The Washington times., 1914-09-28
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Flushing Film Spoils
Effect Of Best Of
Acting Producer
Companies.

I this department took occasion 10
six representatives of the various
-Ig producing firms what one thing
Curt the reputation Vi their films the
most and the answer was almost IN
variably poor projection. BY poor
projection they meant two things.
First, projection in a good machine
by a very poor operator. and sec
Ond, projection of film il such
rapid manner that II was impossible
or the public to get a Clea- idea Of
the story OF the drama being shown.
This last complaint was universal.
One of the biggest producers Of one
Of the most popular features in the
market told me that he despaired of
getting a real showing for his film
n a certain class of houses and that
in the future he intended to make
exhibitors sign a contract that they
would show every inch of film in not
less than fifteen minutes to a thou
sand feet or they would forfeit the
right to secure any more film from
his firm and its affiliated companies.
This manager declared that the
hurried reeling off of pictures has
done more to hurt business than any
hing he could mention and that
exhibitors who followed such prac-
dee were doing their business
permanent injury.
1t is rather curious that the first
thing that greeted me on my return
to Washington was a complaint
rom an enthusiastic patron of the
photoplay who must have spent
most uncomfortable evening at an
upper Fourteenth street photoplay
house He stated among other
things:
Tho moving picture situation on
the hill is rapidly becoming unbeag-
able and it begins to look as though
The winter season will find the real
overs of big moving picture fea-
lures patronizing downtown houses
or places situated elsewhere than in
this locality. There are one or two
exhibitors who seem to feel that
they owe their patrons something
and are troying to put the best pos
sible shows on their screens in the
SCSA pOSclOAC way 4oSI
went into one house, however, which
b being run on the catch-penny
policy OF getting as many audiences
into the place as possible, no mat
ter how the pictures and the people
suffer thereby. In this place a fea-
ture picture of two reels was run off
in exactly twenty-one minutes. I
timed it That is at least ten min
utes faster than the fastest time
that should be made. 1 believe that
the manufacturers expect at least -
fifteen minutes to be spent on reel
ing off a thousand-foot film. And
most of them would rather have the
tilm shown in twenty minutes be
cause the effectiveness of the
scenes are lost by too rapid projec-
uon. But this 2.Oo0-foot feature
was run off in exactly twenty-one
minutes including the time necessary
other. This was reduced to a mini
mum-and formed the only COM
forting feature of the evening.
THE fast work of the operator was
not the only fault / found in the
film. however. The entire 1000 feet
of 1t appeared on the screen as
though il was being shown for about
the Tooth time. The film was
scratched and was badly disfgured-
J complained to the manager of the
house. and his reply was that there
were a lot of people standing outside
waiting to get in and that he wanted
them TO get in. He didn't see any
reason why he should lose all that
money. There isn't any reason he
should lose that money. l visited
Crandan's Theater Friday night.
where The House Next Door was
being shown, and NJ. Crandall kept
his theater open until after y o'clock
IN orded TO give the people who
wanted to see the film an oppor-
Il of lik" he was racing against
time. either. IT seemed TO ne. on the
contrary. that CrandaIl took par
iicUlar pains TO show tho films
slowly. so that the action would 10
absolutely complete. And so far as
know he isn't losing a penny by
this poliCr. either
+ is by the receipt of such COM
rlaints as that, and they come into
this office regularly every week
coupled with the knowledge they ar
backed by the producers. that rh~
editor Of this department is enCour-
aged 10 keep M the fight for the
better projection Of photoplays in
This city and for the condemnation
VI pOvl pip.'' hDiI anu an ol ILOS"
practices which are little and OK
trcDely merCenarN. They are not
commercial. because commerce j,
fair and open dealing. They ar"
simply catch penny. There is abso-
lutely no excuse for them. And II
the exh. .bitor who has adopted them
gives as an excuse that they are fol-
lowed because business Is poor. and
he must take advantage Of every uD-
portunity to make more money, nc
rad better understand that they are
the sole reason-in most cases-that
business IS poor. d NJ.