San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-27
Increasing Value Of Land
in Motion Picture Center
Causes Producers to Sell
Out and Move Away;
Culver City, Liveliest Spot
This Side Of Border, Like
ly Heir-at-law. -
NV FORREST WHITE.

Copyright, 1924 by Consol. Press Assn.
Los Angeles, April 2e.-There is
one factor that can bring about di-
yorce of Hollywood from its motion
picture colony and that is the dollar.
Already there are signs of a rift in
what has been successful. and
somewhat stormy, alliance, and while
Hollywood is not doomed to extinc-
ton from the map of public interest,
or to lose its place in the sun in the
next few months, the almighty dollar
is beginning TO exercise its potent in
fluence against the picturesque COM
mittee as the center of motion pctu-e
production of the world.
A merger of motion picture pro-
ducing interests just completed will
cause the abandonment of one Of the
largest studios in Hollywood in favor
of another studio in Culver City. Still
another of the large studios will be
abandoned in the next few months for
new location many miles from Hol-
lywood. And the dollar interest is be-
hind both moves.
1t is not design. but rather the ac-
cident of wholly unlocked for advance
in property values, that has turned
the dollar interest against motion pic
ture production in Hollywood. No
producer can feel justified in holding
to several acres of ground that has
reached a value of hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, when another site
just as well, if not better suited for
motion picture production can be oh.
none of them is going to do it.
Mary Pickford to Quit.
One Of the biggest motion picture
lots remaining in the heart Of Holly
wood is valued at more than $4,000
600 for business and residence pur-
poses. and when this plant moves, as
it undoubtedly will within the yea,
the end of motion picture production
in Hollywood will be just around the
corner.
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fair
banks have a large Hollywood studio
and lot under lease. but Mary, in
London. has made the interesting an
nouncement that she is neither Bern
hardt nor a Duse and that three or
four more pictures will mark the end
Of her picture-making career. Doug
may 90 on making pictures, but the
tremendous cost Of his recent produc-
tons has discouraged him from large
undertakings. He would undoubtedly
be as well satisfied with another
studio outside Hollywood.
= Charlie Chaplin's studio also has
increased so in value of the land that
Chaplin, as a good business man will
undoubtedly dispose Of it for other
than motion picture purposes. Only
one or two studios worthy of the
name will then be left and Hollywood
can no longer be called the home of
motion picture production.
Locate at Culver City.
There will undoubtedly be a new
center Of production not far from Los
Angeles for the producers have no in
tention OF abandoning Southern Cali
fornia. The present drift appears to
be toward Culver City, where a num-
Der of large studios are already locat-
ed. The price Of land there is far
below that of Hollywood. but it also
is increasing and the business men be-
hind picture production will undoubt-
edly regard the purchase as a first
class investment.
Will the motion picture colony
abandon Hollywood to follow the trek
of the studios? 1t will. and stay not
upon the order of its going. And
there Culver City has another adj
vantage, for it is the liveliest spot this
side of the Mexican border.
There is all-night dancing and on
Sunday, too, in its pretentious road
houses and then even now enjoys n
large patronage from motion picture
folk.
Not for the bright lights alone and
the liberal laws of the little city, Is
Culver City the heir-at-law and legatce
of Hollywood. but the fact that the
movie colony will be free from sur
VIGILANCE that has become personally