The Washington times., 1914-04-07

The Times believes most emphati-
cally in moving pictures. TIE SPACE
II is daily devoting to the subject
more space than any other news
paper in this section of the country
and more space than it is devUting
to any other form OF amusement
except baseball-cught to prove that
to anyone interested enough TO
weigh all the facts. But TIE Times
does not believe in tie kind of
moving pictures some of the en-
hibitors in Washington are showing.
And The Times intends 10 fight,
With all its strength an,1 all its
power, for the upliftment end i'm
pTSvcment Of the pictures until they
are placed on So nigh L plane that
no possible objection to them can
he Snade. Further than this, The
Times not only expects, but it has
been assured, support in this direc-
ton from the public and from the
selt-respecting exhibitors.
=
The columns Of The Times are
wide open to the exhibitors for any
statement they might care to make
of their side of tie case. This de-
partment Is being run in the in
tercst of the public with .eSard to
photoplays. <he exhibitors have
undoubtedly 4 statement 20 make.
We would be glad to have them
make 1t to us and well print it just
as freely as we print tEs. criticisms.
The principal criticism that has
been directed hy the exhibitors
against Tho Times deals with the
matter OF the selection Of programs.
Ihx claim that good programs can
nGS &c secured is go puerile and futile
thAA II would not merit comment
were it not for the fact that some
portion of the public has been I'M
pressed with II by the exhibitors.
The facts are that no ran who
wants good program in his theater
a program Of good, clean IilIns,
need be without one And TO prove
that this rs so the PhotoDlay Edi-
tor took uron himself to uffer to
select programs for exhibitors who
wanted them selected
+
Also to prove to his own salts
faction that photoplay managers
who expect TO get patronage produce
good programs of their own selec-
ton, the Photoplav Editor of The
Times went TO the theater nearest
MS home recently for the purpose
OF taking notes on the program and
commenting on it The only crftl-
cism that could be made was that
the program was too long by at
least two reels. The first picture
seen was Shadows" an Essanav
feature. starring Francis \. Bush
man and Irene Warfield. It was a
nne pisce OF work on the part of the
actors and actresses engaged, and
served TO show how the Essanav
pegs are striving to get the very
oeS results with good PEOPLE and
good mechanical work. nliss Nil
lords edison comedy. "A Boarding
House Romance" was the second
MIN Miss Milford wr3te this com
edy, which is absolutely clean and
wholesome. and plays one of the
principal parts herself. The silver
srun Box n Vitagraph feature.
with Clara Kimban Young and
James Eackaye in the principal
Characters, was the third picture
ms was drama that contained a
number Of tense situations and
thrilling moments. It held the in
terest OF the audience every min
ute. Luoin drama. The Puri-
tan. which came next, we'll staged
and Wei acted. did not please so
much because the ending was rather
abrupt and unpleasant. and the
storE did not seem to be as weIl
earned out - a have any partic-
uiat purpo%S here was nothing
Objectionable afout It, however
40 Eiorraph comedies and an Edi-
stn scenic film completed the pro
gram.
There vas absolutely nothing that
me tninest-skinn-S cerson could oo-
ject 10 about tI-., entire program
The criticism as to Its length and
70 the unconvincinE character of the
L@bin film is purely personal We
are opposed to long programs not
only because we believe they arc
tno great 4 strain on the eyes Of
the audience. but because we he
iieVe that IL is Asking too much OF
the EXHIBITOR. program of FIVE
reeis or SIX can be put on bv the
average exhibitor at a reasona bIo
expense, A longer program as
regular thing. calls for an increas.
N expense. II ;he character OF the
pictures is to be maintained et q
TIfh stnndarc. or reVersinn 10
cheao fins. which mad better 20
unseen. 90
An exhibitor friend for whose
opinion we have the highest respec.
void US the other DAY that peonIe
expect long shows and thet the eY-
Aioitor gets more money out Of the
questiona Die film than he does ont
OF one that is clean. AS matter
OF fact the latter part of this ex-
motors statement is largely based
on hearsay as he wouldn't tolerate
questionable film in his theate-
But suppose il was a fact-that all
nc said was absolutely true. there
[eHni ms TINS element that he he's
overlooked. Give anv set or nennIo
dbet OF anything long enough and
theyH think thev need il all the
time. Certain kinds % DeoDle can
be led 10 accept anything II It is
hammered into them. And II this
class Of peonla becomes accustomed
TO seeing filth in photoplay thcv
will soon reach the stage where they
demand it. This class of neorle is
taken by the average exhibitor IN
IcprcefHt thc pupilc as whole. Il
Isn't the public at aIl. Tho particular
exhibitor who talked with vS has
never shown a questionable film in
his house. He said he couldn't arTord
20 do II because he had a reputation
20 maintain. And there are DerhaDs
twenty-five or thirty of his type in
Wsshington who have regulations TO
maintain. These are tho men whose
thesters this paper hopes TO fill to
overfowine every night in the eek.
And we want them to help US {" do
IT, G. NJ.