the high rental
charges demanded by producers.
The producers, with 70 much capital
tied UP In unsold film, were forced TO
turn to the money market for loans. and
found the going very difficult there. Tn
able to get funds for new productions,
companies have decided to curtail, and
instead TO distribute Aims at a cheaper
rate. which they formerly withheld as
Continued on Sirth Pdpe.
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