Evening star., 1925-11-01
BY JAMES RORBINS.

Of the business haven't the exact
figures: that is only rough guess.
Oppressive methods?-"There have
been none to my knowledge: never in
my experience. Ny enemies. IL I
might call them enemies, are but my
competitors'
Forced presentation Of poor pic
tures?-"One can't tell what a picture
is until 1t is sold and the public passes
on il. That II very obvious"
An open Absolutely.
Adolph Zukor, president Of the F'a
nous PlayersIasky Corporation. who
with his organization is under Federal
Trade Commission investigation to
ascertain whether all is healthy com
petition in the 81 500, ,000. 600 motion
picture industry, was talking. II was
an interview for the New York World
News Service and. as he pointed out.
the first he had ever given in his life.
Zukor Small In Stature.
He sat in his corner ONCE on the
eighth floor Of the building at +S5
Fifth avenue. overlooking the public
library.
He is small man in stature.
smooth shaven. with gray hair brush
ed back fiat from his forehead. He
wore a gray business suit figured
light blue four-in- ha nd tie with sin
gle pearl stickpin In II. small diamond
ring on the third finger Of his right
hand. figured silk socks and low black
shoes.
He smoked long. thin cigar. sal
back with his hs nds on the arms Of
mahogany swivel chair. turned al
right angle Ia his fiat-top desk. There
were few papers on the hlntter. evi-
dently placed there by his secretary
for his Immediate attention.
on his desk were framed photo
l.. a
heavy silver desk set
| Mr. Iukor talks with his lips drawn
in and squared. but he neither frnwns
| nor shouts He could not he quieter
in manner il he We're trying L" catch
mouse He thinks as he talks.
Words I" him are for purpose and
not all effect lie anticipates ques,
! with an answer.
: The long cigar between the fingers
Of his right hand. which he occasion
ally lifts for light pun on. seems his
only relief as he warns To the subject
before him but there is regularity To
; his puf- Words mean more tha n
smoke 10 him. He says them To i'm
press. and not vanish in air.
Interview j. First.
MIR. Zukor. the New York World
: News Service would like to Get
YOUR"
He interrupted that once.
1t is the first time ! have ever
given newspa per interview. he
said. Il have hee n asked for my opin
ions on The motion picture business by
newspapers and magazines many
: times | always felt the public was
. interested in my pictures-not me.
What can ! say" he asked.
You can tell The story Of your
career in the business" ii will be sue
gested
He began AT the time the motion
pictures came out-in l9o6-aftrr he
and Marcus I.oew had started their
penny arcade and he opened sma Il
place in Fourteenth street, ittine II
up to represent a railroad car 10 give
, the public the impression Of travelling
. and Witnessing the scenery. William
\. Brady was his first partner in pic
lures, hut after a short time ne re
, newed his partnership with Loew.
Those first pictures were views OF
travelling he recalled.
Early Business Grew.
1t was novelty and the business
grew. We removed The car interior
! and put in chairs to seat more peo
pIe That was The beginning Of what
became known as the store show
There were not enough films and
the novelty wore off Business hesa n
TO waue We were in rut.
There were eight or nine makers
NJ pictures. The General Film 60.
was organized and distributed Two
nictures a day. Then The Passion
PIav' was brought out in three reels
hy Pathe We engaged q quartet with
our presentation Of IL. That drew 2
new element ot the public.
II gave me the idea OF reproduc
T. ton of novels or plays. with well
known actors. talked with several
e producers about this, but they save
me no encourae cement. They were
satisfied with the business they were
doinc | tried to impress on their
= minds that the business we were do
inz was only ira history and would die
! nui II the quality were not improved
AT the end Of two wears | went to
Dan MEL F'rohman and sold him my
: id "a That was in 1911. | suggested
we put The Prisoner of Zenda' in
pictures James h. Hackett was play
( ing in il in ST. Louis. Mr.. Frohma
3 went to ST Louis and talked with Mr
: Hackett. who consented I" play the
I picture role. We produced The
Prisoner of Zenda and sold it To eN-
hihi1ors in the different States. That
, was the beginning OF State rights.
Expenses Barely Met.
} I'VE barely covered the expense "f
the picture, hut we watched the Fl.
, feet on the public. became convinced
: that with famous plays | could sue.
coed.
Il secured Mrs. F'ist. ana Jack
r BARRYMORE for pictures. wanted 10
get the hest people who could he oh
itained-those at the top nf their pro
fession-and the hest plays. Mary
Pickford in 1913 was in the Eelasco
= play, The Good Little Devil. saw
: a performs of it apd saw her pos
sibilities She consented to so into
pictures.
! 1T was a question Of suficient
/ number Of pictures-xood pictures
We could not create a following by
the exhibition of one now and thon.
Thirty pictures at least were neces
, sarv. A continuity of supply Ia every
: thing in an institution. Also In order
/ to raise the prices for good pictrles to
make them pay we would have TO keep
I. up the standard.
r We had no idea then how these
= pictures would go. The plan TO sell
D them outright did not seem wise. 1t
was decided the producer should get
I S5 Der cent and the distributor 80 per
cent.
."rhe Paramount Pictures Corpora
ton was crea ted in 1914 as medium
! for distribution-for simplifcation. BY
it producers and exhibitors could dea1
with one distributing orSa MIA ton
= The Paramount group took many pic
lures from Jesse l.. Lasky and Hobart
Rosworth who were producing. as
well as myself. They relea sed two q
week or 104 a year. Then exhibitors
!. could present two pictures week and
have continuous foW of supply.