The Washington times., 1915-01-02
PHOTOPLAYS AND
PHOTOPLAYERS
y GARDNER MACK.
Business Prin ciple S
Are Being Applied
To the Film
Industry

There is every indication that the
film industry Is to escape one of the
hurts that have been inflicted on the
stage during the past ten years. by
starting out with real business man.
agement for the art. The stage
floundered along for very long time
without business management We
mean by this that the matter Of pro-
ducing plays was regarded much
more Of an art than a business-as
1t rightfully should be-but such an
attitude begot loose business meth
DDS which made the theater q rather
poor investment. Suddenly the
business men who had been attract
ID to the detailed work OF placing
slows-men like Marc KlaW, Abe Err
anger. Jacob and Lee Shubert-saw
thSt with the same kind Of manage
ment that was given to an industrial
institution there was opportunity to
reap a much larger return on the In
vestments made In the drama. They
started a revolution which has more
or less upset the theater business for
the last ten or fifteen years. The
settling process Is just now start
ing. 1t has been stated that the
the stage went a bit too far. Per-
haps they did. But they made It
possible for the actor to secure much
better salaries and the public to sit
in much more comfortable theaters
and see shows that were better pro-
duced.
Starting out with a busincss -.
to guide 1t. the motion picture art
Is not likely to suffer the troubles
that now beset the stage. u.n ~.
the men who has been responsible
for Snsts, the %neH 20 Of A. @
%ho ssnss viii try nGIs 70 form S 'ae pa!,nerssp %
between business and art. Is Lewis
]. Selznick. vice president Of the
World Film Corporation. an insti-
tuition which might be likened to the
booking OFFICES Of the big theatriias at tba
type Of business men who have be-
come interested In the motion pic
lures as business.
There was a time when the ex-
hibitor was not considered says
Mr.. Selznick. but today when the
such vast proportions. we people
who provide the amusement must
also look ahead and plan SO that our
pictures are properly placed and ap-
preciated. I believe that as the In
dustry is standardized. the producer
the dealer will have no difficulty IN
making money on the films sold to
him. The public pay over s4Oo. ooo. 900
q year to see moving pictures. Sure
~. then. they know what they want.
and they should be supplied with
the best
II believe absolutely in applying
business principles to this great in
dustry. I am not a film man. am
essentially a business man. who has
recognized the possibilities OF the
moving picture business. believe In
L. L.
that it pays to help the exhibitor
conduct his business at a profit: they
thoroughly appreciate the business
We help them get.
"The thing to do then is to treat
the moving picture dealers a: a mer-
amusement the same as a shoe deal
er sells shoes. Commercial organiIa-
There has been a great deal Of
talk about getting higher prices for
better shows. which will have long
before such radical changes can be
made, a better understanding by pro-
ducers and exhibitors Of merchan-
dising principles Is necessary.
great campaign Of exhibitor help Ia
essential. Organizations which do
not control their sources Of pro-
duction and means Of distribution.
cannot expect to be factors in help
ing the exhibitor raise prices; they
cannot follow out continuous
broad, general policy. Nor can or
ganizat'ons which obtain funds from
advances collected on contracts
spend that money in such a way as
to help the exhibitors. The World
Film Corporation at present. I be-
lieve. is the only organization con-
trolling their sources OF supply and
their own distributing organization
and that has the finances, knowledge
and inclination to put this great
comprehensiYe policy into effect"