What Kind of a Fellow Is — Selznick? (1918) 🇺🇸

Being a glance at the real human side of the big men of the picture game caught in action

by William A. Johnston

Well, well! Look who’s here! Lewis J. Selznick, as I live.

Probably, gentle reader, you have been wondering why Mr. Selznick didn’t come along earlier in the series.

So has Mr. Selznick.

Which makes it fifty-fifty.

You see we had to hold some of the best subjects back — to keep the series up. (How’s that, Mr. Selznick?)

Well, anyway, when we ‘phoned Mr. Selznick this morning he said immediately: “Yes sir, certainly, come right up.”

There’s no persiflage about Mr. Selznick. Whether he compliments you, makes an appointment, calls you a liar, or says he’s going to sue you — he’s always exceedingly direct. He’s quite as direct as a club. He often hits you that way.

You wouldn’t call him democratic. He’s simply too business-like to be undemocratic; he’s too practical to pose — that’s all. He certainly puts all the cards — face-up, on the table.

And he certainly is interesting. We’d rather interview Mr. Selznick than play poker; the rules of both games, in fact, are quite similar. Once we tried to bluff Mr. Selznick, by the way, and it didn’t go.

“Now look here,” opened Mr. Selznick in his charmingly frank manner, “I don’t like your interviews. They’re too darn funny. I’ve got no time for foolishness. I want to make a business statement to the exhibitor.”

“Yes, Mr. Selznick,” we countered, “but the exhibitor wouldn’t read it.”

Mr. Selznick looked obstinate. “I don’t talk bunk like these other fellows.”

“True, Mr. Selznick; you don’t; but you see you’re the innocent victim of a pernicious practice. The exhibitor has got so he won’t read any business statements any more. We warn the exhibitor in our headlines that Mr. So-and-so is making a business statement; whereupon the exhibitor passes it up.”

Mr. Selznick looked surprised; but he went right ahead and talked business. “I’m going to, anyway,” he asserted. It would appear from what he said that Mr. Selznick believes in three things.

1. The all-star system.
2. Select Pictures.
3. Himself.

Therefore himself is going out on a trip to the present and prospective customers of Select Pictures to talk about the all-star system.

And, in our opinion, he’ll get away with it.

We cheerfully extend some advice to the exhibitors Mr. Selznick will meet.

• Don’t try to bluff him unless you’ve got the goods.
• If the goods are on you, own up right away. He’ll find it out, anyway.
• Take his word. He’s more apt to keep it than most any film man we know of.
• Don’t try to put any jokers in your contract with him. He’ll slip in two for your one. If you don’t try it, he won’t.
• Tell him he’s getting thinner. That will get him on your side at the start.
• Tell him your troubles — honestly; and ask his help. That will tickle him to death. He’ll take off his coat and go to work for you. You see, he thrives on trouble. He gets unhappy when things move happily. That’s why he’s going out on the road.
• Talk quickly to him — and be frank. He’s got one of the quickest and shrewdest minds we ever met. He is intolerant of either stupidity or equivocation.
• Don’t try to slip anything over him. He’ll beat you to it, if you do. If you don’t, and if you make him feel that you’re leaving it all to him, he’ll give you the best of it.

In other words, it’s best — for you — to work with…

[Transcriber’s Note: The rest of the text is, unfortunately, missing. Sorry!]

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Collection: Motion Picture News, March 1918

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Illustration by: Harry Palmer (Harry Samuel Palmer) (1882–1955)

Collection: Motion Picture News, March 1918