The Washington times., 1914-09-02
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Producers May Take
Steps to Stop the
Poor Projection
Of Their Film.

The photoplay patron has been en-
couraged greatly in his campaign
for more careful projection OF motloh
pictures By the attitude which the
producers of big plays have adopt
ed One of the most ardent adVo-
Gates of careful projection is David
". Griffith. the great director, who
has given the most thorough study
10 this question and has stated that
on IL depends the success or failure
OF a picture Mr.. Griffith states that
the finest sort of a play, produced in
the very best manner by the most
capable actors and actresses is more
frequently than not absolutely
ruined by bad projection. And Mr..
Griffith has further said that in the
course of time the producers of pic
lures will realize this and will see
10 it that their product gets better
projection. Mr.. Griffith is, of course,
an enthusiast. He goes to an eX-
treme in the projection he outlines
FOR his pictures because he knows
exactly what the pictures need to
bring out what he has tried to put
into them. But the public is the
gamer through extremists of this
kind. Mr.. Griffith knows that the
business value of a picture lies in the
art that enters into its production.
And he also knows that IL cannot
be properly shown to the people II
the manager of the theater where
II is shown desires to run the pic
tAres about twice as fast as they
enould be run i'll order to fill and
empty his place as many times as
possible during the evening. We
saw a Griffith production run off in
that way recently and the whole
value of the picture was destroyed.
The result is that We nave decided
never to so again to tie particular
theater where We saw that picture.
II would certainly seem that the
business instincts of the exhibitor
would prevent his mutilating a MAY
by such treatment There must be
thousands of people of the same
mind that we are about such things.
and ii doesn't take very long for
word 10 be passed around a neigh
borhood that a certain theater
makes no effort to show its pictures
we'll. That theater will naturally
lose business. There is, however.
one reason that can be urged in
favor of such a manager. There is
TO such methods. He has no faith
in the motion picture industry. and
feels that he had best get all the
money he can from 1t in the shortest
space of time, because he believes
the business is going 10 fail. We
would be very sorry to think that
there is a man in Washington who
has watched motion pictures for the
past five years who can hold any
euch ideas. But that must be the
reason. 1t is the only sane. honest
reason there could be for conducting
the business of any photoplay thea
ter that way. That it must be is
partly borne out by the fact that the
manager of one house who has Of
Tended in this direction repeatedly
grows highly indignant every time
sny comment of this kind is made in
this column. and insists that il is
Vrecking the whole business to let
the public think they have anv
rights whatsoever. This man sin
cerely believes what he says!
The time Is rapid, approaching
when II will be put out OF the pow
er OF the careless eXhibitOrs-of
whom there are but few in Wash
ington-to wreck a picture. Mr..
Griffith gave a hint in his state
ment that something would be done.
We are not in possession of Mr..
that one way the thing could he
done would be for the producers TO
send film inspectors to various cities
AZ odd times to inspect the manner
in which exhibitors handle the films
that have been given them and to
prohibit the renting of a film to an
exhibitor who offends. The business
o. the producer is at stake. and the
producer must take some radical
sten to save his business. 1t would
seem to US that here is an excellent
opportunity for the newly formed
National Motion Picture Board OF
Trade TO help the public and them
selves and at the same time show
q certain disinterestedness and a de-
sire 70 better the condition Of the art
that brings them their dividends It
must he remembered that everything
that betters the motion picture as
an exhibition betters also all the
people connected with il The pro
ducer. the exchange manager. and
the exhibitor reap profits not only
from the good work or the actors
and actresses and :he director. but
from the ability Of the camera man
20 record and the projection opera
tor TO project the idea Of tn" Dro-
ducers on the screen 6 NJ