The Washington times., 1914-03-18
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Exhibitors Who Help
Regular Patrons
Are Helping
Themselves.

HEN lIie "" HtIS VI pnOlO-
N} play houses in the District
" realize that courtesy to
their patrons and thought
illness of their comfort and conve-
II cnCe backed by a careful selection
( photoplays, is the sure way to
rofit, just that minute there will
ONE into being a kindl:er feeling
Netween the playhouse and its Glen
rele. BY far the greater number of
no theaters in Washington are in
resjdence districts. The same people
20 night after night to view the pic
,ures. A tour of any of these dis
rricts will find one of the theaters
eetting most of the patronage. In
vsriatly it is the place where the
owner combines the qualities of USE
fuIness that have been enumerated.
1t makes little difference what
~ort of a program is put on, people
are not coming into a house. where
there is poor projection, a cold in
rerIor, or d:scourteous treatment
rom the attaches. 1t is true that
hen certain feature films are shown
he people will flock in large num-
ers, REGARDLESS of the kind of house
ut il will be found that they will
Jok for the appearance OF the Tea
IRE at the downtown theaters the
lCNt time they want to see i, and
.vill go there in preference to at
ending a performance at their
Te.ghborhood theater.
The neighborhood house is the one
tlat must use more care in the prep
sretion of its goods for sale. 1t is
II the neighborhood house that the
fortunes of the photoplay exhibiting,
, Isiness are to be made in the "a
turc. And it seems that the wise Sx-
hfbItor g the man who WI cultivate
feeling of friendship with his pa
irons The first way to do this Is to
make his house as comfortable ant
attractive as possible. The attaches,
f-Om the person who sells the tickets
down to the janitor. should be school
i II. courtesy-shouid be made to
Understand that the man who pays
or a ticket IS an honored guest and
treated as such.
The matter of the selection of
Aims to please the people comes
next. And this matter is going TO
h., one of the most Inlportant-if not
the most important-of the lot the
vagaries of public taste can be
-augei only by the number of
groups of individuals who make up
ne public. Each neighborhood rep
resents a variety of ideas The man
Who strives to please an entire sec
ton of the city is the man who Of
fers the widest variety of good en-
tertainment. But there are certain
kinds of reople who like certain
kinds of things The old philosopher
Thc said that birds OF a feather
fock together was merely trying to
Say something smart. People of
imi'ar tastes will find other people
{ similar tastes and will frequent
he same places. -.--...
In finding out what ii is the public
ants to see-a task which The
lines las set for itself-the exhibit
-ors can help a lot by asking their
'atrons what they want. In sew
raj cities where this has been tried
the results have been most sat'sfac-
tory. The exhibitor has been able to
-Epply the wants of his people and
is income has not depended upon
sking a big killing now and then.
lis house has always been full be-
1use lis programs have been Sc
ted for the purpose.
People are beginning to watch for
le faces OF certain players and the
pTearance of certain brands. They
ave learned that certain actors and
dresses and certain nufactrrerS
urn out the kinds of films they
'ke, and they go to the places where
hese are shown. II is 10 hep t'ese
oople that The Times has asked 'ts
saders 10 tell what they wans The
Nhibitor can also tel The Times
hat he frds pays the best. Work.
Ig together On tie same idea it is
ossible to do better business for the
Exhibitor and give more pleasure TO
he patron Let everyone help.
q NJ