Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09
luxor KNOWS PUBLIC TASTES
FROM BROAD MOVIE EXPERIENCE
Rose From Poor Hungarian
Immigrant Boy 10 Top
of His Business.
Says Audiences Have Last
Say on Productions and
Make or Break Pictures.
IN NJ. s, RUKEYSER.


civilization 1927 brand - talk to
Adolph Zukor. Monarch of the movies.
for he has the data. Professors of
esthetics have their theories about
public taste. but Mr.. Zukor has the
evidence of box office receipts. In
his opinion. 20 to so per cent of the
population are regular patrons Of the
cinema and the masses can effectively
influence the artistry of picture pro
duction by giving or Withholding their
patronage.
Critics continue to debate whether
the movies have reached the level
of an art. There is no question that
picture making and exhibiting have
become a business of giant proper
tions. And. whatever Mr.. Zukor's
contribution TO the movies as An art
may have been. there is no question
Of primacy of the president of the
Famous PlayersLasky Corporation
in placing the cinema industry on
substantial business basis. The job
of selling entertainment on the sill
yer screen has been so perfected that
movie securities now merit and re
ceive serious consideration from the
investment world. Though public
taste is capricious and the task of
forecasting ii is hazardous, some of
the leading companies have already
convinced skeptical~ Wall Street that
they have enduring qualities.
This millionaire of the movies is
uncertain whether his worldly goods
consisted of SIS or $40 in cash when
he landed at New York as Hun
garian immigrant of Is. He is
now 44
Mr.. Zukor gives you the impress
sion that he has his feet on the
ground. In field that bristles with
temperament. Mr.. Zukor is hard
headed. without being unenthusiastic
toward the artistic aspects of picture
making.
Says It's Good Business.
ut is good business" he told me.
as we chatted in his office. overlook
ing the New York Public Library At
Fifth avenue and Forty-first street,
"perpetually to raise the artistic
not been done. it would be impossible
TO carry on the operations of the in
dustry on the present basis. You
could not run and support large and
beautiful theaters with primitive pic
lures such as were formerly made.
AS the quality of pictures improves
we are widening our appeal to reach
the minority at the top who hitherto
have not been regular patrons. | am
thinking of the type of individual who
goes to opera and to the clubs. | do
not believe that producers should
make special pictures to appeal to
this limited class. but will gradu-
ally appeal to it In larger numbers
as better pictures are made for the
ma jority.
"At least 20 or possibly Is or 50
per cent of the American people are
regular patrons of the movies. The
reactions of the public are the same
throughout the Anglo-Saxon world:
audiences will laugh and sigh at pre-
cisely the same points. But when
you get to the Latin countries, the re-
Spouse is different. The people have a
different sense of humor and a diff
ferent attitude toward life. Outside
of the Anglo-Saxon countries, YOU,
do not get as good an audience re-
Spouse to American and English made
pictures. We ship pictures to the
Orient. where the demand is only for
the best and poorest pictures The
best appeal to a limited group of
upper class folk, who want only arts
tically produced films. Those at the
bottom want only crude wild Western
thrillers.''
asked Mrk. Zukor whether the cost
of making films would continue to
mount rapidly, as it has done in recent
years. He doubted whether it would,
explaining that larger costs were due
to attempts to do more ambitious
things than in the past.
Now Nearer Par.
I'VE are now nearer par" said Mr..
Zukor. and costs should not rise in
the next five years as they did in the
last. We are apparently at or near
the peak in respect to stars salaries.
which are becoming a minor factor in
the aggregate cost of picture making"
Mr.. Zukor's company produces IS
pictures year. | asked whether his
company could tell in advance whether
a picture would succeed.
From our experience we can tell
in advance whether picture will be
accepted by the public, but cannot
predict the extent of it's popularity
until it has been shown before an
audience. The first runs on Broad
way usually constitute reua BILE
barometer to popularity throughout
the country. except that some limited
appeal pictures might succeed on
Broadway but not elsewhere.
Each picture must make good for
itself. Various factors help. but in
the last analysis the plays the
thing The stars name, the authors
name, and the title help to bring
people to the theater on the opening
days, but patronage for the following
three days will rise or slump accord