The New York herald., 1921-09-18

in April 1911. The attempt there to combine
breezy vaudeville with gastronomic joys was
not an unqualified success, and the house
afterward became the Fulton Theatre Not
long after the opening of the Folies Bergere
Lasky embarked permanently in the produc-
ton of film plays, and the Jesse l.. Lasky
Feature Play Company, Inc, became an
important factor in cinema production 1t
was not until 1916 that his interests were
combined with those of Zukor in the Famous
Players Lasky Corporation.
To return for the moment to Zukor who
in 1912 was conducting the Famous Players
Film Company, II is his claim and that of
his associates that he was the pioneer in
elevating the cinema from it's "nickelodeon"
phase to that of dignifed drama. Here is
a quotation from "The Story of the Famous
Players-Lasky Corporation" which was is
sued in 1919 by that concern in the hand
soonest style of the printers and photo
engraver's art:
To persuade great actors and actresses
to appear In motion picture representations
of the worlds greatest stories-that was
his idea. And at that time the motion
pictures showed nothing but crude "chases,"
tricks of photography and the like. The
actors and actresses of the day turned
down his proposals with contempt. SO he
said to the one man he had been able to
the greatest of all actresses. The others
win follow" Daniel Frohman went to
Paris and succeeded in showing Sarah Bern
hardt that her art could be preserved IN no
other way except by the screen. Being
great artist, and possessed of an artists
vision, she accepted.
The first genuine motion picture then,
was Queen Elizabeth" with Sarah Bern
hardt. The picture caused sensation.
nhArrt
the motion picture we're turned topsy-turvy.
and the first step toward the future had
been made.
The Bernhardt success was followed Dy
Mr. Zukor taking Pauline Frederick to Rome.
where a portion OF the film drama, THE
Eternal City" was staged and Miss Frederick
Immediately thereafter received salary OF
81 900 a week After the consolidation OF
the Zukor and Lasky interests the same
policy OF catering to quality clientele
was maintained One of the earliest big
successes after the merger was the film
presentation of Carmen" with Geraldine
Farrar in the title role and Wallace Reid
as Don Jose.
How the Corporation Expanded
From soo, 900 Shares to 2,45o,ooo
The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
originally had an authorized capital stock
OF only 200 900 shares. Though these were
listed as with no nominal or par value"
they were selling on the New York Stock
Exchange as high as S115 share in 1919.
The capital common stock subsequently to
the consolidation was increased to a total
authorized issue of 450, 900 shares. In addi-
tion TO this, as the expanded corporation
continued to flourish like the green bay
tree. its management authorized an issue of
$40 600 900 worth of cumulative convertible
preferred stock OF the par value of 800 a
share and paying per cent. interest. These
increases In capital stock, both common and
preferred. were authorized on November 10,
1919 the certificate of Incorporation of the
concern being amended accordingly.
In the flotation of these issues the bank
ing house of Kuhn, Loeb & Co had a
prominent part. In the corporations ap-
plication OF January, 1920 to the Stock Ex-
change for the listing of certain OF its Sc
curItles its presentation of it's consolidated
item Kuhn, Loeb & Co, underwriters,
1896. 200"
other Wall street firms which handled
considerable quantities of the securities in
cuded FIallgarten & Co, Knauth Nachod
a Kuehne, Il. S. smithers & Co, and Domi-
nick 4 Dominck or the last named house
Gayer Dominick is a member OF the board
OF directors Of the Famous Players-L -Lasky
Corporation.
That corporation at first was largely a
holding company acting through subsldi-
aries, but on December 80, 1917. these sub
salaries. owned In their entirety by the