The Washington times., 1914-11-18
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Quality Films Have
Pro0en Profitable
to Exhibitors
and Public.

Though there has been consider
able complaint from all Classes Of
business men, and especially those
in the theatrical business. regard
ing hard times and extremely dull
days-the motion picture exhibitors
have been doing surprisingly well,
not only here but throughout the
country While the amusement
business at best seems TO be a big
gamble. the showing of the best
motion pictures is nowadays al
most a sure road to success. 1t is
true that the smaller theater that
shows the cheap film, is rapidly
going out of business for lack of
patronage. Some months ago The
Times was told that the mainten-
ance Of feature program-a pro-
gram of big films--in a neighbor~
hood house was impossible. We
We're told that only the downtown
theaters of large seating capacitw
could hope to make money on the
big films while the man charging
o and 10 cents must do the best he
en- with the one-reel pictures and
the cheap comedies.
Today Washington has half a doz-
on neighborhood theaters that are
showing the very best films in the
country at a 10-cent price and are
making money. Sometimes it is
necessary to put in a film that is
30 expensive the exhibitor just
breaks even. But ordinarily steady
income Is realized from the very
greatest Of the films in the average
sized house. The scent house is not
doing SO well, because the man with
the scent program cannot hope TO
compete with the 10-cent man. 1t is
more than likely that the scent
theater will go.
inc nd
more to realize that the motion pic
ture offers them a business career,
and not a method of skyrocketing
themselves into large fortunes in a
few minutes. And the men who
have come to this realization are the
men who are building up the busi-
ness and are making the money.
They are not making great fortunes
now, because the time for great for
tunes in the business has gone. But
they are building up paying estab-
hshnents, and their incomes are
steadily increasing. Carl Laemmle.
president OF the Universal Company,
has recently advised exhibitors of his
pictures to show no hesitancy in
raising their prices. He states that
the cost of manufacturing film is be-
coming greater every day, and that
It will not be long before the better
class of pictures cannot be exhibited
number of reels that are being shown
today on the programs Of some
theaters. We have always adyo-
Gated a shorter program of good pic
tures rather than a long program Of
the poorer quality. Mr.. Laemmle in
is being put out of business. and that
the exhibitors must obtain more
money II they want to remain in the
business. Arthur James, Of the
Mutual Company. is q bit more opti-
mistic than Mr.. Laemmle. He says:
Those croakers, who view with
alarm" general business conditions
well to take leaf from the record
Of activities in the motion picture
field at this time. They might there
find an instructive and profitable
lesson. The demand for high grade
motion picture productions is in
creasins faster than the compare
lively few manufacturers, who place
this class of films in the market,
can produce them. Inferior films
and those who exhibit them, are suf-
fering, not because of any general
depression. but because in the long
run. second, third and fouTth rate
goods must go the way OF all such,
when placed in competition with q
superior article. The day when the
cheap" motion picture, cheap in
conception. cheap in construction
and presentation, and cheap in every
essential that goes to make up a
genuinely artistic screen production,
could gain any popular favor is
past The cheapest" pictures to-
day, are the dearest, as many an
exhibitor is finding to his cost.
Among motion picture exhibitors
offering their patrons pictures of the
better class there are few COM
plants of hard times" On the
contrary from every section comes
reports unusually good business.
Admittedly, exchange men are
pretty certain TO have their hands
on the pulse of the motion
picture trade in their locality
and should be able to give an
accurate idea of trade conditions III
their territory. Thus, il is interest
ing to know that Mutual representa-
tives in all parts of the country with
scarcely an exception, are reporting
a surprising increase in business
generally. In many cases the usual
wave of prosperity that marks the
Opening of the fall season has at
tained startling dimensions and in
all il has exceeded previous antici-
pations.
New theaters are building, others
have Just been finished. and In some
sections every building that Is IN
any way fitted for motion picture
fheater is being used for that pur-
pose and all are doing well. And
everywhere the demands for higher