The Washington times., 1914-12-12
Speculative Era in
Film Production
Now Ancient
History.

The refusal Of the motion picture
exhibitors to be bound to program
limitations that existed a year or so
ago has become general throughout
The country, and the uplift work
has been going on here in Washing
ton with the Idea OF making quality
the keynote OF business in the
future seems 10 be a general move
m"nt. he fact that the picture is
taking its. legitimate place among
amusement enterprises has been
HoIed here several times. The most
hopeful sign for continued improve
ment that has come recently Is to
5e found in the results of the tour
OF Carl Horton Pierce, representing
the Bosworth Company, who is Just
now in Washington after making q
circuit of the Middle Western and
southern cities in the interest of
the Paramount Program. Mr.. Pierce
Is type of the men who have re-
Gently come into the business and
whose efforts are TO make 1t a last
ing factor not only in the amusement
world, but in educational circles. A
graduate of Harvard, and a man
who has devoted a considerable por-
tion OF his life to newspaper work,
he entered the business because he
be!ieNed IL offered a legitimate Op-
pOrtunity for men of brains and
progressive ideas. In his tour from
New York, which he is just now COM
pleting, he visited many cities which
are becoming the distributing centers
Tor the motion picture film And he
learned many things about the work
Of distribution and the character of
the men who are doing that work.
The character of the productions
that are being given the people has
not changed to greater degree than
= ~. ..gagsn =.
making the productions and are en-
Eaging in the exhibiting END of the
business, according to Mr.. Pierce.
Whereas a few years ago the film
field was filled with men of the cheap
Snowman type-not the theatrical
showmen, but the side showmen Of
the ciTcuS-today college men and
business men such as bankers, sub
stantial merchants. and others, are
entering the film business. They are
doing this because it has attracted
their attention, not only for its
money-baking possibilities, but in
many instances for the chance il
gives the man who is really inter-
ested in the upbuilding of his COM
munity to lend himself to an enter
prise that is not only profitable from
a financial standpoint, but is also
more or less sociological and edu-
Cational way.
ing the increasing demand that is
being made for films that show
now much higher Is the intelligence
OF the average person than the eX-
hibitor formerly believed" said Mr..
Pierce This has proved to me tnar
the patron of the motion picture de-
n1ands a play that is as carefully
produced and acted. as well as con-
Structed. as those produced in the
very best theaters by the best actors
and actresses and playWr-ghts- The
picture has passed way beyond the
experimental stage ! noted in prac-
ticaliy every distributing center
visited that the high quality film
that vas exceptional only a short
time ago. has now become the aver
age The patrons of the pictures are
demanding in their smaller houses
the same character Of production
hat is being shown in the big places
They have created a demand for
snort film as we'll as long features
that must be OF equal quality They
have displayed the most discriminate
ing taste in choosing their amuse-
ment. And this discrimination does
not in the least mean that a certain
kind Of action or a certain kind OF
scene is demanded. A few years ago
the cowboy picture was the most
popular Then came the slap-stick
comedy vogue. Today there Is no
special vogue. The people demand
carefully built PLAYS and well made
and acted film They refuse abso-
iutely to patronize theaters that use
anything else.
Z believe firmly in the theory
that the film is supplemental and
helpful 10 the stage | have sound
Cd this out with ou~ managers in
various sections of the country. We
have inquired into the demand that
Was made for books or the produc :
ton of stage plays from books that
v,ere utilized for film plays. And We
discovered that the sale Of books
was boosted. and mat the attend
sncs at stage PRODUCTIONS was in
creased I am firmly convinced that
tne legitimate stage has nothing to
fear from the film so long as the
stage plays as fair with the public
as the film Is now doing.
The era OF speculation in the Tim
business has gone. Today the manu-
facturer must content himself with
p legitimate profit on his produc-
ton and must give the public the
very best production from a drama
dc, artistic, and literary sense. or
he will not realize that profit"