The Washington times., 1914-04-04
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
How Exhibitors Could
Pick Programs and
HO1u Some Of
Them Do


n sorship established here,
protests thar he and his
associates are severely handicapped
in providing the right sort of en-
tcrtainment for their patrons by
reason Of the fact that they are
compelled TO take what tho ex-
changes send them and have no
choice as to their programs. I
II this Is true 1t seems to be the
frankest sort Of a confession of the
reed for a censorship. II tho dealer
is powerless to prevent the pro-
duction of tho kinds OF films the
public would like to sec censored,
1t Is about ime that some other
factor took q hand in the matter.
This statement does not help the
case Of the exhibitor at all. Not only
does II present an Urgent need for
ecme sort Of selection of the films.
but It 10 a confession of poor ousi-
hess policy on the part Of the man
who said 1t that is fairly startling.
Suppose a man in the grocery
business or tho dry goods business
was in the habit Of accepting. with
out examination, the goods sent him
by the manufacturer-how long
would such a man continue to be
Ia business? OF course We know
very well that the dry goods mes
chant and the grocer do not ex-
anime every piece Of their stock
But they do ses samples OF It's va
nous components and they select
their goods from the samples. And
Of course we elso know that the
amusement business Is entireiy az
ferent from the ordinary grocery or
dry goods store.
But the main fact remains-the
dealer who supinely permits some
body else to run his business for
him is not going to have very
much business to run The senu-
ment for clean photoplays that Is
sweeping the country Is absolute
mot stop ii II they woodland it
is certainly not to their interest
to stop 1t. There are enough good
clean films released every day In
the year to give every tseater IN
Washington a first show program.
How many of them have even a
clean programme say nothing OF
first shows. As u matter CT Iact
as It seems with a good picture.
People like to sec It more than
cnce IL 1t comes up to their stand
ard. And people don't like to see a
filthy picture at all
II there is no arrangement made
by any Washington exchange to
give the exhibitor chance to See
their programs before they are re-
leased to them. then the exhibitors
should compel the exchange people
to make such arranGementIh
they feel they need it As matter
Of fact there are many pictures
that could be taken on faith Most
of the big companies producing
kind that the public and The Times
does not want to see In fact a
majority Of the big companies pro-
duce the best sort cf pictures. And
n largo part Of the exhibitors know
these pictures. as 10 witnessed by
the fact that a majority OF the
Washington exhibitors show them
unable to select their fms. II they
had to take what the exchanges
send them how would they have
good programs at one place and
poor programs at another? How do
they account for the appearances or
a series OF perfect productions in
one mousse ana SoiicSlioi Va VIZ
stun at another?
The dealers can make some kind
of selection and the dealers can
force the exchanges TO supply them
what they want supplied. This 1s
amply proved by tho experience or
elsewhere. In the state
of Washington the exhibitors have
organized their own censorship
boards. They decline to accept pic
lures that are not up to high
standard they have fixed. And the
exchanges are compelled to send
them what they waIn-and not what
they do not want In other sections
Of the country exhibitors organiza-
tions are doing the same thing. That
is part Of the exhibitors business.
II is part of what lc owes the pub
lie.
Suppose the exhibitors were not
given an opportunity to pick their
pictures. Suppose they had to take
what they could get. There isn't an
exhibitor in the city Of Washington
who Il not a subscriber to one or
more of the moving picture trade
papers. And there is hardly single
one Of these trade papers but pub
fishes the stories OF the photoplays
anywhere from two weeks to three
months before the play Is released.
This applies to practically every film
that is made In the United States as
well as to some of those made in
The dealer can tell from
plays are clean and AZ for his house
and he can make up a series Of pro-
grams that will show the people ex-
a cfly what thew want