Interesting Facts About This Industry Allied With Art (click to enlarge, see below for text)
“THE BUGLER OF ALGIERS”
SIR Gilbert Parker wrote a preface to the book “We Are French” from which “The Bugler of Algiers” was made. In this he said, “there is a note of patriotism in every page. It sings so loudly, indeed, that the book has come to be looked upon as a sort of book of patriotism, by the men who…are laying down their lives by the thousands, in response to their country’s call.”
This not of patriotism rings even louder from the screen than from the printed page, and all honour belongs to Rupert Julian for his production of it, and for his playing the role of “Pierre”.
The book was written by Robert H. Davis, editor of Munsey’s Magazine, in collaboration with Perley Poore Shehan, when the authors saw the screen version for the first time, they sent the following telegram:
“We have just seen ‘The Bugler of Algiers.’ The laurel wreath is yours, wet with our tears. The picture is greater than the book—a miracle of photography, a marvel of continuity, a new and progressive chapter in the history of the silent drama.”
INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT
“THIS INDUSTRY ALLIED WITH ART”
THE following information compiled from preliminary and unofficial figures of the 1919 census, from various newspaper and magazine articles and from personal investigations of the writer, constitute probably the most authentic data available on the stupendous growth and magnitude of the motion-picture business.
The total capital invested in real estate, studios, stages, sets, carpenter and machine shops, electrical equipment, wardrobes, etc., etc., but excluding the money invested in allied industries, is nearly five hundred million dollars. One studio at New York was recently completed at a cost of $2,000,000.
From $10,000 for a two-reel “western” to half or three-quarters of a million dollars represent the range of costs for productions, the latter sums being expended upon those productions of unusual splendour or extravagance.
In the first two months after the release of a picture about 30% of the ultimate gross returns are collected, 25% more in the following three months and an additional 35% in the next seven months, making about 90% of the final total returned during the first year. The remaining 10% will come in during the first three or four months of the following year. This, however, is exclusive of foreign rights which often yield to the producer as much as $100,000 for each picture.
Based upon the film taxes paid by the distributors to the Government, the distributors collected for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1920, about $86,000,000, or more than $1,500,000 weekly. Their average charge for selling motion pictures runs from 30 to 40 per cent of the gross receipts from these pictures, and it is customary for the distributor and producer to divide the net receipts of a production after these charges and the producer’s cost have been deducted.
Nearly one billion feet of raw film is consumed each year by more than one hundred producing companies regularly engaged in making motion pictures.
In 1920 more than 650 features were made in this country and nearly 20,000 people were steadily employed in producing them.
Over 75% of the world’s production of motion pictures are made in the United States and about 90% of these are made in the ffity or more great studios in the Los Angeles district. Throughout the year this city offers the most consistent and most intense sunlight for exterior scenes. It also offers the greatest variety of scenery—seashore, mountains, desert, tropical verdure, ranches and palaces—all within a few hours of the studios; mechanics work out of doors every day in the years, materially reducing the labor costs in the construction of stages, sets, etc.
The valuation of motion pictures, produced in 1920, exclusive of the profits of the producer, are approximated at $200,000,000; this includes over $50,000,000 paid in wages, and over $25,000,000 in materials and supplies.