Albert Warner officially marking the beginning of The Great Depression, Albert saw that the studio was in need of additional star power in order to survive. Following Albert's advice, Jack and Harry Warner acquired three Paramount stars (William Powell, Kay Francis, and Ruth Chatterton) for studio salaries doubled from their previous ones. This move proved to be a success, and stockholders maintained confident in the Warners. In late 1929, Jack Warner would hire sixty-one-year-old actor George Arliss to star in the studio's film "Disraeli". To everybody's surprise, the film "Disraeli" was a success, and Arliss would win an Oscar for Best Actor
Samuel Cupples Samuel Cupples Samuel Cupples (September 13, 1831 – January 6, 1912) was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to James and Elizabeth (Bingham) Cupples. His parents were both from County Down, Ireland and came to the United States in 1814. James Cupples was an educator and established a school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When he was 15, Samuel moved to Cincinnati and began working for Albert O. Taylor in a woodenware business. Cupples moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1851 and established his own woodenware business under the name of Samuel Cupples & Company. In 1858, Cupples partnered with Thomas Marston and the