The Omaha morning bee., 1924-02-02
CHAPTER ONE.
In Which Is Filmed the Birth Of a
Notion

years ago that I walked into a little
motion picture theater on Broadway.
! paid 20 cents admission. AS l took
my seat a player piano was digging
viciously into a waltz. Upon the
floor squalid statuette lay under
its rain of peanut shells.
And all around me men. women
and children were divided between
the sustained comfort of chewing gum
and the sharp, fleeting rapture of
the nut.
Only decade ago Yet this was
a representative setting and audience
for motion pictures. Likewise typical
was the film itself. For, as were
practically all productions of that
day. this was only one or two reels.
And, faithful to the prevailing tradi.
tion, the drama of tonight was west
ern.
l looked at the cowboys galloping
over the western plains, and in their
place there rose before me Henry
Esmond crossing swords with the
young pretender, wiry young D'Artg.
nan riding out from Gascony on his
poney to the Paris of Richelieu, Car.
men on her way to the bull fight
Why not? Here was the most
wonderful medium of expression In
the world. Through it every great
novel. every great drama, might be
uttered In the one language that
needs no translation. Why get moth
ing from this medium save stua-
tions which were just about as fresh
and unexpected as the multiplication
tables?
When I went into that theater /
had no idea of ever going into the
film business. When | went out |
was glowing with the sudden realiza-
tion OF my way to fortune. I could
hardly wait until I told my idea to
my brother-in-law. Jesse Lasky.
"Lasky, do you want to make a
fortune?' With these words 1 burst
in upon him that evening.
Lasky. who was at that time in
the vaudeville business, indicated that
he had no morbid dread of the
responsibility Of great wealth.
VERY well, then" I continued.
Put up some money"
"1n what?"
"In motion pictures, I answered.
Motion picturesr' scoffed he. you
dii1 WOttld Oc u lliic Dbll III tiidl
business-me, a vaudeville man, and
you. a glove salesman. What do we
know about the game? Besides, how
about the trust?"
His last words touched upon a vital
issue In the screen industry of that
period. The truth of it was that mo-
ton picture theaters throughout the
country were practically at the mercy
of 10 companies which, for the
privilege of showing pictures. collect
ed a weekly license fee of 81 each,
from $4,000 theaters. I shall not
enter here into the argument by
which the combine justified their
taxation. I shall merely remark that
the existent system presented an
obstacle worthy of consideration.
however, all the way home 1 had
been preparing an answer to this pro-
test of Lasky's, and now I eagerly
put II forth.
"Give the public fine pictures, I
urged. "Show them something diff
ferent from western stuff and slap
stick comedies and you'll find out
what will become of the trust. And
why should your entertainment have
to be so short? II it's good story
there's no reason why 1t couldn't run
through five reels. 1 tell you the
possibilities of the motion picture
business have never been touched.
We could sell good films and long
films all over the world"
Eventually Lasky was convinced
that my idea presented at least a
good betting proposition. and he
agreed to add $4,000 to the equal
amount which l put up, provided he
be relieved OF any active manage
ment. Considering that in those days
many of the two-reelers were made
for less than 81 900. our original capi-
tai seemed not only adequate to the
immediate cost OF production, but to
a. handsome margin for recovery from
a possible first failure. With this
assumption OF strength We took our
next logical step. We hunted for
somebody who would make our pic
lures for us.
It was natural that the first person
of whom we should think in this con-
nection was Mr.. d. w. Griffith. He
was then directing for the Biograph
company, one Of the units Of the mo-
ton picture trust, and he had already
experimental with the longer picture
in judith OF Bethulla.'' Indeed, ]
Wl8n 10 Sdy Iikil I1ef0 tIidJ J. ldS fio
claim to pioneer thought in realizing
that the screen was susceptible OF
longer and moro varied treatment,
for, in addition to our American
Judith of Bethulia," one or two for
eign pictures had heralded the new
era. Any possible credit to me, there
fore, must be accorded to my con.
ception OF the new sort of photoplay
as a systematic performance rather
than as a sporadic spectacle. Indeed,
I was to find out later that even this
idea was not an exclusive visitation.
Lasky and ] had supposed that we
were the only ones in the field, but
1t was not long before we discovered
that even previous to us another man
had acted on the same idea.
But to go back to my interview
with Mr.. Griffith. l met him for
lunch, and / was impressed immedi
ately by the personality which has
since lifted him into his place as the
greatest Of screen directors. Tall and
spare and quite stopped, Mr.. Griffiths
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
mistake for gray even across room
contribute a final authority. These
eyes while he Is at work. 80 people
tell me. glow with enthusiasm. but
during the chance interview they join
with the mouth In look of amused
observation.
with this expression that day
when he finally spoke Il was tc
quench any hope that Mr.. Griffitf
might ever become associated witt
Lasky and me.
"A very interesting project" he
commented, "and II you can show