Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-14

In the last four years, the italian films
have greatly increased in popularity all
over the world. The
Italian Films italian companies have
Are ponular been more ambitious
Aic 1opuAai. have spent more money
to secure huge dramatic effects and have
been. in fact, the pioneers in the matter
of big feature production. This Italian
influence has increased until last year
Italian films represented the greater part
Of the foreign films exhibited in this
country.
As matter of course. the outbreak q
the war practically stopped all film pro.
tluction in the countries immediately con-
cerned. There was also an instant break
in the communications with Italy, and
while Italy is still neutral and ships
still run between American and Italian
,,orts the film market has been tremen-
dously upset.
The first effect OF this apparently
would be TO give the Amei lean producers
an opportunity to supply at home the
films heretofore imported from Europe
This was small consolation, however,
since there has been an oVerproductloh
Of films and the withdrawal OF the Eu-
ropean supply scarcely affected the
home market at all.
The great trouble lay in the fact that
in all parts of the world American films
have been the most popular OF an. On
the continent. as in England, Europe
has been a most liberal purchaser OF
American photoplays of every descrlp-
ton. Ii was this demand for American
pictures that led the great French COM
panies to establish branches in this
country and produce American nlms IN
der American conditions
sud- arlI
demand for American films and conse-
guently the whole course of the trade
was upset
From France the demand absolutely
ceased Reports from Paris Indicate
that a few moving
Demand Ceases picture theaters are
still open, but, of
IN FRANCE. course, the patronage
Is light and they are showing only
such pictures as were already in stock
in the country. In Germany, so Tar as
reports have been received. the BUSH
ness has ceased altogether. The same
is true of Austria In Russia it is call
culated that the supply already on
hand will take care of the diminished
demand for several months and Amer-
can producers have no hope of export
ing films to that country for a long
time to come.
The ordinary course of everyday life
has been less changed in England than
in any other European country. ana
the English exhibitors are still buying
some films from this country But
even in England more than one-third
of the regular employees of the MIN
trade have been called out to join the
OF
torials The volunteers have increased
this number to one-half. The fact Is
that a people at war has something to
do bes des go to see the movies.
Under these circumstances, the nrst
thing the American producers did was
to cut down their output. Reduction
of output in the film trade differs ma
tertal'y from a similar reduction In an
ordinary line of nanufactur The
highly cultivated American taste de-
mands as great variety as ever. The
cost of producing a photo-play MIN
lies largely in the camera work-tne
actual making of the picture. Aftel
the picture has been produced add
tionai Aims may be made without mum.
Der at very small cost.
The result is that the American pro-
ducers are compelled to go on with
their expen 6
Market for Films in pro u c i g
Is Cut in Half. they are cut Off
from very large part of their re-
turns because the market for the films
made from each play is cut In half
Under the circumstances it is not sur
prising that there has been stagnatior
in the business.
Another effect of the war has beer
felt In anticipation of the threatened
shortage in chemical supplies. While
all the chemicals used in Photographic
work are produced in the United
States. tire American output has been
comparatively small. 1t has beer
chiefly limited to wholesale drug
houses which have supplied drug
stores and small shops in the minor
towns, who catered only to the village
photographer and the occasional anna
teur.
The moving picture producers. wht
use these chemicals in very large
quantities, have. as rule, depended
upon importations from Germany
These have been cut off and the price,
of the chemicals have doubled ant
trebled in the last few weeks.
The American chemists undoubtedly
will increase their production and viii
De aDIe, WITHIN SIX months, TO tdkt
care of the entire American demand
In the meantime the film producer:
must pay much higher prices and some
OF them probably will be embarrassed
by serious shortage of chemical sup
plies.
So Tar as the films themselves are
concerned. they are made in America
under American
Made in America patents, as are also
w.. the cameras anl
oueA the projecting Ian
terms. When the American chemist
get in position to furnish the full sup
ply of chemicals. the movies" will b,
6 BILE to take care of themselves in tn,
United States without any aid from
foreign countries.
At the same time, they will fee
keenly the loss of the European ex
port market. which heretofore, in tn,
case of many companies, has repre-
scented the entire margin of profit n
the produsing business. 1t Is certai,
that especial effort will be made t,
develop the latent possibilities of tn,
Latin American trade. for 1t is curl
GUS fact that Europe has been makins
pictures for South America while
looking at pictures made in NORTH
America Esrope is now eliminated