Paramount
Through the motion picture industry, Abrams became acquainted with W. W. Hodkinson and when Hodkinson founded Paramount Pictures in 1914, Abrams began serving on the five man board-of-directors. When Hodkinson denied Paramount producers Adolph Zukor and Jesse Lasky more of the profits, Zukor - in a Machiavellian plot - devised a coup.
Zukor and Lasky sold Hodkinson more of their film rights and, using that money, they purchased Paramount stock to, by 1916, gain a majority of it. Then with Abrams, Steele and Sherry they used this majority to vote Hodkinson out. Abrams took over as president and Steele as treasurer.
In 1917, Abrams, while in Boston, organised a party for Fatty Arbuckle, Zukor, Lansky, and several others. Eventually, the party, sans Arbuckle, moved to Mishawum Manor, an inn of notorious reputation. Willing women appeared, and later a photographer. A few days later it became evident the moguls had been caught in a badger game. Daniel Coakley, a notoriously crooked Boston lawyer, threatened arrest on morals charges. Studio lawyers were hastily summoned and eventually $100,000 was paid to have the charges dropped. It is likely this escapade cost Abrams his job, as Zukor fired him soon afterwards.
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Famous quotes containing the word paramount:
“If all political power be derived only from Adam, and be to descend only to his successive heirs, by the ordinance of God and divine institution, this is a right antecedent and paramount to all government; and therefore the positive laws of men cannot determine that, which is itself the foundation of all law and government, and is to receive its rule only from the law of God and nature.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)
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“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)