The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-06
NEW MOVES SHOW
! LARGE EVOLUTION
/ in SCREEN FILMS
Recently FOIeShadOwed Re-
forms Are Being Made
Ali Along Line.
WAGE CUTS NUMEROUS
Efficiency Insisted Upon i'll
Instances Where FavOrit-
ism Once Ruled.
PICTURES ARE IMPROVING
Vamps Lose Attraction and
Real Authors Get Chance
Long Desired.
WAGE CUTS NUMEROUS
PICTURES ARE IMPROVING


ton has reopened its big Long Island
plant with two companies operating in
space for ten. After a wholesale shut.
down this resumption OF work, motion
picture producers hope. foresnadows
general reawakening of activity in the
film business.
But reports coming in lately from Los
Angeles indicate that the regeneration
of the movie business which film Off
Gals anxiously looked forward to seeing
occur around the beginning of February
will not take place so soon. A man con-
nected with one of the leading film CON-
panies who returned recently from the
California producing centre said that
So per cent. Of the normal business there
was at a standstll.
One big commercial studio which rents
its stages to various producing COM
panies and requires at least fifteen com
panies on it's lot" to pay weekly
overhead of S20.0 had only three COM
panieS operating. Another big concern
noted for the prolific manner in which 1t
has hitherto turned out pictures for
weekly programme release had only one
company working.
Even ITdUeSpeOQ.c WHO HdQ tdIlltd
livelihood on the fringe of the motion
picture industry by catering to the wants
of it's employees are reported to be shut
ting I'D shop. In all Los Angeles and
Hollywood, where "A hundred camera
men have been known to work at one
time only fourteen were reported a
short time ago to be turning the crank,
and hey weren't very optimistic as to
how .ong their employment would last.
Julian EItinge Quits Work.
So uncertain has been the outlook that
Julian Eltinge, who has generally been
counted upon TO be big draw with ms
feminine impersonGtions on the screen,
has stopped his latest picture, THE Fas-
cinating Widow" while it was being
filmed Members of his company have
been paid off with several weeks salary,
and the photoplay has been abandoned
for the time being,
Another sign with which the film folk
encourage themselves is that Marshall
Neilan, one OF the capable independent
producers. has just embarked on the
shooting of feature picture requirins
the services of 1000 extras. But none
OF the programmes of the big companies
shows any expansion for the coming
year most OF them contenting them
selves with fewer and better pictures in
the form Of special productions.
When THE NEW YORK HERALD pub
lshed its exclusive story couple OF
weeks ago that business in the motion
picture field was stagnant and that the
coming year would witness this pro-
tramme of fewer and better pictures
many photoplay executive were quick 10
rush into print with denials. They de-
,lai-ed that misleading reports were
snrcad by irresponsible extras who knew
nothing about the Internal economy OF
the movies. and that stories of the work
ing forces OF the film industry being cut
down related only to these hundreds OF
sUpc rnumcrares, regardless OF the fact
that the evidence of their own announce
ihcrts showed that numerous stars who
formerly appeared separately were now
being crowded into one picture.
Subsequent reports from Los Angeles,
however proved that the story in this
u. wsp3per was correct and that It's state
mont Of a reduction of so per cent. in
che film business erred. Il anywhere. on
he side of conservatism. hort time
, ago Jesse L. Lasky. first ce-president
Of the Famous Players-Lasky Corpora
ton. I'm charge OF production. returned
from "A trip TO the coast aud virtually
acknowledged the truth of the story in
THE New York HERALD in a statement
which indicated that there would be a
reorganization of the industry, with n
wedding out Of many incompetent aud
overpaid actors and directors, who had
managed to cling 20 the business during
its era of great prosperity.
Lnsky Alarms Film Players.
His statement has stirred up con-
siderable alarm among film players and
directors. They view Il as n harbinger
of a general slashng OF salaries all
long the line. even among those actors
who remain. Out West the Aim actors
labor union organization has taken steps
looking toward closer working agree
ment with The Actors Equity Associa-
ton in the ape of forcing the producers
to maintain The present level of movie
salaries.
The lesscL fry among the directors
and players barge that the slump has
been engineered In the business by the
big producers with the aim OF pleading
diminished receipts and so getting an
excuse for cutting down pay. But even
if this were the case impartial obsorv-
crs, who deny the truth OF this charge.
point out that n the public demand for
pictures were actually as great as here
tofore the producers would be quite as
willing to nay the big salaries as they
were In THO past WHOM ttc public Has
rs Joseph Punk 81 manager director
VI the Strand ana oue nf ,to leading esq
hritors I9 mo country Totes. the dav
OF the factory made pir 'ur' is past
lfo believes that movie stars viii here
after get just as much as they arc worth
to the public. This means that there
win be no particular diminutlon in the
salaries paid to stars of the first rank,
such as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fair
banks. Charlie Chaplin. Norma aud Con-
stance Talmadge. William s. Hart. WIN
Rogers and others OF their class.
But the salaries paid to minor talent
will In the future more nearly approx
mate those paid 80 players OF equal
standing on the speaking stage. The
leading man who gets $500 a week will
be much raror. and hereafter movie pro-
6Gceis expect II VIII be considerably
sr.';ss 30 get screen actors who are will
ing to accept 500 a week.
Investors Amply Brakes.
one influencing factor in this tighten
Ing up of the industry has been the