El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-30
Consulting Editor

TX THERE the a.r hung heavy and
w odorous in a typical miners
rest saloon in a dirty mining
town of Pennsylvania, six years ago. an
esthetic bartender washed the glasses
behind the greasy bar, tapped the flow
ing key. slid the bottles of whisky
across tot the clutching hands Of wait
ing inebriates-and looked into the
future. It wasn't the most pleasant
place in the world, that barrOOm- 1t
was dirty; the usual sawdust was on
the floor the card tables, with their
accompanying curslng and heayy-1lsted
players. had their places in one corner
There was drunkenness and disorder and
disgust And il all reached into the
heart of the esthetic bartender and
clutched something there which he
neither knew nor understood
Nor was that all Beyond the bar
room. there stretched out a shambling,
great, bare rOOm-the typical mining
town dance hail. where twice monthly.
the miners and their gals" met 10
dance and drink ana Highland now
and then be killed. This too. was a
thing abhorrent TO the soul Of the
esthetic bartender. And so he deter
mined to change il all. More than that
he carried out his idea He borrowed
money, he started a little picture show,
he fought against every possible OBJ
stacle, he brought forth new ideas
the ghost Of the dirty dance hall with
its debauchery and its RIGHTEOUSNESS
melted into the mists Of the past the
great, bare room became place OF
comfort and of educative ability and
OF merit. And the esthetic bartender
What Bartender Did.
Well, as for the esthetic bartender.
he stood last night in the Rotary din
ing room Of the Sheldon hotel, talking
10 the motion picture exhibitors the
camera men, the operators and news
paper men of FL Paso- But he didn't
talk TO them as a bartender Instead it
was the greatest motion picture exhlb-
itor Of the world who talked last night,
a person who has introduced more new
ideas, who has brought more, good out
of the motion picture theater than any
other person in the business l.
ROthaphel. formerly managing director
Of the million dollar Strand theater OF
New York. and the esthetic bartender
Of SIX years ago
Mr. Rothaphel is on a trip Of educa-
ton throughout the United States. HIS
mission is TO carry to the exhibitors
the importance of the proper presen-
tation OF the products Of what is now
the fourth largest industry in the
United States-the motion picture
Forty Million Picture Fans
Forty million persons are now look
ing at motion pictures-and the power
OF those pictures is second in influence
only to the press" Mr.. ROthaphel said
and j have come TO YOU TO appeal
TO you to help in the great work Of
building up this industry. Of bringing
forth every good point that can be
given to the world. For, remember,
that although the motion picture in
dustry is fourth in standing, it is still
in its swaddling clothes
More than that. there are times
coming in the motion picture industry
IN which every one OF you must mold
tight and fight against a revulsiOn OF
feeling, which is sure TO come The
days of mushroom fortunes are over
The time is past when the butcher, the
baker, the grocery store driver, can
emerge into a theatrical magnate in a
night The picture business of the
past has been frenzied. chaotic There
must come time OF reconstruction,
IN which the business viii settle into
the healthy, normal industry which it
should be. And in that period of re-
construction is the time when all of
you who have theaters or who pro-
duce pictures must use your brains TO
bring forth everything that is good IN
the silent drama.
individuality in n Theater.
Individuality" and Mr. ROthapheI :
ciutched his hands in the intensity of
his feeling. Individuality, That is
the thing which must be played upon /
and dwelt upon There is a tendency
Of the manufacturers to dominate the /
exhibitors Don't let them do it Think /
for yourselves Select your programs. /
Don't give your patrons something that !
is simply fOisted upon yOu-give them 4
programs that are selected for their /
merits-for their educative value, for ]
their romance, for their beauty. It Is /
a fallacy to believe that a motion pic 7
ture theater manager must give the /
people what they want The people /
don't know what they Want-yOurs is !
the task, yours is the duty Of giving /
them not what they want, but what !
they viii like"
Every Detail Attended To.
As Mr.. Rothaphel talked the listen
ers noted that in all his preparations /
not a detail was missing, from the 4
chewing gum-less girl in the box office /
on through the '-thank-you" ticket ]
takers and ushers, to the presenta-
tons Of the pictures themselves.
Psychology, scenic effects, lighting,
music, even perfumed air where ]
floral picture is shown-everythIng 4
that is possible to enhance the silent !
picture Of the screen, is used by Mr.. I
Rothaphel to bring about a greater
appreciation on the part Of the audi
ence.
And remember what I have said"