South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-27
MOVIES NEAR NEW
ERA IN FILMD0M
Motion Picture Producers See
Change in Industry for
Coming Years.

Los ANGELES Calf. Nov. "a
Having weathered the storm OF re-
adjustment which has been IN pro-
grssB IN the mammoth studios here
for the past year. the motion pic
ture industry IL said 20 be on the
threshold OF the greatest era IN It's
history.
This Is the opinion OF some OF
the greatest leaders IN the industry.
who also agree that the following
n true:
1. Future Aim successes will be
masterpieces OF art and literature.
2. All dead wood has been elm
mated and production costs viii be
greatly curtailed.
3. There VIII be fewer but bet
ter pictures.
{. The day OF great spectaculaE
films calling for lmitless extrava-
gance Is gone forever.
The motion picture Industry has
recently passed through the fire OF
Reorganization from which only an
alloy Of good creative brains and
talent has survived" said Marshall
Neilan. a widely known producer.
IN analyzing the situation
Survival OF Fittest
The business today is on q
scunder footing than II has ever
been since 4ts inception. and while
the process OF elimination has
proved painful 20 many. pct Il was
move that had TO come sooner
or later.
In me instance OF every large
h1m organization IN southern Cal
ifcrnia the output for the coming
year has been materially reduced
in quantity with the purpose Of
concentrating on quality IN each
hlm produced This decision was
due to the fact that IN the past two
years there has been mad rush
TO strive for quantity output to con-
trcl exclusive showings.
~The folly OF this endeavor was
graphically proved TO the distr1but-
ing companies by the theater own
srs who insisted upon selecting the
best IN me market and refusing to
book the weaker pictures This
killed the incentive 20 put out guam
tity and encouraged the achievement
OF quality IN each film
Thus, during the coming year.
thu pictures themselves arc bound
70 show a marked advance which
thsater-going public.
DeAnIle Cites Future.
~Wfrh higher quality 10 the pic
tEes themselves. theater owners
who maize daily or semi-weekly
changes OF program are encouraged
20 extend the time OF their book
ingA u has been proved thai it
a. better 90 exhibit a picture Of real
menat that will draw the public for
q week than TO play two pictures OF
lesser merit during the week"
Cecil B. De Mile, director-gen-
era OF the Famous Players-I.aslzy
corporation. one OF the largest pro-
ductfng concerns IN the world, said
IN an interview;
The period OF reimbursement
through which the motion picture
industry, in common with the rest
Of the business world. has just
passed was the best possible thing
for the screen. 1t served to curtail
extravaganza. weed out the tncom-
pstents IN all departments and pave
the way for quality pictures IN the
future. leaving the finances OF the
industry IN far better condition
than they ever were before.
producers have learned that the
public wants only the best IN the
screen entertainment This does not
mean the costly and foolish extrava-
ganoe OF the past, but rather a
wise Eeiection OF story. cast and pro-
duceY assembled with a single aim
10 make the best possible pic
sure."
Better Scenarios.
According 10 Milton Hoffman.
general manager OF productions for
the Metro Pictures corporation, "the
reduction IN the number OF pictures
being made Will have a decidedly
beneficial effect upon future pro-
ducuon1 for the reason that really
extraordinary casts Will be possible
Another step forward, which
viii serve TO greatly improve pic
lures and reduce the original cost
or production has TO do with the
scenario itself Superfluous scenes
can now be eliminated IN the writ
ing OF the script instead of IN the
cutting Of the film. Writing and
filming hundred Of scenes chat could
not possibly be crowded into a FIVE
reel picture has not only increased
production costs. but TOO often re-
sultinE IN jerky disconnected PIC
lures that showed evidence of the
cutters pruning after the camera
had ceased % grind"
Prosperity Ahead
Abraham Lehr vice president OF
the Goldwyn Pictures corporation
and IN charge OF the studios at Cul-
YER CITY. said when interviewed:
frrrB-. ~--eF0- ~,f~frrra fv arro+r- y a .