The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-27

he is permitted to see his pfctures ss- fore booking. rests the entire reruon- sibility for the picture which he of- fers his public Complete control q possible in this matter To him prl must look in every case for improve ment if improvement ig necesaary. Let us not be deceived by any stats- ment that he cannot obtain what lr desired. The production fs Mmp1es pictures good, bad and indifferent arr offered. If the manager is a man Cl knowledge and training. his seIectfonT will be made with wisdom. Few quail flied men are to be found at present filling such positions.
 The manager must be made anni- vfdpalIy responsible ana to accomDlieH this is the most serious problen rrr face. We have had serious prob lems in the kinds Of drama, which should be presented in our Iesitinatr playhousea, but the gravity of that situation is slight because owing tC the expense of it's admission. the poo pie have, after ai1s been reached. 1rol for it is within reach of ali and i1 sought by all, even more lnslstsntlY than the daily paper.
 REAL MANAGERS N1EEf0E0-
 Not only should we hold the mao ager responsible for the picture whfcl IS 6nOWn, put the Cu1l1LY DL LNo Yl.N dey1l1e or interlude which are Dartr of his program; we must look t0 hlrl also for the safety and cIeanIlnesE rf this theatre and for condilionn good or bad, both before and behind tlr screen. am speaking now or the manager. who is also the proprietor or part-proprietor of the theatre cr manager is little more than an upper 5anftor, as Is the case when theae1El are operated by a corpoEatfon, then the esponsibfiity rests with the cor porattoz, which 1s reapins returns l1 far greater proportion than it i8 Rlr- ing value to the public For c0nvgr- fence, T will continue to sDsak Of tIo manager, both individual or corDora- ton.
 While there are portions of pro grams all over the country when arc acceptable and free from cFt1ecist1. material in use which is vulssr and undesirable In mo cl1azaCtarlzlIr cheap vaudeville and the HIu~fralol song am voictng not only my own judgment but that of hundrsdG cl people who have i'm the p> HVl years expressed to me their dlazp- prova1 of this portion Of the aPe14ge picture program. This vaudeville al known as s'srnan time" and f1 exploit cd by various agents and bocktn5 rlr fees, small time indicating tn1f t1r act does not command a salary tc war rant it's engagement in ssblB time' vaudeville house, or else a new act being tried out There is another clae- of managers who are trying Co a1- vance the moving picture thsatre whether they finally succeed does not always depend upon proficiency ar1 told, but that will make another Slcrr upon which shall not enter.
 CONDITIONS ON 8TAGN4
 The manager then is respoustble for his entire show. and for the cqudttAcu of his theatre. If it is unsafe or uu- sanitary, if the air is bad # unde1-r- able persons are admitted tns n aEer is responsible. If the pubfle q cheated by picture poorly profec+- and below standard. if the Duoie H asked to listen to vulgar sSnEms G v is obliged to endure the anttc9 CT hoodlums, the manager i8 re1Dcl-i- b1e. The public has paid .ttS nicnsr and is entitled. to frst-class pictEz4e. good music and an entertainr1-1s which is not degrading
 As the manager is regponsIDle Tor these things before the curtain s1 he responsible for conditions nen-H1 the curtain, the front of che hcr1- may be observed by the publics 11t behind the curtain, conditions lar reaching in their influence are cftpu neglected by the manager Mot.oH picture theatres may exist where pro vision has been made for the cornGcrt. safety and general welfare of the ac- tor and the stage-hand, but in geneTa. little attention is given to such mat ters The environment of the per- former has little to inspire and it lr small wonder that he has no better contribution to offer Right here ' am going to cite one instance of a the atre which visited within the month What found there may be found il any city. This theatre is located ir the center of the poorer ssctious co a university town and Co pa1roul@sr daily by hundreds of women and crlt- dren, and at night by men and women One the day of my visit the house. seating about 800, was crowded Tho audience on the whole was we'll be- haved and attentive, pftifully Gc. lI seemed to me, considering the enter tatnnent They were capable Of re- spending to a program superior ir many degrees to the one which AheT were offered. did not Ind one rarr of that program which was worthy While the pictures were not nctunilr bad, they were so negative in uu1lllT as to leave only a confused irnprrs1lcr- There was. also. the usual uuiorsiI illustrated song.
 LITTLE THOUGHT FOR ACIuI
 The buildtn9 was new Tho emcamnr.
 cContinued on raee u3