Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-26

ana Philadelphia PUBIC Ledger
NEW YORK. n. y, Aug. 2G.-There are
times when it is a real pleasure to get
letter from an old friend asking you to
DO something for him, william Dudley
or Uncle Dud," as everybody knows him
along Fifth avenue, writes from his pres
ent bailiwick in Milwaukee for 1.-The very
latest screen dope" After spending the en-
tire afternoon hoofng the golden stairs of
shade wland-really, you do use elevators
but golden stairs sounds more roman
tic-I have gathered an ear full.
Ny dear Dud:
Knowing nothing whatever about the
silver sheets from personal knowledge l
am able to write freely. All that 7 tell
you has been told me. Watch out for a
big merger Of the Famous Players Lasky
Corporation and the Metro Pictures Cor
poration. Why do I say so? My an
swer is what a picture man remarked {:
Did not Marcus LOew's son Arthur
marry AdOlph Zuker's daughter Mil
dredf Z" When I repeated the pleasantly
today to Mr.. LOew, Sr., who was up to
his eyes in arranging for the opening of
his Mammoth State Theater next Mon
day, he laughed heartily and said:
or course. my personal relations with
ny good friend Zuker have nothing to do
1900 wi BUSINESS EE4dLADub.
There has been a lot Of knocking Of
the picture industry, but it still remains
the Nations gold mine Aside from the
billion dollars $1,000 900 OOO) invested in
the 1900 picture theaters of the coun-
try there is an investment of $3.50 OO0. 900
additional in production studios, prodac-
uons and distribution enterprises An
nually the turnout of productions is 100
features, 30 comedies and 500 short ones.
two and three-reel subjects The daily
attendance ranges from l., 600 900 to 15,-
100000, with receipts averaging 500, 00O.-
OOO every twenty hours. The sum
mer shutdown for repairs, hot weather
and lack Of business is estimated at 16
per cent and Labor day the whole in
dustry is expected TO be running nearly
fun blast again.
SAME LEADERS
AHEAD NEXT SEASON.
For the coming season. as before. the
leaders will be the Famous PLAYERS
Lasky Corporation. William Fox. who
has become 4 sort of John d. Rookie
Teller Of the industry. and the Metro.
which is Mr.. Loew's production corpo.
ration Both Fox and Loew have long
strings Of theaters, being exhibitors as
well as producers. likewise the Famous
Players, which bought heavily into the
picture houses. and controls hundreds
Of them. The way TO build a theater
IS TO go into town and put an adver-
usement in the leading newspaper why
has this city no frst-class picture
houseI' Then launch company and in
vite local capital to participate. Its as
easy as rolling a log down hill
Next after the big trio we have the
ST p fsrNff IA 49,
re. Pictures Corporation. the Selznick
Pictures. the Universal Film Manufac-
turing Company, the United Artists ID.
". Gr1ffiths and his three stars, Charlie
Chaplin. Mary PIckford and Douglas
Fairbanks, the Associated Producers.
William r. Hearst's Cosmopolitan and
International and scores Of other cor
pOrations and individuals. Chester
BeecrOft-you remember Chester when he
was down in the editorial rooms Of the
old Press-says the American Production
firms have an aIi-velvet rake-off from for
eign countries Of S25O0O,OOO annually.
That is why he says It would be a short
sighted policy for Congress to put q
high tariff on the few foreign films that
are available for this country. IL we
shut them out, be says the e may be re
taliation and American films be punished
abroad where they are 100 per cent vel
come, both as 10 quality and amount.
Less than 10 per cent CT the foreign
made pictures can be used here and in
the last ten years. the aggregate they
have taken out of the eOuI try in cash is
not 100000" he said. only rarely
do foreign picture produ .ers splurge-
most Of their subjects are for home con
sumption only. When they do put big
money into a picture It generally is
something American producers can learn
from. a stimulating influence well worth
admitting into the country. For in
stance. The Italian QUO Vadis' and
'Cabiera.' the German Deception
Passion and Son Of Napoleon and
Les Miserables, the British 'Watcing
Dyes and Carnival and the Danish
The Books Of Satan The Phantom
Ship and Our Mutual Friend
Not long ago in Berlin, l saw some
three hundred German pictures and less
than twenty-five Of them were even bare
possibilities for America the others being
entirely too morbid for US"
GERMAN FILM SCARE
Is SISISIERING.
So I would say, taking it from Chester
and others that the German film scare is
simmering and amounts to a bug boo
The American Legion had best lay of.
Further, the deal Mr.. ZukOr recently put
over in Germany put the principal Ter
man screen artists under American man
agement.
When one contemplates the vastness OF
the motion picture industry, the salaries
it pays and the enjoyment It spreads st
low cost among millions it is difficult t.
realize It Is a business that is only
twenty-one years old and virtually has
Just come to age. Hence, It is well to be
tolerant with It's shortcomings. The pic
ture business runs in cycles or eras OF
about eight years each. 1t opened with
the penny arcade and the slow develop
ment Of the Edison the Nitagraph and
the Biograph Companies which made one
reel pictures used in the vaudeville house
"a "chasers." Remember how when the
initials "a. B." were shown on q film we
used to settle back In our seats and ap-
pIaud when It was over. That was d. w.
Grinith's constantly making better pic
lures and his nameless artists were Mary
Pickford, Mack Sonnet and those early
stars for in those days. the producers
would not allow the names Of their ar
fists to be known.
After a time there doomed the Big
Eight"-Biograph Edison, Lubin, Es-
senay, Selig. Kalem. Gaumont and Vita
graph. All gone now, or practically So
as factors in the industry. Every man