The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-08-03
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
Third Of All People
in Washington
Sd7U Bible
Pictures.
BY GARDNER MACK

one-third of the population OF the
District of Columbia has. in the
last three months, seen one set of
moving pictures,
The story of the exhibition of The
Creation at the Belasco Theater.
has not only been encouraging to
the members of the International
Association of Bible Students, who
promoted the enterprise. but 1t was
a most remarkable demonstration
of the. drawing power of the moving
pictures and the screen drama 1t
has been stated by hundreds of the
people who saw the pictures that
they received a new understanding
of the Bible. and that they returned
to their homes and read the Book
again with an entirely new interest.
The three months run of The
Creation closed yesterday with a
special exhibition and lecture, Pas
tor BENJAMIN II. Barton OF Phila-
delphia. being the lecturer The his
tory of the movement for the exhi-
bition of Bible subjects in film
form was recited by DIR. Barton, and
-
here were told. The exhibitions were
given simultaneously in a number
OF cities of the country, and I'm many
snail towns. The story of the Bible
was divided into four parts, and
there were two sections to each part.
One part would be shown each week,
so that II required four weeks to
see the entire set of pictures. But
the pictures brought to moving pic
ture enthusiasts a new idea of the
Bible and to Bible students a new
idea OF the moving pictures.
1t is probable that there has been
nothing in the history of the photo
play industry that has given it such
a forward impetus as these pictures
have done. Thousands of the peo-
pie who visited the Belasco Theater
here during the exhibition of the
fflm have been among those who
were very strongly prejudiced
against the moving picture theater.
They had never seen pictures of the
kind before, but have been preju-
diced against them because OF the
form the earlier exhibitions as
stunned. The fact that clean, whole
some entertainment could be OBJ
tanned from the screen never &C.
CURED TO such persons. Their idea
was that the pictures were all bad.
They have seen that the pictures
are not all bad. In ract, that there
Is no necessity for any of them
being bad: that they can exercise
a great moral force in a commun-
innocent form of amusement to
thousands of people who would
otherwise be deprived of pleasure.
These facts which have percoiated
through the intelligence Of the class
of former enemies of the film to
whom reference has been made, will
mean q great deal for the entire
m owing picture industry. The Bible
pictures showed scenes from the
Bible stories. 1t will not be diff
cult now to pursuade these former
critics that the moving picture play
of today that is worth while is
merely the application of the les
sons of these Bible stories to mod
ern times and conditions and peo-
pies.
The plots of all the novels that
were ever written can be found in
the Bible stories. The germs of all
the ideas that have been worked
into the great dramas of litera-
ture will be found in the Bible. To
those who saw THE Creation" II is
g short step to photoplays like Quo
Vadis," THE Last Days OF Pom
peii." "Ben-Hur." etc. Thence in
steady progress through historical
and modern social drama to the
Mays OF today is an easy matter.
The wise exhibitor will take ad-
vantage of the opportunity that has
been given him through the work of
the Bible students and extend his
clientele by arranging his program
for them. These are the people who
need be educated I'm film conditions.
They are the people who arc respon-
sible for all the drastic laws that
have been enacted for the govern
ment Of moving picture exhibitions,
and most of them never saw a pic
ture until THE Creation" was pro-
duced.
When the International Associa-
ton OF Bible Students first announced
its intention to exhibit these pictures
free Of charge in a number of cities
throughout the summer. the exhibit
tors were inclined to protest. The
fact that the pictures would attract
a class of people who had never been
enthusiastic over such exhibitions
did not occur to the moving picture
man at first. But now he sees It.
And II Is his duty to see that the
clientele thus built up is not lost
He must make his theater attractive
and his shows absolutely clean. IF
he does this there is no reason to
believe that one-third OF the popula-
ton Of the District OF Columbia will
not remain enthusiastic over the
pictures If this is accomplished the
exhibitor certainly asks for nothing
NJ