Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-10

The fifth largest industry in the United
| statesl So ranks the moton-plcture In
| dustry, according to the report OF the
| Census Bureau in Washington The
! figures furnished are we'll nigh unbeliev-
able. In 1914. up to the beginning Of De-
turned out no less than 10000 separate
| reels of negative film, from each Of which
| reels IS positive" copies. on an average,
are made. The standard reel is 1000 feet
long, which makes 600 feet OF film
all told, including both the originals and
copies About $1,000 miles OF motion pic
turcs-enough to go round the globe a
little less than three times. In one year
less n month!
The cost Of producing the ordinary sort
OF originals is at least g foot This
| means $2O.COOOOO spent In making the
negative reels alone. The 35O,OoO,OOo OF
copies cost cents foot which totals
600 for these. Altogether S3TO0).00O
spent in the manufacture OF films in II
months Some figures! Yes and they are
not all For this estimate does not take
into account the special feature projects
recently become an important factor In
the film industry. on a single one of which
may be spent, as in the case of a much
advertised seven-reel drama now playing,
as high as 100000.
1t is estimated that there are today be-
tween 1900 and 1900 motion-picture the
atres in the United States, to which more
than 100000 people go daily. A COM
mission appointed by the Mayor Of Ceve-
land in 1918 reported that one-siXth Of the
population of that city went to movie
shows at least once day. During the
summer months Of 1914 the National
Bonrd of Censorship estimated that in
New York city between $4,000 and 100000
people-une- e-seventh of the total popula-
tion-attended the motion-picture theatres
DALI. In this city about 300 900 attend
motlon-plcture theatres daily. Admission
receipts total in 1914 TO December y ap-
proNImately s3lsOOO.OOO for the movie
theatres of tho country.
More than $500. 900 of actual capital
has been invested in the business OF maxi
ing and exhibiting films in the United
States Two hundred and hfty thousand
employees find in It a means of livelihood.
Including all It's ramifcatlons and afili-
largest in the land, and tho total value
OF the property and good will Of 1t all is
practically inestimable.
This Is only the cold materialstic view
of the industry. The inception and ma
terialization Of the photOplay has Gre
ated new race of writers-not dinloGists,
but literary pantomlmists, who portray
action solely, and nothing by word OF
mouth, Then too, It has produced a new
race of mummers-men and women capa-
BILE of expressing any emotion without
the aid of the voice.
And here be II stated in all frankness
that the actors are infinitely better paid
than are the writer's. A good film is
worth S25 a reel in the open market.
Large prices have been paid for spoken
plays which made successes In the past.
But from film out of which the manu-
facturer made thousands the writer re-
ceived a veritable pittance. This is
short-siEhted policy on the part of the
producers, for it keeps the imaginative
writer's of ability out of the market.
What the Actors Get
Much has been written about the enor-
NOUS salaries of the actors, and while Z
it is true that they receive better pay