 |
|
     |
|
|
|
In his history of American movies (thanks again Ken Myers), David Thomson notes that "there was in the ordinary lifestile of the first moguls a steady habit of gambling." David Selznick, he says, "lost a couple of million dollars in two years."
No wonder: Their whole industry is a form of gambling: "Making a movie is not a wise, judicious use of money. . . . But to make a movie puts on in line, notionally, for a very big hit. Increasingly in the history of movis . . . the ethos of the stand-out super-hit has taken over from a policy of steady business. That in itself is a mark of how unbusinesslike the business is."
To illustrate, he describes the process of funding for The Ten Commandments:
De Mille has spend $700,000 on the film in 1923, and Adolph Zukor, the chief at Paramount, was concerned. De Mille assured him that it would be the biggest film ever, and then things went like this:
"Well, thank you, said Zukor, and he was reassured for a day.
"But then he worried again and the costs went up to $1 million.
"So De Mille said he'd buy the whole thing back for $1 million. Which he didn't have. So he went to a banked, A. P. Giannini, and asked for the million. I'd need to see a financial statement, said the banker.
"No time, said De Mille.
"You say it's a good picture? asked the banker.
"It's good, said De Mille.
"So Giannini made the loan. But when Zukor heard there was $1 million ready, he said, This must be some picture. He stuck with it."
Turns out, the gamble was worth it. The Ten Commandments finally cost $1.4 million, and took in $4.1.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, December 24, 2006 at 08:45 AM
Permission is given to use material on this site, provided the source is cited, blog entries are republished in full, and the author is notified in advance.
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
