Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-22

" changed the entire policy Of
~ one of the large produc-
ton organizations. "All
quiet on tbs western Front" a
war film, which has not yet
reached Washington, has made all
sorts of reversalS in the Universal
company, and now Carl Laemmle.
president of the organization, an
nounces that in the future Uni
versal is going in for quality,
rather than quantity" 1t has been
the policy of the Universal COM
pany, during the past few years,
to manufacture about so special
pictures, together with a count
less number of minor subjects,
each II months. In the future
90 specials will receive annual
attention, with only a limited
number of short subjects. In
other years the company spent
about twelve millions each year
IN production, and, according to
the new plan, this same amount
will be turned into 20 pictures in
stead of so. Material and players
are to be carefully selected.
This step of Universal may
have an unusual effect upon the
industry, for the various produc-
ing companies have been trying
to Guido each other in the num-
Der OF their productions. In some
instances little care has been
given to individual productions,
aside from putting a couple of
well known players in the casts.
The idea seemed to be to rush the
pictures through, rush them to
the distributors, and then rush
them to the screens over the
country. A picture of quality stood
out from the mass; it was, and
is, something to write home
about. Too many pictures have
been produced, and too many are
being sent to the exhibitors at the
present time. Quality, in many
instances, has been sacrificed in
the rush OF production. We quote
Carl Laemmle:
THE filming of All Quiet has
changed our entire organization,
and the change came at a dra-
matte and psychological moment
in the history of the film indus
try. It will no longer be neceS-
sary, in order to supply entertain
ment to the millions, to spread
thin over the whole country. 1t
has been discovered that the
great number of picture-goerS
are found in the cities. It is for
the mass that pictures are and
always will be made. The large
theaters seem to be, more and
more, supplying the demand. 1t
is clear that this calls for the
production of pictures that will
first of all meet the demands of
the larger theaterS, because the
larger theaters, in their turn, are
meeting the demands of the pub
lie. And the logical outcome of
the recognition Of this fact is
specialization in production-the
making Of bigger, better and fewer
pictures. So we have started on
our new policy, and we have al
ready proved its fundamental
soundneSs. We plan to spend
about 100000 on each special
picture. Tt is impossible to pro-
duce quality for less than this
amount. OF course, in some in
stances the amount spent on q
picture will be much greater. In
the selection of material we have
cut loose from the previous pol
Icy, which was based upon the idea
that the different types of pic
lures had to be made for the diff
ferent types Of theaters, and we
are shooting for the flrst-run pub
lie.
Regarding color, we shall use
1t in number of specials. For
television, another coming big de-
velopment. we are preparing, al
though its commercial practical
bility is probably some distance
away. But we shall be ready
when the time comes. We are
purchasing television rights to
stories and plays which we &C
quire for production. Our COM
pany has been conducting expert
ments with the wide film, but we
are unable to announce our plans.
Our schedule for the new sea-
son includes a sequel to All
Quiet, and it will be a postwar
story. John Boles is now prepar-
ing for his role in The Gypsy
Love Song, an original story. He
also will appear in Strictly Dis
honorable which will have a mu-
steal background, and in The
Love Cavalier Lewis Ayres,
whose work in All Quiet has Gre
ated a sensation, will play with
Lupe Velez in East Is West and
he will be co-featured with John
Wray in Saint Johnson a West
ern story. Other scheduled pro-
auctions are Outside the Law
with Mary Nolan; Little Acct
dent with Douglas Fairbanks, jr.,
and Anita Page; 'Boudoir Diplo-
mat, with John BoleS, and The
Lady SurrenderS,' from novel by
John Erkskine John Murray An
derson, who directed The King OF
Jazz, is planning something en-
tirely new along the spectacular
line"
FROM Hollywood comes the
startling news that Janet
Gaynor has been of the Fox pay
roll for three months. And behind
IL all is a little story