The Washington times., 1914-03-27
THE BEST
Photopldy Department in
WASHINGTON
Yellow Film Hurts
More Exhibitors
Than It
Helps 55*

1--WE have with US The ''yel-
w There have been a num-.
Der OF definitions offered
for the kind OF photopiay the pub
lie does not like. but this one seems
to be the happiest. The idea being
that the yellow pho.opiay follows
the lead of the yellow Newspaper
and drags its length through the
slime of human action for the Gene
fit Of sensation and thrill We have
called attention to this SORT of film
before, but never in exactly this way
because We have only just happened
TO have heard this definition OF it.
But it certainly Its.
The public has given uumistakaole
evidence of the fact that it does
not like and will not have the yell
low film. 1t has protested against
it in letters to The Times. 1t has
protested against it 20 managers of
the theaters. And finally it has
sdressed its petition t. the powers
that be and has prayed for q board
Of censors that will forever cut out
the Questionable pictures and viii
permit the supporters and devotces
of the photoplay to go to their
theaters feeling fairly sure they will
see only those things that are cal
cuisted to entertain and instruct
without shocking.
There have been one or two ex-
hibitors in Washington who have
protested against the character of
comment that has 1ppeared in this
column regarding the yellow film,
becaue they stated, they are all
sorts Of people in the world and
that most of them eventually find
their way to the photopiay theaters.
1t is essential that the exhibitors
should provide programs that win
interest all of the people and no
two people want to see the same
kind of film
1t would be silly not to agree with
these exhibitors-that a variety of
program must be offered the patrons
OF the film. But 1t would he sillier
yet to subscribe to the doctrine that
taere Is any one whose demands
command attention who wants the
kinds of films that are being shown
daily in some Of the theaters of
Washington. The trouble is that the
exhibitors have been handling film
by the foot. They have prepared
programs by the reel They haven't
paid the slightest attention to what
their patrons want to see-in many
instances. They've compelled the
man who wanted to see a good pic
ture to wait through a mass of
trash before they gave MIN what he
wanted
That variety of program is needed
u proved by the success Of the
vaudeville theaters throughout the
country. An average Of eights acts
are presented at each vaudeville
performance. Very few Of these acts
follow the same lines. The vaude-
vile program is designed 70 please
all the patrons of that particular
type Of theater. and it accompIishes
Its purpose. But no vaudeville man
aSer in the country would attempt
to please his patrons with a PRO-
gram made up like some Of the
photoplay programs are made up.
No vaudeville manager would at
tempt to put on day after day and
wNek after week. a set Of white
slave, drug fiend, murder and sudden
death acts which seem to have such
a great vogue with the photoplay
exhibitors.
II is only because the patron of the
film has been compelled to accept
what the producer and the exhibitor
chose to give him-particularly the
producer-that this sort of a condi-
ton has been allowed to grow up
But il will not be very long contin-
ued. The public is realizing that It
pays ever cent of the bills for the
pictures, and 1t is slowly making up
its mind to select its goods before II
pays any bills. The time is right
at hand when continued programs Of
cheap attractions that depend en-
tirely on the sensational character
OF their plots and action will be suf-
ficient to condemn a theater in the
public mind. and will send its own
er to the poorhouse or into some
other line of endeavor.
We now have with US the yellow
fllm-but we sincerely hope and be-
Neve II will not be for long.