The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-07-08
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Australian ThedterS
Pay More Attention
to the Public'S
Demands

enjoy advantages in the moving pic
ture business that are being denied
the people OF this community. Aus
tralia is being described just now as
the center of all that is good in the
moving picture business, from the
standpoint Of the public. The inter
ssts of the public seem to be SUBJ
served there in photoplays, as they
are in many other directions And
the exhibitors have found II to pay
TO consult the wishes Of the public.
That is. they consult the wishes of
the public to the extent Of demand
ing an examination of the pictures
before they are shown on the screen.
The exhibitors only show on the
screen the kinds of pictures their ex-
perience has taught them the public
likes to see.
The business, it would appear, has
been put on a legitimate basis by the
men who conduct IT. although. 1t is
stated. there is still room for big
Improvement J. D. Williams, who
Was well known in the picture BUSH
ness In this country, has recently
lCNAIhCN " NOAL1ly eA4ACA oSN-
eral years spent in Australia, and he
has written a most Interesting &C
count of his experiences for the
Moving Picture World.
Having spent four years in the
moving picture business in Australia
and being interested in all that per
tains to the advancement of the In
dustry. / am anxious that all the
exhibitors in America should become
acquainted with the conditions that
exist in Australia" states Mr.. VIII
liams The articles by your w.
Stephen Bush are doing much to
bring 10 the exhi bitor his sense of
responsibility. and 1t will be Of in
teTest to most American exhibitors
TO know that many of the benefits
and the high standards which he is
advocating have to a large degree
already been accomplished in Aus
tralia-
Il shall never forget the first even
ing / spent in Australia al pc
Ture show. Previously I was en-
gagged in the business in America
and / left for Australia because be-
lieved from all ! heard and read of
conditions out there that there was
an opportunity to develop a business
in a way where originality and per-
count than in the United States. I
had always chafed at the thought of
not being able to select my own
program, believing that therein was
the fundamental principle of cue
cess in exhibiting motion pictures.
While ] thought ! understood the
conditions, of course, II was impos-.
sible to know the real situation be-
fore actually getting out there on
the ground
'On the evening referred to, I
dropped into picture show next
door to the hotel where / was stop
ping. The show was billed as Vests
Pictures. The name of the thea
ter was the Palace. Never have
ter. 1t had n seating capacity of
about 100 and an orchestra of fiji
teen or more. intelligently directed
b. a leader whose name / afterSyard
learned was DeGroen. known as the
Sousa of Australia The music WIS
beautiful and was cued perfectly to
the pictures. The general atmosphere
was one of refinement throughout.
I paid 90 cents for the seat / occu-
pied. AS l had gone out with the
idea of engaging in the business. I
remarked to a couple Of young men
who accompanied me to Australia
that ] would have to go some to
heat that. for truthfully have new
er enjoyed an evenings entertain
r1ent more.
During the time ! remained in
Australia ! built several beautiful
picture houses. | inaugurated the
continuous show there. charging half
the price usually demanded and
showing program one-half as long.
From the beginning / was success
full. / had not gone very far he
fore 7 found however that Charpipp
a cheap price of admission was a
mistake. and in the last houses
built the price was double that which
usually charged.
In Australia the pictures are Sc
lected on their merits. The ex-
hibitor is not a mere igurehead who
takes whatever picture the exchange
chooses to give him However. most
exhibitors do follow a few big
houses in selecting their programs
hut they know that the manager of
these big houses has most carefully
scrutinized every picture and passed
upon its merits before Il was
shown in his theater. Nowhere in
all Australia do they change their
program more than twice each week.
The picture theaters are very lib
eral users Of newspaper space. and
carry twice as much advertisement
for their shows as the regular thea
tiers do
The market conditions in Aus
tralia at present are not so good
from the manufacturers stand
point The exchanges control the
market there, and it is only human
nature for them TO buy their pictures
as cheaply as possible. Some dav
the American manufac turers will
realize the advantage of pooling their
interests and maintaining an export
department operated on their joint
account with a view to marketing
their joint products in foreign coun-
tries