WHAT DO THEY EARN TO-DAY?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17170, 13 October 1923, Page 1 (Supplement)

WHAT DO THEY EARN TO-DAY?

NEW FINANCIAL RATING IN THE MOVIE WORLD.

Movie players (says “ Photoplay ”) may be divided into three financial classes:— Stars who produce independently

And sell their pictures to distributing ■companies. Stars employed by producing companies under contract at a stipulated salary. And, third, players who free lance, working from company to company at whatever salaries they can get. The leading independents those who make their own pictures—are Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Norma Talmadge, Mary Pic-kford, Constance Talmadge and Charles Hay. Chaplin, Fairbanks and Mary Pickford have their own distributing organisation, selling their pictures directly to the theatres. Floyd, Ray and the Talmadges sell their product to distributing companies, receiving a certain amount stipulated by contract plus a percentage of the profits earned by the pictures. When Charlie Chaplin made his famous million-dollar contract in 1017 with First National, many people were under the impression ' that he received a cold million for simply acting in pictures for a year. In reality, Chaplin produced the pictures at his own expense. Thus, out of the million, he paid his supporting players. camera men, studio employees and all the overhead of his studio. *lt was the largest contract ever made up that time —and the most profitable to the distributing company. Chaplin's picture earned tremendous profits over the million paid him. Harold Lloyd during the past year received a million and a quarter from Path© for his pictures. He has probabably cleared a quarter of a million or more for himself. In 1919 Norma Talmadge made teight pictures for First National for which she received 1,280.000, dollars, or 160,000 dollars for each picture. Her profit was probably between a quarter and a half million. The next year she agreed to deliver twelve pictures at 350,000 each and a percentage of the net profit. The cost of these pictures has been estimated at 200.000 dollars. Thus Norma earns well over two million on the contract. The rise in her earning power is indicative of her increase in popularitv. Constance Talmadge received 110.000 dollars each for her pictures in 1919. and in 1920 made twelve pictures at 300.000 dollars each. Like Norma, she paid the cost of production. Anita Stewart made eight pictures which brought 720.000 dollars under her contract with First National, recently expired. Anita now is under contract with Cosmopolitan at a fixed salary. When Katherine MacDonald finished her contract with First National she was receiving about 50,000 dollars as her salary for each picture.

Of the stars who are employed on a purely salary basis at the presenttime, Mabel Normand is probably the highest paid. She receives 70.00d01. from Mack Sennett for each picture in which she appears. Of the stars working under contract at weekly salaries Thomas Meighan, Dorothy Dalton and Alice Brady are the highest paid, each receiving 5,000 dollars a week. The fact that Miss Dalton and Miss Brady receive far more than such favourites as Polu. Negri and Gloria Swanson appears unaccountable until you learn that they are nearing the end of contracts which were made several years ago. The contracts called for an increase of salary every year. Finding Miss Brady’s services too expensive for the screen, under this contract, the Famous Players Company has placed her in a stage play, ‘‘Zander the Great,” on Broadway. The same company holds a longtermed contract with Elsie Ferguson which calls for IO.OOOdoI. a week when she works. The final pictures have not been made under this contract because the star’s,salary makes the cost of production too great for profit. Gloria Swanson at the present time is receiving 3.500c101. a week. At the termination of her contract, she will be receiving 5.000. Pola Negri’s weekly salary according to publicity stories is 5.000 dollars. but intimate report places it at 2000 dollars, which is five hundred less than Agnes Ayres is reputed to get. Jack Holt is rated at 2000 dollars a week, and Beatrice .Toy will arrive in the 2000 dollars class as a. Paramount star under a new contract, it is said. Ernest Torrence’s work in “ The Covered "Wagon '’ practically doubled bis salary. His contract, just made with La sky. calls for 1500 dollars. Richard Barthelmess’ contract, with the Inspiration pictures, releasing through First National, calls for a salary and a percentage of profits, ‘■bnce all of his ruptures, with the possible exception of “The Seventh Day.” have been money makers, Barthelmess is now in the heavy financial class. Lillian Gish’s contract with Inspiration is similar to that -of Barthelmess. She receives a salary and share in the profits. *‘ The "White Sister,” which she recently completed in Italy, is her first production under this arrangement. hen A\ illiam Farnum ended his contract with Fox he was receiving 10.000 every week he worked. Thomas Mix is now the highest-salaried star on the Fox lot, with William Bussell ranking close, at 2000 per working week. Metro recently made three star contracts of consequence. Jackie Coogan was paid 500.000 dollars in advance for his services for three years. * Viola Dana, one of the most con-

