The Washington times., 1914-09-19
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
imitation E0en If An
Accident Is Bad
Business for
Film.

One of these days some enterpIlS-
ing film producer will learn that one
Of the best ways to make a big
success in the business is NOT 10
adopt a special feature that has
made another film company popular.
And NOT to produce a play that Is
almost exactly like another play that
has made a hit with the people. AS
Yet there are a number OF very
painstakins producers who have not
learned that originality is great
thing so long as it remains original.
When a dozen or more concerns are
putting out pictures with the same
general motif or when two companies
start out films that have something
like the same title, there is bound
to be more or less confusion among
the patrons-to be followed rather
shortly by disgust and the kind of
disfaSor which leads TO withdrawal
of patronage.
Some time ago one of the best
known of the comedy producing
companies invented a police force
that, when it first appeared on the
screen and through many subsequent
dBptdI SOliN lihS
that saw il. The manner in which
that police force twisted and dou-
bled and somersaulted over and
around and through itself was a
very amusing thing-for a little
while 1t struck the public in about
the same way a man slipping on
banana skin appears to the average
paSserby. 1t is almost impossible not
TO laugh when such an accident oc-
ours, however depIorable II may be.
But if one should stand on corner
and see a long line of men approach
and slip on the banana skin, the
thing loses its laugh-producing quail
ity and becomes more or less of
bore. The chances are that before
the third man has a chance to step
on the skin the bystander will in
voluntarily kick it into the gutter
TO prevent repetition of the falls.
The police force proposition, as
stated. was most amusing when it
was first sprung on the public. And
il continued to be amusing for the
first six or seven productions. Just
as the original force began to pail
The other producers seized the idea.
In short time there were four
other comedy police forces tumbling
through the films. That was entire
" too much. People commenced to
shy At the sight of a police force
poster. Variations of the acrobaucS
were tried with partial success by
the producers who Clung to the idea
hat because a comedy policeman
.reated a laugh at the start he would
always create laugh. When told
that the public was tirins of the
films the answer came that lot
OF the public had never seen them.
This was no excuse for the contin-
uanCe of productions, as the first fif-
teen or twenty reels of the comedies
were quite good enough TO show peo-
pie who had never seen them. In
fact. the first reels were much bet
ter than those that followed.
However. the end is now in sight.
The Keystone police force has been
disbanded and the directors of Key
stone comedies are working on a new
idea they hope will bring as many
laughs. The other producers police
forces will no doubt be disbanded
also during the course of the next
SIX months or year. The other
prodUcerS-as a matter of fact-never
had anv real excuse for organizing
comedy police forces. 1t requires
some little time for a feature of this
sort to attain popularity that will
bear imitation and by the time the
initators get their product on the
market. the welcome accorded the
original has been about worn out.
That is one of the reasons We sta
ted at tho outset that the wise pro-
dUcer of the future will be the man
who knows what things NOT TO do.
The attempt TO gain patronage by
wanUfa aCturing a title like the title
or 4 play that has a big star or has
made an emphatic hit is very con-
fusinE to tho patrons and is an in
Justice to the producer of the origi-
nal play. II hurts the imitator much
worse than he supposes. as it abso-
lutely destroys confidence in his
works. There is. of course such A
thing as coincidence in titles and
plots, and there is every reason to
heliove that in number OF cases
no similaritieS that have heon noted
I'm 'hc last few weeks arc purely CO.
irridenCes. Such, for instance. as
The Aftermath" titles for plays
produced by both the Famous Play
"rs' and American companies. and
The Fatal Card" by the Famous
Fatal Card by the Lubin company.
These are undoubtedly coincidental
issues Of different plays under the
same title. and are not attempts on
fhc part Of either of the concerns
involved to initiate the other or
steal thunder from the other Rut
the public suffers from such mis-
i1keE and Il certainly seems that
something should he done TO pre-
vent them in the future II is IN
derstoOd that one of the big com
% MES has instituted number Of
suits against other producing COM
"a MICS 10 recover damages for in
fringement on title rights.
There Is not the slightest doubt
that the deliberate misuse of a title
for the purpose OF deCeiving the pub
nc Is an ofense for which the pub
IL will accept no excuse. Especial
y IS this so in the case OF an in
dustrv Of such vast possibilities AS
Ii. ,nnn,-ir,,r rnict trlrn hIIEinH9S In the