The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-12-01
HERE is MORE ABOUT
MOVIE PROMOTER
STARTS ON PAGE ONE


great possibilities in raising the ordi-
nary tuber She did a little expert
menting. and today she owns the
largest potato farm in New England
and personally superintends the plant
ing and harvesting of her crop which
is always bought long before it is
planted, SO famous have her fine pota-
toes become.
The same spirit of indomitable per-
severance and pluck must have been
bequeathed to the son, for Board Ste
vens Williams Is now at the top of the
profession as a producer Like his
forceful mother, he has gone on and
up, until, today. he ranks as one OF
the big producers of the country. The
love he has for Hollywood is indicated
in all that he has to say about the NOV
ing picture business, in spite of the
fact that he admits the strenuousness
Of production. When I am producing
a picture" said Mr.. Williams, work
ing hours are from six In the morn
ing until twelve at night, and it takes
seven weeks to make one movie, so il
will be seen that it is not an easy life
However. after a picture, we usually
rest for four or five weeks before going
at it again
when / went to Hollywood in 1912
it was a city of $4,000 people; today
its population numbers about 100000
Los Angeles thrives on tourist and
moving pictures, Californians estimat-
ing that the movies are worth annually
5000 000O 600 to that state"
Asked as to the salaries reputed to
be paid movie stars, Mr.. Williams said
that these We're not exaggerated
MARY Pickford is said to have received
over one million dollars for five pic
lures in 1918, and see no reason for
doubling these figures, as under her
contract she is paid $250,000 for each
picture. However, Miss Pickford has
TO pay for the cost of her productions .
Asked as to money made in the pro-
ducing end, Mr. williams called atten-
tion to the fact that most of the NOV
ing picture companies are financed by
New York financiers. The author of
THE Ghost Bride" which is the name
of the next picture to be produced for
Bryant Washburn, the manuscript of
which Mr. Williams has with him, was
paid $4,000 just for the story on which
the scenario will be founded Mr.. Will
liams says 1t costs anywhere from
$4,000 to 100000 to produce a picture
of any magnitude.
Mr.. Williams, in referring to his star,
spoke of the clean -cut man he is and
his delightful home life, producing a
photograph of Mr.. Washburn, taken
with his lovely young wife and two
small sons Mrs. Wlashburn is not on
the screen.
Another very interesting picture was
that of Leona Powers, the youngest
leading lady in the United States, d
beautiful young woman, with Titan
hair who has just closed a season in
Boston, and is now playing at the
Capitol theatre an Dallas. Miss Powers
will be starred by the Board Williams
company next year.
Mr.. Williams produces his pictures
at The Brunton, which studio is also
used for producing the exterior scenes
in the Douglas Fairbanks pictures, by
the Jackie Cooglan producers, by Nazi-
nova, Bessie Barriscale, J. Warren
Kerrigan, Betty Compson, and many
other of the moving picture fraternity.
The Brunton is the largest studio in
the world. Recently, when used BY
Mary Picl1ford in staging the English
hotel scene in Little Lord Fauntle-
roy" $32. 900 was expended in produc-
ing that one scene alone. The stage
of the Brunton. is 3S4 feet long, and it
is possible to produce four scenes on
this stage at one time.
Owing to the financial depression all
over the country, the past year has
been a bad one for the moving picture
industry, according to Mr.. williams,
but since the first of October there has
been a tremendous revival fifty units
having entered the field since that time
There are fifty-two motion picture
studios at Hollywood, employing ~, 900
people. Mr.. Williams, who began his
career on the stage, in 1908, just after
his graduation, later becoming a vau-
deville producer, in New York City,
formed a moving picture corporation in
1916 but owing to the war active work
was not undertaken until 1915 Since
that time his rise in the profession has
been rapid, and productions of the
Bryant Washburn pictures is guaran-
tee of the splendid success which has
been his.
Mr.. Williams will leave in a few
days for Hot Springs, where he will
be the guest of Mr.. and Mrs. Louis
Henry Adair at the Moody hotel of
which Mr.. Adar is the manager, after
which he will go to Maine for the
Christmas holidays, leaving Maine on
December 26 for Hollywood, where he
will at once begin work on screening
THE Ghost Bride" which he believes
win be one Of the best OF the Wash
burn productions.