Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood

36. Male and Female

36 Mal~ and F~mal~ A Famous Players-Lasky Super Production. A Paramount-Artcraft Picture. A Cecil B. DeMille Production. Director: Cecil B. DeMille. Scenario by jeanie Macpherson, from the play The Admirable Crichton by Sir james M. Barrie. Photography: Alvin Wyckoff Art director: Wilfred Buckland. Production manager: Howard Higgin. Film editor: Anne Bauchens Picture started: june 15, 19 I9. Picture finished: july 30, 19 I9. Length: 8,952 feet (nine reels). Cost: $ I68,6 I9.28. Released: November 16, 1919. Gross: $ I,256,226.59 Cast: Gloria Swanson (Lady Mary Lasenby), Thomas Meighan (William Crichton), Lila Lee ("Tweeny"), Theodore Roberts (earl of Loam), Raymond Hatton (Hon. Ernest Woolley), Mildred Reardon (Lady Agatha Lasenby), Bebe Daniels (Babylonian king's favorite), julia Faye (Susan), Wesley Barry ("Buttons"), Robert Cain (Lord Brockelhurst), and Rhy Darby (Lady Eileen Dun Craigie), Edward Burns (Treherne) Adolph Zukor's stranglehold on star talent in the film industry ended almost as quickly as it began. Angry exhibitors pooled their resources to create the Associated First National Exhibitors Circuit in April 1917. Several months elapsed before First National mounted an effective assault against the Famous Players-Lasky and ParamountiArtcraft interests , but the new cooperative venture quickly signed Charlie Chaplin and made overtures to Mary Pickford. As early as December 1917, Lasky wrote DeMille: Zukor had a talk with Pickford in California regarding new contract with which I believe you are familiar. She was to decide whether she preferred to continue present contract until its expiration next June [1918] or to make a new contract January first for two years along the lines of our contract with Fairbanks. Mr. Zukor is under the impression that if she preferred Fairbanks style of contract she would forward same to us for approval before end of year. We have not heard from 144 Male and Female / 145 her and think it best not to communicate with her direct but would like to know whether her idea is that she is going to make the next picture under the old contract or under a new one. We deem it best that you sound her out without arousing her suspicions as to your purpose so that you can advise us what her intentions are.... Have a talk with her as if you were acting on your own responsibility.1 Pickford did not sign the revised contract. She entered into a threepicture deal with First National for the 1919 season and then joined with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith to form the United Artists Corporation.2 To make up for the fading glory of the Artcraft line, Zukor created the Realart company to complement the Paramount program. However, stars like Mary Miles Minter, Constance Binney, and Alice Brady were not in the same league with Pickford and Fairbanks, and the Realart brand never carried quite the prestige of the Artcraft line. Under the Famous Players-Lasky merger agreement, Lasky was in charge of all production for the company. However, Adolph Zukor began to take a more active role in production decisions, and to keep peace in the company Lasky agreed to share production oversight credits with his partner. Titles ofEast Coast productions were to read "Adolph Zukor presents," and pictures made in the West would credit "Jesse L. Lasky presents." On films of special interest or prestige, Zukor, at his discretion , could opt for the dual credit "Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky present." The only problem with this detente was that the lion's share of Famous Players-Lasky pictures were made in Hollywood. To increase Eastern production, the decision was made to abandon the old Famous Players studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and build a new plant at Astoria, Long Island. Lasky wired DeMille: WILL YOU KINDLY GIVE US YOUR ADVICE ON QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE BIG STUDIO WE ARE BUILDING IN LONG ISLAND SHOULD HAVE A SOLID ROOF OR A GLASS ROOF DO YOU THINK WE WILL GET BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY IF YOU USE NATURAL LIGHT DIFFUSED THROUGH A GLASS ROOF IN CONJUNCTION WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT OR DO YOU RECOMMEND DEPENDING ENTIRELY ON 146 / Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood ARTIFICIAL LIGHT THE STUDIO PLANS ALSO CALL FOR A SEPARATE DARK STAGE SIMILAR TO ONE WE ARE NOW BUILDING IN HOLLYWOOD ... THIS POINT MUST BE DECIDED IMMEDIATELY AND THERE ARE DECIDED DIFFERENCE OF OPINION HERE A GLASS ROOF WOULD COST SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND MORE THAN A...