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
Bella Donna (1923 film) Bella Donna (1923 film) Bella Donna is a 1923 American silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on a novel, "Bella Donna", by Robert Smythe Hichens which was later adapted for a 1912 Broadway play starring Alla Nazimova. This film is also a remake of the 1915 Paramount film "Bella Donna" starring Pauline Frederick. The 1923 film was directed by George Fitzmaurice and starred Pola Negri in her first American film. "Bella Donna (Beautiful Lady)" by Harry B. Smith and Arthur M. Brilant (words) and Ted Snyder (music). Reportedly the film played