sistent of all programme stare, was signed on a contract that calls for 1500 dollars, or thereabouts, every week in the year. And Ramon Navarro was presented with a contract which will yield him three quarters of a million within the next three years—and before he is twenty-six ! Navarro has been receiving less than five hundred in Ingram productions. Malcolm M’Gregor, another Ingram “ find,” was placed under contract at a low figure following his first screen appearance, which was in “ The Priloner of Zenda.” He has been loaned to other companies to play leading roles at a salary ranging from 500 dollars to 750 dollars a week. "When this is done the company pays him his regular salary and 50 per cent of the amount received above that. Although Alice Terry lias been of fered star contracts with salary of veveral thousand a week, she prefers o remain in the all-star productions made by her husband, Rex Ingram, at salary less than a thousand. Goldwyn has been busily signing ->1 avers ” at fancy figures. Conrad Nagel is down on the payroll for 1500 dollars, and Taw Cody is signed up for a year at 1000 dollarsFollowing her success in “ The Christian,” Mae Busch was placed on a Goldwyn contract at a salary which is aid to start at 650 dollars. Only a •.ear ago Miss Busch faced bankruptcy after weeks of idleness. So great is production activity at the present time in Hollywood that the players of note who are not tied by contracts can virtually name their own salaries. Among the free lances most in demand several receive higher salaries than the stars they support. Conway Tearle is probably the most expensive leading man. He gently requests 2500 dollars a week—and gets

James Kirkwood was so eager to prove his ability on the stage last year that he threw up 1500 dollars a week in pictures to play the leading role in Channing Pollock’s play “ The Fool,” on Broadway, at 500 dollars. Having; won his laurels, he now returns to pictures at 2000 dollars per seven days. The most sought after players in Hollywood this year are the villainous Beerys, Noah and Wallace, who receive 1500 dollars a week. Wally recently played in three pictures simultaneously. thus tripling liis salary. The highest salaried character man is Lon Chaney, who is getting 2200 dol 1a rs a week. There are a number of men in the 1500-dollars-a-week class of free lances. Notable among them are : David Pc/well, Wyndham Standing. Hobart Bosworth, Milton Sills and Lewis StoneH. B. Warner has been tempted back to the screen at 1500 dollars a week to play the leading role opposite Gloria Swanson in “Zaza.” The popular Moore brothers, Matt, Tom and Owen, will each do a neat week’s work for 1000 dollars. So, too, will John Bowers. Among the leading men whose salaries range from 500 dollars a week to 1000 dollars are : Kenneth Harlan. Gaston Glass. Harrison Ford. Lloyd Hughes, James Rennie, Monte Blue, Johnny Walker, Frank Mayo, George Walsh and Cullen Landis. Landis’s contract with Goldwyn at 350 dollars expired not long ago and the lad stepped out immediately to the tune of 600 dollars. Barbara La Marr is the lady champion of free lancers. Only a couple of years ago Barbara found it difficult to make fifty a week. Now her salary quotation is 2500 dollars, forced tip by sharp bidding among producers since her appearance in ‘ The Prisoner of Zenda ” at a few hundred. Another lady who can scarcely keep her engagements straight, and who always finds them overlapping, is Anna Q. Nilsson. It would seem that no all-star production is complete without her- Producers consider it a privilege to have her at 1500 dollars a week. Forenee Vidor is also in demand at 1500 dollars. Marguerite de la Motte’s salarv has advanced from 750 dollars to 1250 dollars within the year. Only a few years ago Trene Rich worked as an extra for Marv Pickford at ten dollars n dav. Now Marv is paying her 1000 dollars a week* to play the queen in “The Street Si nger.” C olleen Monro has been an exccedingly active leading ladv without a contract. Now First National has signed her to star at a salary which starts in the vicinity of 1500 dollars. Six months afro Patsy Ruth Miller was receiving 200 dollars. Her latest offer, from Universal. was 1250 dollars. Lois Wilson, Nita Naldi, Lila Lee | Belie Daniels and other favourites are salaries contracts at relatively small But who knows how long the sun wdl so brilliantlv? rt’s a good time right now for a a r/invdav 3 contract againstFILM PERSONALS. Brother "\ M. Beebe reports great I success every night with ‘The Common Law, and ‘ When Husbands Deceive. ’ ' i.- 'l’ r I T T ? rry ''•■'tors. manager of .rer\ norh s lias definitely arranged I with United Artists for their two big pictures - Souls for Sale.” and •• SherInck Holmes." the first-named will be ; screened on Monday, October 22. add | “ Sherlock Holmes” on October 29. , Fox manager M’Gowan, paid us a I visit during the week, and by all reports took away a big contract.

Mr A. M’Donald, New Zealand’s manager for Paramount, is due to arrive back in Wellington on Tuesday. Beatrice Burnham is playing the the lead opposite Reginald Denny in his first 1924 Jewel. “The Spice of Life.” which is in production at Universal City under the direction of Harry Pollard. “The Spire of Life” is by Byron Morgan and was written especially for Denny. Gladys Walton has started the production of Frank R. Adams’s delightful story, “ The Near Lady,’’ under the direction of Herbert Blache at Universal City is deluged by pugilists who aspire to play Kid Roberts in the next “ Leather Pusher” series. But so far none of them can act. List is still open. Selznick. Fox. Universal and First National Film Companies are notified that all data must reach this office on Thursday of each week to insure insertion in Saturday’s “Star.”