Evening star., 1933-12-15
De Mile Tells of Romantic n
Career at Income Tax Hearing q
Noted Producer Opened
First Studio in Barn
20 Years Ago.
Relates He Vas Forced
Into MOuies by Failure
of BrOad,Uay Play.

playwright-producer whose an
ticipated hit had folded on
Broadway went to Hollywood to
enter the newborn motion pic
ture industry, with the plans for his
new venture written on the back of a
Rector's luncheon menu.
Today, Cecil B. De Mile is recognized
as one of the outstanding producers in
the industry. But to attain that dis
tinction he had to tread a rough and
sometimes financially rocky road.
He told his story-a tale that rivals
in inerest and romance some of his
own pictures-at an income tax appeal
hearing yesterday at the Internal
Revenue Bureau. The Government is
seeking to recover from the Cecil B.
De Mile Productions, Inc, some s., ,O00,-
900 in back income taxes it claims is
due on reserve fund" which the
corporation says was amassed to enlarge
into a producing distributing organiza-
tion.
Entered Business in 1913.
ut was back in 1918 that went
into motion pictures" De Mile related.
Il became associated with Jesse L.
Lasky. had just had terrific failure
Of play had produced on Broadway
and Lasky had had terrific failure in
trying to establish his Folies Bergeres
music hall.
I'VE were lunching together in
Rector's and bemoaning our ill-luck
Lasky asked me what I intended doing
and said what is the most thrilling
thing you can think OFF,
He said motion pictures and I re-
piled that from the pictures had seen
we were just right for the business
Just about that time Sam Goldwyn
came along. He was in the glove buSi-
ness and the Government had Just
dropped the tariff on foreign gloves, so
he was practically through.
"Goldwyn Is Lasky's brother-in-law
so we invited him to sit in. The three
of us planned our first business on the
back of Rector's menu. We decided
on a total of $4,000 first capital, and
while Lasky and Goldwyn set out to sell
stock to make up the amount we
couldn't raise between us, left for the
Coast.
First Studio in Barn.
"That was just 20 years ago today.
I found an old barn in the middle of
a bunch of orange groves, now Holly
wood, and rented it for our first studio.
The COW and horse stalls we used as
dressing rooms, while harness plat
form was converted into a stage.
y, IL
Goldwyn in charge of distribution and
Lasky keeping the home fires burning
with his vaudeville, in order to raise
money for us to live on, we started out
In the picture business.
II asked Dustin Farnum, our first
actor whom had given a job at $3.50
week, If he wouldn't take q quarter
interest in the business instead of the
salary. He turned me down, saying he
preferred the $3.50.
Our first picture, "The Squaw Mar" "
in which Farnum had been a success
on Broadway, cost us $4,000, as
against an original capital of $40, 900,
and we were in immediate financial dis
tress. Goldwyn went through the coun-
try getting money in advance from dis
tributors. He was successful and our
picture was a success.
$4,000 Profit in Year,
II recall very momentous evening
when Mrs. De Mile, Mr. Lasky and
Mrs. Lasky and Sam Goldwyn and
celebrated the making of $4,000 in a
year. Then business progressed very
rapidly, except for an incident with the
General Film Co., which had complete
control at that time of the film business.
I'VE had neglected to get permission
from them to make pictures and when
I asked for the right they refused to
surrender it. felt the motion picture
offered an opportunity to bring great
drama to the masses, and decided finally
to go along without their permission.
I'VE had produced the second big
feature ever made and these two pic
lures revolutionized the industry, and
new era was started with the birth
Of the feature picture.
When we began to make IS or 30
pictures a year, Lasky came on from
New York. The business proceeded very
satisfactorily and made money. I
started at $75 week-that was for
expenses-but after the first two or
three pictures we voted each other 5000
to $500 week in salaries.
Trouble Begins.
Strangely enough, though, the mo-
ment profits began to come in, trouble
arrived. Two of our members Qasky
and Goldwyn) started fighting among
themselves. But we had progressed so
well that we merged with Adolph Zukor,
then our largest competitor.
"The moment this organization,
Famous Players-Lasky, was formed, an
unfortunate situation developed-the
subject Of control came into the picture
Sam Goldwyn was either forced out or
left the company. The dropping of
Goldwyn showed me very grave posi-
bilities. But also his getting of $750,000
for his share in the company showed
me other possibilities.
Il decided my position in the COM
pany was precarious, and Mrs. De Mile
and discussed the advisability of my
forming my own company. We talked
of this possibility at length"
De Mile, at heart an artist, then told
how he and Mrs. De Mile and Neil s.
Mccarthy, then attorney for Famous
Players-Lasky, organized q partnership,
the foundation of the present Cecil B.
De Mile Productions, Inc. He said he
had the same difficulties with his own
whose pictures were finan-