Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03
Continued from Third Page

"Onllnutu from lnlIu fdSt.'
since lifted him into his place as the
greatest of screen directors. Tall and
spare and quite stopped, MIR. Griffith s
figure suggests by its very lack of
erectness that reserve of energy
which transforms him in the studio
to the tireleSS, almost demoniacal
worker His features are clear-cut,
and to the suggestion of the eagle in
his profile the clear blue eyes-eyes
which you could never possibly mis-
take for gray even across room
contribute a final authority. These
eyes while he is at work, SO people
tell me, glow with enthusiasm, but
during the chance interview they join
with the mouth in look Of amused
observation.
With this expression he heard me
make my proposition that day. When
he finally spoke it was 10 quench any
hope that Mr.. Griffith might ever be-
come associated with Lasky and me.
"a very interesting project he
commented. land if you can show me
a. bank deposit of s250,ooo 1 think we
might talk
/ did not betray the meager con-
versational basis which ] had to offer.
Instead. Lasky and | now approached
friend of ours, Cecil de Mile. Mr..
dc Mile. although very little more
than thirty years of age at this time,
was already known as playwright
Of considerable skill. His father had
been Belasco's partner and he himself
had been associated with the cele-
brated theatrical producer in writing
>'The Return of Peter Grimm" With
all of his dramatic tradition and
achievement Mr.. de Mile had one
limitation. At this time he. had never
directed picture. More than this.
he had never even seen one directed.
However, neither he nor we We're
daunted by this slight flaw in his
equipment And after day or two
spent in the Edison studios Mr.. de
Mile went out to California to
services he was paid 800 a week
and was promised. in addition, some
stock In the company. When you
reflect that today he receives approx
imately $1,000 Il week, together with
a, large percentage of the returns on
realize that the jinnee of the screen
has functioned almost as we'll as did
his ancestor of the Arabian Nights"
And in no place is the magic more
De Mile went out to Los Angeles to
look around for site Hollywood
promised nothing of it's present pomp.
The vast studiossthe beautiful villas.
the famous pleasure places-all have
arisen in the past decade. 1t needs,
INDEED. only a dash-back from the
Famous Players-Lasky studios of to-
day to our humble residence of nine
years ago to give You a complete sense
of the growth of the industry.
The site which we finally selected
was one floor of livery stable Here
in this space, out of which had been
created, in addition to the studio, I've
small dressing rooms, our dirsotor
made that first film. The elaborate
sets were then undreamed Of Paint
ed backgrounds achieved their duties
and our scenic equipment consisted
Of four canvas wings and two pieces
of canvas. Likewise absent was the
modern complicated system of light
ing. The sun was our - only cleo
trician in those days. And with the
aid of three or four men De Mile
set to work In a studio where the
weekly pay roll now numbers 1,150
people.
Yet, in spite of such simplified con-
ditions. 1t cost us $4,000 to make
Shat first picture. Nowadays that
s4m ie inadequate for any long pro-
sduction. but in those times 1t was
unprecedented. OF course the cost Of
the motion-pi rights OF our first
drama accounted for this expenditure.