The Washington times., 1914-12-07
Due n office Should
Be GiOen Patrons
OF Increases
IN Prices.

The periodicals. devoted to the
IhOtoplay have been filed during
the past few weeks with discussion
as 10 the price that should be
charged the patrons of the film. Ii
Is the judgement OF a large majority
Of the Producers and exhibitors that
the price must be advanced. They
claim that aye production OF play )
HUw-s,-CayS l. {, muCn more expens-
i've pre- cess than Al mas been mere
jpiO., ANA lnat an advanced price
must DC charged lUr Jne big features
that are now UcinS produced with
expensive actors ana actresses in
TIE casts and expensive authors
NTiIin- the pays. We are willing
10 admit that II the type of plays
n hlCh preuOminated a year or two
~ 80 Could bc seen for cents, the
Isrc OF plays 'tnat predominates to-
DAY * worth more. We will 90
even further than that and state
that il IS our candid opinion that il
the typo of plays of year or so
aEO Mas really worth > cents, the
i,Iud that We are now getting is
producers and exhibitors alike over
look - that the type of plays that
formerly pres was not worth
the fifth part OF cent from the
point OF view of plays-althoUgh the
exhibition OF them might have been
worth the price charged because OF
the demonstration that it was pO.-
Sible To SHOW motion by means OF a
number of photographs projected in
rapid succession on a screen. But
the sacred picture Of the moving
train dIG that in quite as good form
and without any or the offense some
times found in other pictures.
The hold the phOtoplay has on the
public is first and foremost due TO
its chcapneSS. We might say all we
please about the excellence of the
form oil entertainment and the fine
work that is done by the actors
and actresses on The screen. We
might talk all Gay about how wei
their work compares with the stage
and with the best that is IN litera-
tUre and art But AL that Is simply
talk. The actual fact of the motion
picture that hits everyone first is
that il is cheap and that a man or
a woman can take chance at
10 cents that they wouldn't feel
justified in doing il the price was
greater.
With all of this understood, We
want TO state also that We believe
the managers are justified in raising
Irices-that is in raising prices above
the nickel show. We must confess
that We have never thought the
nickel show A good business propo-
sition at any time. And we believe
that the nickel shows that will be
in existence year from now Will
only be valuable as horrible exam
pies of what not to show on the
screen. We will also admit that
there are a number of small thea
tiers that cannot show the big
features even at 10 cents. and we
feel that the proprietors of such
places are perfectly justified in
charging a slightly higher rate for
such entertainment. But the price
should never go beyond % cents and
seldom above 10. We hope we have
made ourselves perfectly clear on
that point.
Now We wish to register a protest
against the proprietors of theaters
who arbitrarily raise their prices
without letting the public know
anything about II until it comes TO
purchase tickets. At least there
should some warning given the day
before or on the billboards outside
the theater that on q certain night
the admission price for a certain pic
binary rate. That this protest is not
based simply on a personal opinion
is proven by the following letters
We received day or two ago which
speaks for itself:
Il am writing this letter of protest
20 YOU, hoping that through your
column YOU will be able to reach
those motion picture theaters owners
Who make Z practice Of raising their
urices Of admission at irregular in
tervals without first notifying their
patrons.
Tonight I went to a motion pic
fure theater to see a much ad-
veTtised photoplay. ! stood in line
several minutes. and finally when
Z reached the box office I handed
the cashier the two nickels I hap
oued to have in my purse at the
time. She returned the coins. say
ing Fifteen cents. please" The
playhouse was near my home. and
had brought but the single 10
cents with me. not anticipating a
need Tor more. The management
had neglected to post the an
nOUncement that the price OF ad-
mission had been raised. Several
other women. 7 heard later. had
been caught in the same ernbar-
~asSinE predicaWent. and We're
forced TO leave the window with
nothing but their two nickels.
DO YOU think this is right?
know the house will lose more
money by this procedure. in the
long run. than il made tonight.
That does not interest me however.
7 merely want to devise some way
whereby ] may know how much
change 7 must carry il I hope to
Grop into Ten Cent moving
picture some evening