The Washington times., 1914-04-11
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
What the Theatrical
Managers Will
Do to the
Film.


ity- of the photoplay. Throughout
the country the theatrical season has
been bad. Managers everywhere are
complaining of empty houses. In
washington an. expert attached. TO
one OF the theaters stated only this
week that there have been just
three weeks tn sea- son his house
has ,lone anything like big business.
At another house only two weeks,
and at another only one OF great
business is reported for the season.
Fair business has been done-the
mana gers ale not in danger of star
Nalion-but the season hasn't been
snythn.g like what il ought TO have
been. according to the managers
nay of estimating things.
on the other hand. the photoplay
business has been larger than it ever
was. There are more new theaters
and bigger crowds at the old thea
ters. There has been a tremendous
increase IN the number OF produc-
tions and producing companies. AMI
all of them seem to be fairly pros
pcrous-some of them opulent with
gains.
Now the interesting feature of this
situation might be found in this
fast: Charles Frohman, William A.
Brady. Jesse L. Laskey, Daniel V.
Arthur. David Belasco, and several
other big theatrical producers that
could be named, only a short time
ago expressed publicly their extreme
contempt for the motion pictures
Each OF them laughed al the idea
that the pictures should be taken
seriously. Mr.. Brady, less than a
year ago, delivered himself of
broadsice against them that should
have shaken the foundations of the
husiness-f the manufacturers and
producers hadn't been too busy turn
Ing out films for the rapidly growing
number of theaters that were en-
tertainins nightly constantly increas-
ing audiences.
And Dow-every one of the gentle
Elen who have been named has
plunged into photoplays as deeply as
he can. BelascO. perhaps, has less
moving picture interests than the
others. But he has been irresistibly
drawn to them, and il is promised
that all of the big Belasco produc-
tons are to be put on the screen
within a very short time. With the
advent of the theatrical men to the
business has come a vast improve
ment in the quality of the films. The
announcement. a week or ten days
ago. that Charles Frohman had sue
cumbed and had aligned himself with
MS brother Daniel for the production
of all of his big Broadway successes
emphasizes what has happened. and
brings the situation TO where il is
today.
II is the general opinion OF theat-
rical men who can see further than
the extreme tip Of their noses that
there has got TO be a readiustment
OF their business. or in a very snort
u'ne there will be no business. The
MIN has tremendous advantage
over the stage in a great many par
uculars. From the standpoint OF
stage effects and settings the stage
can never hope to compete. There
are absolutely no limitations to the
MIN. and there are extreme linits-
tons TO the stage. The film story
can nave 90 scenes in a single reel
'hat can be run off in twenty min
u'es. And a stage production can
10y nave more than ten scenes. that
would take three hours to show
stage and film productions of Ar
Zo"a will realize that There avg ,
numOer Of people who would rather
h"' the film than the regular piav.
ana sOcn people are not showing
poor judgment. There are certain
h!nds of shows where the entire az
non Of the play can be carried on
heauufully without word spc,,eu-
ana u IS this type of shows that is
. E- IL.
pnotoplaNs. The theatrical mana gers
are realizing this. They are realizing
mat some of the things they have
hoen putting on for s. q seat ;hfs
winter are not nearly so .ooI as
some Of the film productions that
cost but IN cents. And that is one OF
tie ressO why the theatrical people
4. coming into the screen game ~
.srEo numbers. They want to get A
hand In the game. so that they can
have something to say as to lust
what is TO be produced on the finn.
IN sense. they will limit Droduc-
tions TO certain classes. And b~-
ca ise OF their greater experience and
better understanding the films rlat
'hov turn out will be much better
than those that have been turned out
by the people whose sole experience
has been with the film. The result
Will he 4 readjustmemt OF the photo
p'av business as well as the regular
theatrical business. The photOplaE
houses will eventually be divided
into as distinct classes as the theater
: At present. Instead OF Jumping
al sorts 0f films on one program. tho
progressive exhibitor will confne
himself 10 certain class Of flm.
This does not mean that the pro
grams Al all houses will not be moe
or less "aried, but the productions
Will be varied i'm the sense that the
atlrartions at the first class theaters
are varied The lurid meIodramas
vii he releGatcd TO houses that sho--
1othing else-as will the slapsti"k
comedies.
This revolution is already starting.
There have already come into heing
certain theaters which people look
ing for the better film plays have
learned 10 avoid. 1t will probably
take a year or two for the stand
ards to become absolutely fxed.
And then it will be seen that the
'hester and the film will have
worked out a perfect system Of co
operation. The old stars. the big
ravOrites Of the stage. will draw as
they have always done. Real talent
" i4l Dt lf'DSilLtO dS u mas Sih =
been. But there will be fewer
meteoric stage careers based upon
excellence in one part. And there
viii he firer, better. more artistic
class OF plays shown i'm the theaters
bcca use the public will have devel-
opcd a finer sense Of discrimna ton
Daniel Frohman has declared that
the stage and the screen have moth
ing TO fear from each other II will
lie found that he is right. That the
two will gradually become-if they
are not alrcady-recognized as dis
tinct branches of one form of
amusement-branche that feed with
L. = l..