THE FATHER OF THE FILM.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3528, 15 July 1920, Page 7

THE FATHER OF THE FILM.

TELLING OF THE DRAMATIC RISE 011* ADOLPH ZUKOR, THE MOVIES GRAND OLD MAN.

Of course you relnem'ber the craze for ‘the “D/lutoscope’-’——that pe.nny—in-the-slot affair with two peep holes your eyes glued fir: whiclz you were more 01' less entertained by the jerky flashe_:s of ballef girls and boxing matches!

This craze was at its height in 1904, when a. young Jewish boy in the States conceived the ambitious idea of running an arcade »in' whiéh rows ‘of these “twirl-boxes” would provide the star attraction.

Being poor, he applied for financial backing to his cousin. a studious self-

Cultured YOURS man ‘WIIO had ad"aUC' "ed into comparative pl'oSD€‘l‘iT)'

through the invention of 2. patent fas-

fener for furs

I Tliis Qousin was Adolph Zukoi‘, rim gpresent film king! 1 He leff the ‘fur store tu help my ii-elative, for he saw possibilities in ~ these ‘Mutoscope” haTls. and soon lizuii "xi chain of them extending Di‘ofil‘2-.3.'=:.‘ ifICI‘OSS New York. t . . FILMS CLASSED WITI-I STICKYBACKS. Then the “living pictures’? czuiie into being, At that time they were shown in little tlieatres built like touring cars from which the audience went into ecstasies over brief bits of scenery, which flashed by in the crudest possible motion pictures. Again Aloph Zulior saw possibilities-—bigger Ones. too, than he had ever seen in the “mutoscope.~:.” He coiiverted 1-ho puny arcades into “livi.n§;‘ DiCt‘Ul‘o" t houses. ‘ k This was the real ‘beginning 01‘ the

biggest ellterpri.<E-. in poinf of size, :11 least, in all mot‘-ion picturedom foday.

For months be crowded his little

‘theatres with eager auclionces. for whom there was complete .<atisl"-aciion in the srxwootyped subjects which ’;ldCl‘ned the screen‘—~l:he chase, tho ho:-seplay comedy. the .higllly—Hlezfiri~ cal cowboy, and all {TI9 rest of it. But He fleliv'er-

- . . ‘-1!-J‘ ZuLC‘: was not Satlanlexx

ed to the makers of these movies an Llltinl:l‘rum, which has been Wl-if lm-go in the annals of screen llistory. dc.-« manding bet.tm* pictures.

The producers ‘laughed at him. They regal'd(>(l “li\'il}lg pictlll'és';’ as :1 novc-lty. like “sticl<y-b:1a1:" photcs illld buttons with mottoes, whilst Zu-

kor believed nlmir.m photog‘raph,v a

possible arf

HIS FIRST FILM FAILED

One man, however_, did consent to join‘—~Darniel Fl-ohman. Then together, Frohman aucl.Zukor ‘turned to‘ the theatrical stars, who declafed that their I‘epll('.a.tions would be gone for ever if they did so much as wall;

through EL motion picture. Their first production Was a failure, a similar film being issued just ahead of them.

The Famous Players Company tot—tP:'ml dizzily liko n house of cards. Then came the idea thaf Sarah Bernhardt might: appear in a picture_ Frohman went to France to get her, prepared. as a. final fi;_rhat fur the lift. of the F:lnmus I‘l:lycl's. to pay her Wh.'.lfcVOl' she wished. But he did

not talk of money when fhe actress grautcr] him an intm'viow. ‘He know

the tempm':llnenf of :1 great French :tr‘l‘i.~,«'t better than to put down :1 fat plll'S(' mi money. He pursued the devious (-mI_I‘SC, begiulling wifh his disEike mi’ the thought that her :u'r.wmlld div with 1101'.‘

\'\'?zon Frohlnan left 1101' }w 4:zu'ried a-.\::_\' a signed agreement for her ser‘»'il‘c.'\' in one film, for which she was in receive :1. sum oquivulvrlr. to seven Hmll.~=:lnd pounds.

’.l.‘hu result. was Queen ['}liZzlbCth——1:110. 11m-31;] of thv modern motion pic,t'ln'(*,. '.l.‘hn~n cmne the .[’l‘isom>l‘ of Zomla~—~u. m:1rv0!l0ur pit.-t'nre. And so the thizrg went on, Paul: px-qduction st::l'2~ing 801119" new <7<:>‘l'l\’c-I‘t f:'l‘om the stage to Hm mo\'ios_, and justifying the wildest dl'e:lnls of the on-timo, furstoro s\\'oopo.l', .-‘\dnlph Zuknr, who has cmno to 'l‘}ll_L;'l£llld 10 npm.L the fil'.~'t' .\ng’iu-.\nmricn :<hl<]io in e.\':ist(‘n<:e. nnd is being‘ h:1i1L‘(l :1;~: the fafiior of 1710 (Hm. The king of’ motion pivt-111-cs,