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Story
June 8, 1926
The Alaska Daily Empire
Juneau, Alaska
What is this article about?
In New York City on June 8, director Sam Wood advocates for a scouting and bush league system to develop motion picture stars, focusing on talent and personality rather than beauty, with ongoing training and role supervision similar to baseball. He recently graduated Paramount's first movie school students.
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Sees Bush League System In Movie Star Development
NEW YORK CITY, June 8. - A "scouting and bush league system" for the development of motion picture stars is seen by Sam Wood, the director, as an innovation soon to come to the industry in this country.
His plan includes the selection of persons with unusual talent and personality for the screen and their training in the art of acting. This supervision would not end with appearance in pictures but would continue several years or to a time when the players become finished actors.
Beauty contests are without his approval. To him beauty is worthless unless accompanied by brains.
He contends the latter is not always considered in beauty contests.
"I should like to visit universities and numerous other places in search of material," he said. "Here I found persons with talent or personality I would endeavor to get them to undergo tests and if these proved satisfactory then I would offer contracts.
"After training, I would give careful attention to the selection of roles and watch over their careers as long as necessary. My system, in a way, is like that of the baseball managers.
"An actor may make an excellent impression in one or two pictures and even advance to the ranks of stardom. But if he then appears in one or two unsatisfactory roles his reputation suffers seriously and the same thing happens to his box office drawing power.
"It is like taking a pitcher and playing him on first base. He makes errors and loses favor with the fans. I have seen many actors lose out through being miscast."
Wood is the director who had just graduated Paramount's first movie school students, all 16 of whom received contracts.
He directed the Wallace Reid in the series of cinema plays that brought him to the height of his popularity.
NEW YORK CITY, June 8. - A "scouting and bush league system" for the development of motion picture stars is seen by Sam Wood, the director, as an innovation soon to come to the industry in this country.
His plan includes the selection of persons with unusual talent and personality for the screen and their training in the art of acting. This supervision would not end with appearance in pictures but would continue several years or to a time when the players become finished actors.
Beauty contests are without his approval. To him beauty is worthless unless accompanied by brains.
He contends the latter is not always considered in beauty contests.
"I should like to visit universities and numerous other places in search of material," he said. "Here I found persons with talent or personality I would endeavor to get them to undergo tests and if these proved satisfactory then I would offer contracts.
"After training, I would give careful attention to the selection of roles and watch over their careers as long as necessary. My system, in a way, is like that of the baseball managers.
"An actor may make an excellent impression in one or two pictures and even advance to the ranks of stardom. But if he then appears in one or two unsatisfactory roles his reputation suffers seriously and the same thing happens to his box office drawing power.
"It is like taking a pitcher and playing him on first base. He makes errors and loses favor with the fans. I have seen many actors lose out through being miscast."
Wood is the director who had just graduated Paramount's first movie school students, all 16 of whom received contracts.
He directed the Wallace Reid in the series of cinema plays that brought him to the height of his popularity.
What sub-type of article is it?
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Triumph
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Movie Star Development
Talent Scouting
Sam Wood
Film Training
Beauty Contests
Paramount Movie School
Wallace Reid
What entities or persons were involved?
Sam Wood
Wallace Reid
Where did it happen?
New York City
Story Details
Key Persons
Sam Wood
Wallace Reid
Location
New York City
Event Date
June 8
Story Details
Director Sam Wood proposes a systematic approach to discovering and training movie talent through scouting at universities and elsewhere, offering contracts after tests, providing acting training, and supervising career roles like baseball managers to prevent miscasting and ensure success.