The Washington times., 1923-08-25
PAY Of PICTURE
STAR, GAMBLE,
SAYS NORMA
Miss TaImadge Tells Truth
About High Salaries
Paid in Films.
By WILLIAM Parker.
Cosmopolitan News Service Staff
Correspondents.


Correspondent.
Copyright, 1928. Cosmopolitan News
Service)
HOLLYWOOD, Calf. Aug. 25.-
Norma Talmadge IL about to In
itiate a movement to take the "us"
out Of the fabulous" salaries paid
to stars of the silver sheet.
Appropos OF the recent hearing
in New York OF the Federal Trades
Commission, Miss Talmadge made
few remarks, this week on the
subjects Of art and money.
Fabulous salaries for motion
picture stars! Hundreds of thous-
ands Of dollars every year to ap.
pear on the screen! That is the
general impression formed in the
minds Of people," she said as she
dabbed a powder puff against her
cheek and surveyed the effect in
a mirror as she paused between
scenes in Purple Pride
ut Is true" she admitted, that
stars do receive these tremendous
amounts Of money for pictures,
but
ANOW ISL IuO O4PLdlHs
"In the first place the money 10
given for the delivery of a negative
"a completed picture-and is not
a salary.
Pay Gamble.
"All expenditures that are incur.
red in the making Of a feature
film are deducted. This puts a
different aspect on the situation,
doesn't 1t?
AS a result. sometimes, there is
little or nothing left for the star,
and he or she, as the case may
be, must gamble with the pro-
Queer, for unless the picture is
box office success there Is no
money for the star. The profits
como in percentages, not in
salary"
Miss Talmadge then gave a num-
Der Of items of studio expense IN
Purple Pride" Constance Tai
madge's "Du1cy." and Buster
Keaton's "Three Ages" She put
c. Gardner Sullivan, scenario editor
down at $102, 900 a year, and Willard
Mack and Francis Marion at salar-
les which Appropriated that paid
to Sullivan. The payroll for one
week, she said. totaled $85, 900.
Then there is the big item Of
studio rent continues Miss Tai
madge on comptometer tones, land
| the salaries of the director and
the assistant director. On Purple
Pride more than 100000 feet Of
film has been shot Every foot
of this will be printed. making
100000 feet of raw stock. The
laboratory bill for this will De
almost a fortune in itself.
Costs Are High.
1.-THE transportation item-the
taking Of players to the scene away
from the studios as much as the
whole cost OF a production made in
1910.
"In Constance's picture The Dan
gerous Maid forty women were
employed for twenty weeks as
seamstresses. Oyer these women
and always on the payroll-is q high
priced costume designer, in this
case Walter Iseral formerly Of
New York. 1t was necessary to
send to ParlS to obtain engraVlngs
and plates for the costumes. and
these, together with the research
labor and expenses incurred made a
pretty bill. In my picture Purple
Pride 1900 costumes were used.
The Louvre ballroom set, built Of
wood, staff and stone cost $13S, 900.
| Additional and unusual illumina-
ton being necessary three genera.
tors were purchased at total
cost of $4,000. Mr.. Schenck show
ed me q cost sheet the other day
and with Purple Pride not yet
finished, $780,000 had already been
expended.
"The Schenck press department.
with a staff which could issue a
fair sized daily newspaper, includes
fourteen former newspaper men,
artists and assistants.