Sid Saylor to Play in Stern Comedies (1926) 🇺🇸
Comedy producers warn other producers against announcing new Saylor pictures — screen comedian signed on long term contract — To play George in “Let George Do It” series.
Sid Saylor, popular screen comedian, has been signed up on a long term contract by the Stern Brothers, makers of series comedies for Universal release. The Sterns are aroused by announcements which have appeared in print from other comedy producers announcing forth-coming comedies to be made with Saylor, and strenuously deny that any comedies are to be made with this comedian except the ones he makes at the Stern Brothers studio, for Universal release. Should, premature announcements concerning Saylor be repeated, the Sterns promise energetic action to put a stop to misinformation of this character.
“For other companies to announce that Saylor has been engaged to make comedies for them, after he has been definitely signed up with us for several years, is not only misinformation of the most flagrant type, but is distinctly harmful to us,” said Abe Stern, vice-president of the Stern Brothers company, and eastern representative of that producing concern, in a statement issued this week.
“The nature of this business is such that great care, effort and expense are involved in definitely establishing a star’s connections with a certain brand of product. For this reason, even one story or source of information tending to tear down such a professional connection is of untold harm.
“Julius Stern, president of our corporation, signed Saylor almost as soon as he arrived at the Coast several weeks ago to supervise the production of our new program of releases. It was a week or more after this definite contract, that the stories I refer to began to appear. I will not mention the names of the offending parties who stood sponsor for the stories, but most people who follow the events of the day in this business saw them and remember them. The exhibitors saw them and remember them, and it is the misinformation which they built up that we are faced with obliterating.
“Saylor’s reputation as a screen comedian, gained by a long, series of successful comedies which have caused him to become a great favorite both with exhibitors and the public, is unimpaired by these stories, of course. It is only the Stern Film Corporation which is placed at a disadvantage. The stories appeared just at the time we were ready to announce Saylor to the trade as a new Stern Brothers star. The clouding of the situation forced us to withhold the announcement until now. Naturally we have suffered through the delay.
“In the name of my brother and myself, for the company, I want to issue a warning right now that any further misrepresentations as to Sid Saylor’s present contract and future plans will be energetically acted upon by us, in order to protect our rights to the use of his name.
“I also want to announce now, so that there will be no further misunderstanding on the subject:
“Sid Saylor is to play the role of George in our ‘Let George Do It’ series of two-reeler comedies for Universal release. This series is a high class series to be made from the famous newspaper cartoons by George McManus, and is a companion series to ‘The Newlyweds and Their Baby’ series which we also are adapting from McManus cartoons. The Let George Do It series will be released about one a month during the 1926–1927 season as a part of the Greater Movie List, Universal’s new product. The Let George Do It comedies are being directed by Scott Pembroke. The supporting casts will be of the highest quality. Arrangements now are being completed for the service of some of the prettiest young girls on the screen to play opposite Saylor. Production on this series will be under way in a few days, and it is expected that the first comedy of the series will be completed and in the various Universal exchanges early enough this spring to be previewed by all first-run exhibitors in time for early season booking.”
Phyllis Kaufman, daughter of A. J. Kaufman, one of the executives of the Lubliner and Trinz-Balaban and Katz Circuits, is playing a part in “The Excuse Maker” which is now in production at the Stern Brothers’ studio, and is here seen with Charles King and Constance Darling. Miss Kaufman, who came to Los Angeles on a visit with her mother, has received several offers to work in pictures: At first she refused, but the movies finally fascinated her to such an extent that she decided to accept the offers and try her luck.
April 10th — Carl Laemmle International Day
Collection: Universal Weekly, April 1926