The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-12-26
HIGHER NJ D VIE.
PRICES ARE
SOUGHT
Producers Warning on Exhibit
ors for Control of Film
Industry.
By WILLIAM PARKER,
COSMOPOLITAN News Service.

HOLLYWOOD. Dec. &c. - Motion
picture producers have declared
war 70 the knife. and the knife to
ehe hilt, on. the exhibitors, the men
VINO operate the film theaters.
The actor with his bonanza
salary, instead of being the CON-
pelling motive that has brought
about a curtailment of film produc-
ton. is only the innocent bystander
In the fray. His fate.s too, issex-
pected to be that which usually
be4alls the innocent nystander.
Control of Industry Sought.
When the smoke Of battle clears
away, the producers hope to have
accomplished these three revolu-
ttonaFy objects:
THE price Of admission to thea
tiers viii be higher.
2-The actors salary will be
lower.
sLThe producer and not the ex-.
hfbitor will control the film indus
4 try.
be fought by the producers was
outlined today by Joseph M.
dependent film producers in the in
dustry.
'Thirty per cent Of the cost of
production OF a motion picture is
charged to salaries" said Schenck.
sSalaries have reached sums all out
OF proportion to the ability and
box office value OF the actors. Un-
less he or she has a distinct and
proved bex office value, no actor or
actress should receive more than
$500 a week.
1DThfs condition Of high salaries
is a burden imposed on US by the
exhibitors and we have called a halt
on. it. From now on the pro-
ducers will cast their pictures ac-
cordinZ to the ability of the actor,
and the exhibitor will take the pic
lures the way we make them or
not at all.
owe were forced into employing
certain actors because the exhibit
ors said they must have them. 1t
SUorked out like this. A film sales
man would go to an exhibitor with
a picture. The exhibitor would not
INQUIRE or be particularly interested
IN the quality Of the picture. The
first thing he would ask would be,
SWhat names are in the picture"
If the names pleased him he would
rant the picture unseen. If 1t was
n uicture without names he would
have to see it first and then he
would prefer to have a picture
which had names
''It has been demonstrated to our
satisfaction that the American
- DeopIe will pay almost any price to
see a good picture, and nothing at
All for a Door one. In downtown
los Angeles we took one Of our
fig theaters and made 1t a popular
price house, playing ordinary pic
lures. Admission price was Is cents.
We did not make enough to pay
even the house expense. let alone
the cost Of renting the film. In
this same house Norma Ta1nadge
pictures previously had played for
four continuous weeks. We changed
the policy Of the theater and the
name Of the house. As the Cri.
terion Theater we have been run.
ming a Charlie Chaplin film for eight
weeks at q top price Of $3.50, with
IS cents tax added.
1.-THE average price OF admission
IN too low. More money must come
into the box offices to pay higher
rental for pictures. The producers
must concentrate on quality pro-
auctions and cast the pictures with
people who fit the roles.
Heretofore we believed the ex.
hibitor represented the voice Of the
people and when he said the people
wanted names we went after
names. Now we know that the
public wants quality. We are going
to make pictures for the people and
NOT fhe exhibitors