The Washington times., 1914-06-22
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Minister Believes the
Future of Film
Rests With
Exhibitor

ere recognizing the tremendous in
fiuence of the moving picture the
ater. And they are beginning to un-
derstand Just how much competition
the pictures are giving the churches
II is for that fact, as much as any
ether, that the rigid scrutiny of the
sim by ministers is responsible and
n some cases has brought forth the
cry for censorship. The majority of
The ministers have realized the great
opportunities for good that exist in
the pictures, and are seeI ing to find
ways to bring this out. The Rev DR..
William Carter, secretary of the In
ternational Peace Forum, is one of
the progressive ministers who have
given the pictures much study. He
has watched their growth and has
investigated the methods of making
and exhibiting them DR.. Carter has
come to the same conclusion we have
reached-that the Improvement OF the
pictures lies largely with the ex-
hihitors. He believes that the manu-
facturers will make what the ex-
hibitor demands they shall make. He
told the exhibitors gathered at the
recent convention in New York this.
1t is up TO you exhibitors" said
film exchange people just what YOU
want II you want a better class of
pictures you will get them if you
ssk for them. The producers do not
dictate to you-or IL they do they
have no right to; you are the ones
TO dictate to the producers. You
are closer TO the people than they
want. Remember, too, that you
have now to compete directly with
the churches and moral institutions
themselves, who are rapidly iBstall-
ing moving picture apparatus. Ii you
do not give them what they want
then they will set il themselves.
It's a large clientele, rcmsmber,
and you cannot ignore it There are
no less than 173 denominations of all
sects In the United States, with
22l .ois ministers. ia, 7n churches, and
50. 66821 members, while the Y. NJ
and Y. W. c. A have combined
2 s73 organizations and a total mem
bership of 921, ,457, with thousands
upon thousands of social settlements,
welfare associations and moral re-
form movements all growing out of
or allied with the church. This Is a
tremendous field, and one that must
be cultivated in the future work OF
the present NOV ing picture exhibit
ars or Il will go into other hands.
That ,pours is not all the fault is
shown by some of the comments l
have recently heard. Many said
there that they would use moving
pictures much more if they could
only get the right kind of films.
One minister frcm Toledo. Ohio told
me recently that he would put a
moving picture machine in his
church tomorrow if he could only
get the right kind OF films. while
Miss June Adams told me in Chi
cago Just ten days ago that they
ran moving pictures in Hull House
for q year with spendid success and
at a financial profit, but they were
compelled to stop and the moving
picture machine which they own is
Today unused because they can't get
the right kind of films. Now, mem-
bers OF the International Moving
Picture Association and Exhibitors
League. this is not your fault. but
the fault Of the producers Asain
to see that the producers make the
right kind of films both"for you and
these other ORGANIZATIONS and for
on TO use this kind more and more
that the church people and these
moral and social uplift workers may
see that you at least want to furn-
ish what they need and help along
as furnish amusement for the peo-
Ile.
1T certainly can be done If you
and the producers only put your
hands together. What could be
more dramatic than Elijah on Mt
Carmel with the $50 of the prophets
of Baal waiting for Gods answer by
fire to show the true from the
false? What could be more thrill
ing than Jezabel being thrown from
a window to the dogs below for her
wicked and licentiOus folly? What
could be funnier than Balaam's ass
turning to tell his master to go
slow" when Balaam wanted the asa
10 go fast. or Eutyfhus falling
asleep when Paul preached too long
a sermon and falling out of a
window, thereby break
ing up tpe sermon and the congre-
cation al the same time!
There is every element of the
dramatic, the tragic. and the comic
In these Bible stories and moral re-
form subjects IL you will only insist
that the producers produce them
for you. There is TO be found such
a play of the imagination as Jules
Verne never dreamed of In his wild
est flights, such love tales as $ere
never written in any of the worlds
best sellers. such moving accidents
by food and field as were never
depicted IN the widest stories Of
the wild and woody West
"Glve the children and the grown
ups such tales Of thrilling heroism
as is shown in the life of David
the great missionary
hero. and instill into them the truest.
highest, noblest courage, instead OF
the doubtful courage of the desper-
tragedy. and comedy II
YOU will, but give them the right
lind. Give them not all religion.
but some religion. for every human
heart Graves that and must have il.
ave them not all instruction. but
some instruction. for that's what the
rising generation needs. and that
you must in some way provide. Give
hem not all morals even-in them
selves aione-for none of us likes
10 be preached 10 all the time: but
give them even in the fun that must
be there something clean and strong
hat will send everyone away with
4 good taste in the mouth with
/ Eladness in the heart that they are
wing with desire IN the soul TO
10 something that wifi make life
worth living for others, and with
4 fixed purpose in their minds and
brains that thew are going To make
bigger and better Of
themselves. and you'n prove your
light to be the purvevors not only
" the peoples amuscments hut Of
heir larger lives. that will tell for
he uplift ~ humanity and the bet
,erment Of the world"