Evening star., 1925-11-06
BY JAMES ROBBINS.
Article No. IX.

Article No. IX.
How Mary Pickford. Little Mary"
as they still call her in the world OF
MINIS. pouted her lips. stamped her No
"A and refused to be a factory
worker any longer in motion pic
| lures. is told by counsel for the Fed
sral Trade Commission in their sum-
nation of the investigation of that
industry
RMS narration from the testimony,
much of 1t from her own lips, includes
the steps taken by her and other stars
10 Jump their salaries and incomes to
the enormous figures that have be
come almost bewilderins.
Factory working" was the making
OF pictures and selling them in bulk.
which resulted in poor pictures being
mixed with good ones and the theater
owners being forced to show those
they realized were bad.
Was First to Object.
Miss Pickford, according to her tes-
timony, was the first OF the stars to
object to this. She felt that IL she
were to maintain her popularity her
pictures would have to be distinctive
and not identified with the presenta-
ton OF inferior ones, which were be-
ing sold along with hers, and which
she considered a burden
Adolph Zukor. president Of the Fa-
nous Players-Lask sky Corporation. who
became the center of the Government
attack in its allegation OF unfair tao
tics in the industry. told as exclusively
published in The Star. of the Compli,
cations that arose when demands were
made by stars for higher pay and the
sudden revolution in distribution and
the percentage arrangement. Zukor
ho1i r}n
have been made under factory
methods.
Miss PiCkford. playing The Good
Little Devil" went TO work for Zukor
in 1918. quickly became one of the
most popular stars in pictures and
was big drawing attraction. Soon
she requested larger salary.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
then was distributing and had not
been acquired by Famous Players. To
KEEP her on the Paramount program
Zukor demanded more for the produc-
ton of her pictures. Producers had
been getting S. per cent and distribu-
tors 80 per cent.
Cut Distributors Share.
Zukor secured a special contract for
Famous Players on the distribution
of three Pickford pictures. whereby
Famous received 72l2 per cent Of the
gross film rentals and an advance OF
$4,000 on each picture on the release
date. This left but 271z per cent for
the distributor.
In addition, Zukor entered into
contract with Miss Pickford for sew
eral pictures which should either be
distributed independently Of the Para
mount program. or. if they were made
nf p
ments for them should be made.
Then Zukor secured a contract for
ten Pickford pictures on similar terms.
and later still another for eight more.
whereby Paramount advanced $50 900
on each picture and guaranteed re
turn OF 100000 on each within Is
months after release.
But. it Is stated. Miss Pickford still
was dissatisfied with the way her pic
lures were being distributed and re
fused to make any more. Finally.
with her consent. her pictures were
put out with those of Douglas Fair
banks, who had decided to produce
his own" and who she afterward mar
lr'ied, George NJ. Cohan. d. w. Griffith.
William s Hart. Geraldine Farrar and
Cecil 3. DeMille
Opposed Block System.
Many OF the stars and directors
wanted to take more time on pictures
and make less number Of them. but
larger and better ones. They wanted.
too. to control their own destiny. 9th
ers wanted their pictures sold sepa-
rately so they might judge by box
office returns what character OF pic
lures audiences preferred them in.
They objected to tn selling in blocks
or sries The bitter and more popular
stars strenuously objected to their
pictures being grouped with mediocre
and unknown ones whom some pro
ducers were trying TO make futures
for.
To avoid this condition Miss Pick
ford provided in her contract with
Famous PLAYERS that all leases for her
films should he kept separate and
apart from others. but counsel Tor
the commission state this contract was
not kept and her pictures were sold en-
ma sse in the block system. they being
used to sell others. Fairbanks also
had this clause in his contract Zukor
always contended the terms OF these
contracts were scrupulously kept by
him.
Miss Pickford refused to renew her
contract under this selling method
which had become known as the fac
tory system." 1t is stated she re
fused to work any longer under it and
was unhappy. When her contract
with Famous Players expired. 1t is
said. she offered to make three pic
,tures wear for $3.50 900 per negative
and 10 per cent of the gross receipts
she to pay all the expenses OF making
the pictures.
Offered $3.50, 900 to Quit.
1t is stated that Zukor persisted In
making a contract for her services at
fixed price and to manage the pro-
duction. He is quoted as saying to
her when he was convinced he could
not hire her on his terms:
II think you have worked long
enough. Why don't you leave the pic
ture business: I will give you $780,
600 to leave"
Miss Pickford testified she said to
him
Mr.. Zukor. ! am young girl; why
should | retire at this time of my
life?"
Then she testified:
II wanted to go ahead and make
bigger and better pictures
Counsel for Zukor contend this is
ridiculous charge. inasmuch as that
year he paid her 100000 for her
work.
She entered into negotiations with
First National and closed contract
~ +ba terp,s che had made to ZukOr