Studio Ship

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 93, 13 January 1939, Page 14

Studio Ship

Never Leaves Berth, But Earns Big Profits

pROBABLY the most profitable ocean liner in operation is a land-bound ship that never has taken aboard a paylug passenger. This frequently renamed queen of the seas is a Hollywood liner—in fact, she is “the" Hollywood liner. Five studios charter her regularly. She cost £104,000 to build, bat in her five years of motionless sailing she has paid for herself several times over.

Her latest voyage was made for “Secrets of an Actress,” the film in which Kay Francis. George Brent and lan Hunter appear.

She made the transatlantic crossing and Land of the Midnight Sun cruise required by the script without leaving her parking place in the Warner studio '’lot, without, indeed; splashing so much fas a single wave against rhe great roofed dock and warehouse that are her constant companions. / Ship, dock and warehouse are one of the most profitable investments that ’the Warners ever made, for-the trio were designed to he as changeable as .chamelons are supposed to be, and can be used over and over again without danger of recognition. t. The changes between easting engagements for the ship involve not only alterations of superstructure, paint, and trimmings; the liner as a whole is adjustable. The height of any deck in relation to the planking of the wharf can be changed by as much as 20ft.

The liner can be “listed” to change the appearance of the slope of her side. One deck can be telescoped within another for a complete change of appearance. And the roof of the warehouse rolls back to give an open dock appearance. One thing about the liner, though—she has no bow or stern. Only her middle section stands in one piece. The prow and stern are permanent set.: built on a more out-of-the-way lot. But there is water. There is a moat round the ship, so that the camera can be pointed down to film water lapping against the liner’s side and the pier. The liner rolls up her profits through a modest “cost plus” (the cost being for alterations) accounting against the production in which she is employed. Then, of course, there are the rentals paid by’ the other major studios that use her. .