The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-19

bIISd VI propaganda 4SSuCu II
I recall attending q dinner given
to Director L. Monta Bell at the
Hotel willard some years ago
when one Of the speakers, in what
struck me as q sacrilegious OBJ
servation. said:
''Charlle Chaplin and Mary
PickfOrd are better known to the
world than Christ"
Meaning. presume, that the
then great stars Of the movies
were living figures on the screen
IN regions where the Bible was I'M
heard Of, or perhaps seldom read.
Comparison Extravagant
Today still think the compari-
son was extravagant, but 1t Is i'm
possible to deny that the nam
moth publicity machine, which
has its heart In Hollywood, pene-
trates to all parts Of the civilized
world, touches intimately every
hamlet and whistle stop in the
United States.
Some critics Of the New Deal
point with alarm to the fact that
Uncle Sam expended something
like $500,00 In the fiscal year
1885 for press agents who wrote
purely about the governmental
activities.
No authentic figures are avail
able on what the movies spent Tor
press agentry, or to keep the well
oiled publicity machine rolling at
high speed, but wager it would
be 10 times the amount that the
Federal establishment put into pay
envelopes for tub thumpers.
100000 Not Extravagant
I can't see why the Federal ex-
penditure Of 100000 should ex-
cite alarm, since it's expended to
bring directly to the attention Of
the public exactly what Uncle
Sam is doing with the billions
upon billions that Congress has
approprtated-and Is still dishing
QUITO take the country out Of
the depression and keep 1t headed
for Prosperity Street.
Proportionately, 1t Is but .
fraction Of what the Hollywood
art devotes annually to the bust.
ness Of attention calling.
Here, in this land Of glamour,
is the headquarters Of the inter.
national army Of newspaper and
magazine space grabbers, radio
propagandistS and screen pull
piteers.
The studios enlist some Of the
greatest living writing talent, not
only In the preparation and In
vention Of the silver screens ftc-
ton, but for turning out the in
teresting flood Of material, photo
graphic and typed, that finds its
way into the Hollywoo d-on-P Parade
section, and similar organs, dedi.
Gated to those who like to read
Of the screen and its stars.
Reformed Press Agent
I am q reformed press agent
one who did his bit for Producer
Tom Ince In the silent screen days
and later for the glory Of the
Broadway stage and MesSrS. Shu-
bertrand so watching the wheels
90 around in Hollywood and the
handouts emerge here, represents
to me the Coasts most interesting
phenomena.
7 have the same curiosity as the
next one about the stars. gaze in
awe and wonderment at these
high.priced celebrities, but arm
more interested In how Louella
Parsons, Harrison Carroll and the
other columnistS gather their
news nuggets. or how Howard
Strickling, Of M-G-M, Ed. Selzer,'
Of Warner Brothers, and Rufus
Blair, Of Paramount, direct their
batta1ions Of typewriter Founders
and idea men.
It would be the shrewdeSt kind
Of an expert who could draw the
straight rigid line marking where
press agentry stops and news
value begins. When Mary Pick.
ford signed her first $4,000 q
week contract some radical news
editors, who felt it important
enough for the front page, were
roundly criticized for such Judg.
ment by their more conservative
associates Of the Fourth Estate.
Today, it Is generally conceded, a
similar story would find the front
pages everywhere.
When Charlie Chaplin returned
from q world trip In the early 20's,
It was Clinton Brainard, Of q news
syndicate, who realized the story
Of his travels had q money value
for American newspapers. Many
an editor, with whom he discussed
the idea Of the serial story, warned
him that 1t was high class press
agentry, that no newspaper would
pay for such material. which, in
the ordinary course Of events,
would reach the editors desk in
the publicity handouts.
They Paid For II
But Brainard proved he was
right when American newspapers
paid more than 100000 for the
serial rights to this Chaplin
Travelog, written by the way, by
Washington'S L. Monta Bell, and
q story that landed the ghost
writer In Hollywood.
Probably the most widely read
story on The Washington Times
drama pages in 1887 was Robert
Taylor's intimate diary OF his visit
TO the President Roosevelt birth
day ball. It was. Of course, pure
press agentry. conceived in the
fertile mind of Ray Bell, of Loew'S