The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-26
Broadway Hit Means
Nothing to Patron
Of the Screen
Play.

The most meaningless advertising,
line can be used in the motion
picture industry is broadway hit
Unlike the stage, il makes no differ
encc TO the photoplay enthusiast
whether the screen play has made a
hit on Broadway or not. The show
that is flashed on the screen must
make a hit with Mr. Photoplay En-
Ihusiast, and his ncighbors, where
ever their theater may be located.
And that is one o. the very big dif-
terences between the stage and the
tilm. II is also an indication OF
the changes that have come in the
motion picture industry during the
past eighteen months. Today the
man who goes into motion picture
-heater demands n show that will
please him, and he will not enter
unless the posters outside give him
some assurance that some of the
screen stars he knows under the
banner OF some one of the companies
IN which he has confidence, will e
shown on the screen. 1t is rather a
curious thing that the average man
VIII take q chance with a s. seat at
the theatrical performance. but he
will not take such chance with a
Decent ticket for the motion pictures.
He will walk from theater to theater
until he catches sight of the name
of some actor or actress or some
producing company he knows Not
until he is satisfied on this point
will he enter the theateT.
This is great change over the
condition that existed only a short
time ago. People went TO the motion
picture theaters in droves, and were
satisfied with what the exhibitor and
the exchange man chose to give
them. And that the condition is
changed is one of the things that
some Of the people in the business
do not seem to be able to grasp.
These are the chaps who will re
tire within the course Of the next
few months, because the people do
not patronize their theateTs, Louis
Reeves Harrison has written a great
deal about the reasons which actuate
motion picture enthusiasts to patron
re this show or that show-but moth
inY he has so far written is more TO
the point than an idea he has Just
Presented in an editorial in the Nov
Ing Picture World Mr.. Harrison
states:
TT is no easy matter TO grasp,
much less TO explain. the mental
attitude of the millions who attend
along which that attitude may be
reached. Every Wednesday evening
the boys Of my neighborhood assem-
bic at a distributing depot to lay in
a stock Of q scent story paper of
Tremendous circulation. Most OF US
buy II. At one time or another we
have found something OF interest in
its columns; the price is low and
We take a chance of finding a story
ffy= vi
Orary diversion. That comes fairly
near illustrating the mental attitude
Of those who go to the picture show,
There is a reasn-
At one time or another there has
been screen INSTALLATION, a pic
tured story or episode, attractive
enough to win our patronage. We
take q chance and 90 in hopes OF
seeing something which will grip
;tnd hold oUr interest for while,
and I do not think most OF Us care
"A snap whether it has the Broadway
stamp Of approval or not. Some
may be drawn in by the posters.
hut the great mass OF people have
been fooled too often and they IN
cline to I'LL the thcater which IRE
Eents the program of highest intrin-
sic merit, Broadway. n she con
trsry. notwithstanding. II is a case
Of Show me-
let US return to our mutton,
the story paper. How many of the
authors writing for the paper can
You rccs1i? You may have a fair
knowledge of the classics stamped
upon the tissue of your brain during
the age Of keen Impressions; you
may even recall Marion Crawford.
Winston Churchill, Robert u.
Chambers. Ellen Glasgow, Kate
Douglas Wiggin. Robert Herrick,
Edith Wharton. Booth Harrington.
Gertrude Anterior and a few otn-
ers of today, but you cannot keep
track of the hundreds Of modern
story tellers any more than YOU
can remember the Broadway hits.
Theatrical Inen-especially those
adapting for the screen-Tlll give
you list OF hits several yards
long. but the plain, ordinary peo-
pie know little and care less what
a screen story has been. Their in
terest lies in what It is in its new