Let's Go To The Movies

Among those masses were future motion picture executives Sam Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, Carl Laemmle and Adolph Zuckor. Many emigrants changed their names to fit into their newfound land and conditions.

Sam Goldwyn was Sammy Goldfish when he arrived in America. Sammy progressed through the glove industry, first working in the factory, making gloves, then graduating 'to the sales department before deciding to have a go at the new and growing motion picture industry. Sammy went into the film business and eventually became the partner of a man named Selwyn; in time they decided to combine their names, Selwyn and Goldfish, for industry identification. It was a simple task, take the best of the four syllables and discard the rest. The obvious to through out was Sel-fish. Take the other two and you've got a natural, Gold-wyn. That was the consensus and it turned out to be a pretty good choice.

Carl Laemmle, the man that would later be the force behind Universal pictures, got into the business quite by accident. Garson Kanin tells about it in his book Hollywood. Seems Mr. Laemmle had opened a dry goods store in Chicago and as it turned out it happened to be in the right place, the right shape and the right time. Reflecting years later Mr. Laemmle called it the long store. Late one afternoon a man approached Mr. Laemmle and asked him how he'd like to make ten dollars that evening. "I'd like to make ten dollars any evening." The man told him he'd like to put up a sheet at the end of this long store, project some pictures on it and let people pay to watch. It was a pretty simple way to get introduced to a million dollar business.

Adolph Zuckor was an active member of the film business longer and probably respected more than anyone. Zuckor had a large hand in shaping the careers of two super stars of the silents, Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. Mr. Zuckor was a top executive with Paramount Pictures longer than most people's life span. He was still active into his nineties and lived to be more than a hundred years old.

The movie mogul that wielded the most power was long time president of MGM, Louis B. Mayer. Mayer was loved and hated by more people than any of the tycoons. His Jekyll and Hyde personality could surface at any time, and often did, over subject matter or personalities.

In the early days of the motion picture industry, film production in America, generally centered in the area of New York, Fort Lee, New Jersey, Astoria, Queens and Manhattan Island. Short films of every description were made as grist for the nickelodeons. Nobody took these little flickering pictures seriously, but in spite of this the film business began to take root and grow. The movie western has had good times and bad, but it was one of the first types to catch on as a feature length film. The earliest western was made just across the Hudson River from Manhattan in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The one cited most often was made there in 1903 and called The Great Train Robbery. The earliest western personality to make a name for himself was William S. Hart by pretty much doing it all, he was producer, director and star. His Broadway background included credits in hits like Ben Hur when he played the heavy Messala in 1899. He also did stage westerns, The Squawman and the Virginian. To be continued.

Those early movie pioneers knew a good thing when they saw it; the outdoor films and westerns in particular were accepted by the public and have been a staple for years. The silver mines and western legends like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Bat Masterson along with an event known as the shootout at the OK Corral have kept the little town of Tombstone alive. But had it not been for a prospector named Ed Schieffelin striking a rich vein of silver in that area none of the other legends or events would have ever happened. And I would not have had a reason to write 'Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone.' Celebration honors founder of Tombstone Sierra Vista Herald - Sierra Vista, AZ, USA Austin was talking about one of those famous men that nobody ever heard of - Ed Schieffelin, prospector, whose remains were carried from Oregon to Arizona.

Writers Corner: Truman Capote said, "Writing is not so much writing as it is rewriting." Among the writers that used that idea in all of his books was Sidney Sheldon. Sheldon almost never signed off on a book before he'd done a dozen or more rewrites.

About the Author

Tom Barnes -- Actor, Writer and Hurricane Hunter. Check out my website for books, blogs, western legends, a literary icon, reviews and interviews. Also my novels The Goring Collection and Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone along with a non fiction remembrance of The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle. www.tombarnes39.com www.RocktheTower.com

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