Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-22

up with his poor dear head moro
than usually added with gorgeous
schemes, and says he wants to con-
suit you. What he really wants is
your unconditional approval of
everything he has to propose. So
do be wise as well as kind"
"I'll try" Lucinda promised.
Considered in the light of this
semi-serious warning. all that Lon
tame had to lay before her seemed
almost disappointingly conservative.
'Ive been thinking it over ali
night" he assured Lucinda serious
w as she and Fanny settled to give
him attention, land it seems to me
/ ought to let you know more speci-
fcally what you're letting yourself
in for, before I ask you to hold
yourself pledged"
"That sounds suspiciously like
preparation for letting me down
easily"
please don't think that" There
was a convincing CLINT of alarm III
Lontaine's look. Never more en-
thusiastic, more sure of anything
than l am of your eventual success.
But it's going to mean hard work
for both of u.s."
1T shan't mind hard work." Luz
cinda replied. "As for disappoint-
ments, / don't expect much, so I
can't be very hard hit If everything
doesn't urn out as happily as one
might wish"
"If that spirit won't win for US.
nothing WILL" I~sontaine declared.
Now for a tentative program i. . {.
Our first step. naturally, will be to
incorporate. And since 1t seems to
be the fashion on this side, and our
corporate name will serve as a
trademark. I venture to suggest
Linda Lee, Inc"
"One name is as good as another.
don't you think"
Good. Call that settled. Then as
to finances. My study of American
studio conditions has satisfied me
that production costs this side are
| normally excessive. The average
| cost of a well-made picture today is
between eighty and a hundred and
| twenty thousand-too much by
half"
"Mr. Cups secretary told me
| Alma Daley's pictures cost between
a hundred and fifty and two hum
, bred thousand each"
"If so, Ben Culp is throwing
money away through ignorance OF
bad management or indifference.
But say q picture costs us fifty
thousand, its gross earnings, the
first year, should be two hundred
and fifty thousand. We ought to
turn out not less than four pictures
a year. which will mean at least
four hundred and fifty thousand
clear profit to be split up between
the star, the executive, and h cap
italists."
SIT SOUNDS like a fairy tale"
cit is a fairy tale-come true In
real life. Nothing else could ac-
| count for the p~resent-day tribe OF
motion-picture m~illionaires. They
have imagination enough to SCI
cheap amusement for the masses In
what most intelligent people. a
dozen years ago. considered merely
a mechanical curiosity. So they
invested their small savings, these
| petty tradesmen and transforming
! actors, in the venture that high
finance scorned. and the boom
found them securely in the saddle.
That's why the public gets so much
| perfunctory and stupid stun thrown
at 1t today"
"But our pictures aren't going to
be in that class-are they?"
Rather not, We're going to go
at this thing in an intelligent way.
Well pick a good staff. select our
stories with care. get the best men
to write our scenarios, and gather
round US a group of actors. ike
those who have made the Conti-
mental cinema what it is today.
more interested in their work than
In themselves. willing to take their
chances OF scoring a fine ensemble
acting instead of insistent that every
| picture shall be distorted to throw
a so-called star into prominence.
Even in America such sincere art
lists exist. and Wen find and bring
them together and prove that cine
ma production can be an art as well
as a money-grubbing scheme"
Bravo! bravo!" Fanny interpo-
lated. -Hark to the dear man! Nov
If only he'll perform one-half as
bravely as he promises-t"
Lontaine flushed a little but paid
no other heed ATQ-Eet hackztovfhe