Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-04
FREE MOVIES CAUSE
FIGHT in ST. LOUIS
Photoplay Managers Protest to
Mayor Against Municipal
Movies in Parks.
Ry the PhotopIay Editor

The Theatre Managers and Motion Pic
ture Exhibitors Protective Association OF
st. Louis recently sent a delegation to
wait upon Mayor Kiel to urge him TO
discontinue the exhibition Of free pic
lures in the parks and Fairgrounds OF
the city.
They declared that the free motion pic
lures take away their patronage. The
Mayor stated that It is not the intention
Of the city to compete with airdomes
and motion-picture theatres in giving
the free performances. The object OF
the free pictures is to give occasional
entertainment TO the poor families in
the congested districts who are not able
TO afford to 20 to the theatres.
AS the city Is under contract for the
season, 1t is probable that the free pic
lures will not be discontinued, and Park
Commissioner Cunliff declared that as the
free pictures are of an educational ma
ture. and only shown at each park or
playground once In two weeks, IL can
scarcely be called competition with the
theatres and airdomes and that nothing
was further from the city's intentions
In many instances II is the means of
bringing more patrons to the theatres
who have acquired a taste for pictures
by seeing the free exhibitions.
Organization, the setting of a goal and
keeping everlastingly at 1t are the secrets
OI buCCBSS III Nnt CuSt OIL inc InebNItt par
ticularly the picture playhouse, as In
everything else. At least that Is the view
point of Stanley v. Mastbaum.
with organization in the theatre, as
in trade and business. nothing is impos-
sible." declares MIR. Mastbaum. "Without
1t nothing, or next to nothing is pos
sihle. That organization must extend
without break from the ticket sellers on
the outside, ana even the carriage man,
UP the line through the ticket takers on
the inside. the ushers, the refreshment
servers, the orchestra members and or
ganists, stage mechanics and scene shift
ers, advertising sign painters, stage
director and theatre manager to the
owner or owners of the theatre. 1t must
extend even beyond that and include the
booking agency and the film manufac-
turers.
at is not enough that each one of these
factors in the organization must know his
place and his duties. He must fit into his
work as If it were a mold into which he
had been poured The duties and capa-
biites must so dovetail that when the
signal IS given the entire organization
can be started as silently and run as
smoothly as a well-adjusted motor.
with such an organization effected 1t
is then possible to set an ultimate goal.
And there is but one goal for the con-
scentious and ambitious playhouse pro-
pTlelOI. lHhI Is ptElSCLlOH 1T IS not
to be reached in a day, month or a
year. but l, Tor one, am convinced that
there is such thing as perfection, and,
that being the case 1t is humanity pos
sible TO reach it,
Here is where the keeping everlast-
ingly at 1t comes in. 1t will not do to
say that last weeks play was a good
one and that we hope the one this week
will be as good. 1t must be better; and
the next weeks must be better still and
so on until there are no more rungs on
the ladder of betterment to be climbed
The top rung is perfection.
THESE are the Stanley theories and
rules. and we are finding them eminently
successful. We may not have reached
tho ultimate goal of perfection as yet,
but we have the satisfaction of knowing
that we are climbing steadily toward it
all the time"
Another stage success which will soon
be seen in screen form is Salvation