The Washington times., 1914-05-23
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
How Gldring Fronts
Have Endangered
Neighborhood
ThedterS

lis are contemplating ItiS eltdIIiiitiiS
of an odd regulation regarding
photopIay theaters which will aim a
blow at the industry in that city
from which it will be very difficult
TO recover. 1t is proposed to limit
the theater to the business districts.
Zones will be established through
out the city where no theatcrs can
be operated-residence districts will
be deprived of them entirely. And
the main cause is the glaring fronts.
This will be a very serious thing
for the moving picture men of Mini
neapolis and the enactment Of such
law would be a serious thing for
any city in the country. The NOV
ing picture is a residence district
enterprise in its larger sense. Cf
course, there will always be big
picture theaters, devoted TO the great
feature films. But it is on the neigh
borhood theater that the big future
of the business oepends.' Anyone
who has taken the trouble to in
vestigate the business realizes that
the great hold of the pictures on
the people lies first In their cheap
ness, and second on the convenience
with which theaters can be reached
In residence distrits. The large re-
turns that have come to the manu-
facturers and the exhibitors have
not come from the big feature films.
They have been produced by the
single reel. And they will continue
10 be by the single reel. In speak
ing of the single reel We wish to
be understood as referring to the
class of pictures that can be shown
on a program for 10 cents al a small
neighborhood house.
Sometimes these run to two and
three reels-and on special days to
larger productions-but the greater
number of films shown are the
shorter films. 1t is probable that the
patronage of the average neighbor-
hooo house would not stand for the
continuous exhibition of long films.
This, however, is a subject that
would require a more, extended dis
cussion than there is space for here.
Admitting that the program made up
OF from four to five single-reel sub
1ects Is the average neighborhood
theater program, II will be also ad-
mitted that this is all the exhibitor
can be expected to give his patrons
for the small price they pay, and all,
they really want. Running such pro-
Grams regularly and using good
judgment in the selection of sub
iects, the exhibitor can depend on a
steady return from a neighborhood
houSe
IN the down town house a differ
ent situation presents itself. We
have frequently stated that in our
opinion the downtown houses will
eventually restrict themselves to
feature productions. 1t is necessary
10 offer the people more down town
than in the residence districts, be-
cause the people are compelled to
nay more and to go to greater trou-
Die to get to the theater. The house
in the business district Is largely in
the category of the downtown house
In Washington-for that is what we
mean when We say business district
The downtown sections.
II an attempt were made to close
up the residence district theaters in
washington, the principal source of
amusement for more than half the
population of the city would be
wiped out There is no question but
that the advent of the photoplay
gave more people the opportunity
for pleasure and entertainment than
any form of amusement ever de-
vised. And a large proportion of
these people never go to a theater
outside of their home section. II
they go down town, they attend a
performance at q regular house II
would be difficult to state Just how
much money is tied up in moving
picture investments here in Wash
ington. but 1t would be safe to saw
that much more than 80 per cent is
represented in the neighborhood
houses
With all these facts fully under
stood, an analysis Of the reasons for
the proposed action OF the Mime
apolis authorities develops the fact
that the exhibitors of that city ap-
peared TO have been Inspired by a
desire TO get all the money there was
In circulation in the shortest space
OF tme-a disease that has been
ylrulent among photoplay exhibitors
The country over, and from which
they are only slowly recovering. Like
the people they have been irving to
serve, the exhibitors seem TO have
failed to grasp that the moving pic
tnre is a permanent institution.
They seem to have felt that the
bottom would drop out of the bust
ness: Ard they have taken the
suctioneer's and sideshow methods
OF going after the business.
And that is the reason why the
members of the board of aldermen
OF Minneapolis have gone after the
neighborhood theater. The pro-
tests that were filed with the city
authorities which brought about the
dtIoI were al UdSeQ upon the un-
slightly theaters. People owning
residence property cannot afford to
permit the glaring. bIatent type of
institution that can be and has been
developed by a moving picture ex-
hibitor, who allows full play to his
feelings. With the fiaring posters,
the binding lights, and marring,
rather than decoration. ot the neigh
borhood. the value OF property takes
a decline. There is not now and
never was any excuse for this kind
OF a theater. Washington has a
number of them. And Washington
exhibitors should take a hint from
the Minneapolis agitation TO compel
ouch Of their associates as offend
IN this particular. to tone their
houses to fit the neIghborhood
G. NJ