Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-24

THE spoken drama Is coming back. 1t
i never lost its hold in cities like New
York. Chicago Philadelphia and Boston,
but in the smaller towns during the last IL
months 1t nearly perished before the tre-
mendous spread of motion pictures. one
night stands and many cities where theatri-
cal attractions used to play for three days
or a week went over almost entirely to pre-
lures. The few companies that struggled
through had great difficulty in persuading
managers of theatres to roll up the screen
and let them give performance OFTEN
they failed to persuade them, because the
managers had made contracts for feature
films every day in the week. All that has
changed. Millions of the thentregoers out
through the country are demanding that
actors and actresses come to their stages
in person, that the theatregoers may see
them in real life; may hear them speak;
may actually feel their presence 1 tell
you, this demand has become so strong that
next season the good plays which. go out
with competent casts are going to reap.
harvest This does not mean that interest
In motion pictures is waning; on the con-
trary. it Is growing; but now competition
has become so keen that only good films
survive short time ago we had over
production in the theatre. and the public.
surfeited with amusement, became most dis
eliminating. Now the same condition pre-
walls for motion pictures, The fans" are
hard to satisfy these days; they take only
the highest quality of photodramas and let
the others starve to death. Theatrical pro-
ducers nearly ruined their business by send
ing out poor plays and shoddy productions.
Now motion-picture producers have made
the same mistake by circulating inferior
films. Indecent plays hurt the theatre. SEN
'satlonal, lurid and filthy subjects have
played havoc with the vogue OF motion pic
tures they have driven away many Of the
best patrons of picture houses,
So the time has arrived for the legiti-
mate theatre to come back into its own.
But It must come without the weaknesses
which left 1t open to the attacks of the
movies" There won't be any more Nos.
g 3 and 4 companies of New York sue
cesses 1t will have the real thing. either
on the stage or on the screen. There
must be good plays and good casts to sat
isfy the socalled 'rube," who is really
much more careful about his amusements
than the so-called wise" first-nighter of
Broadway. The great public-rm speak
ing now OF the country at large-is more
critical than ever before, but with typical
American spirit it is just as willing to be
amused as ever. and for the mere sake of
variety alone, after seeing many. many
motion pictures. II is keener than II has
been in long time to see legitimate plays
That is the opportunity OF the theatrical
producer. If he exercises more care, more
taste, more intelligent direction and IL he
makes an honest effort TO supply the great
public with the best in plays and casts the
theatrical manager is I'm position 10 take
advantage OF the amusement boom now
spreading into every corner OF this coun,
try and Canada, and to make that boom
last for a long time TO come,
AS for the motion pictures. l think the
future holds great promise for them also
I am extensively interested in the manu-
facture of films myself. and expect to en-
large my activities therein very shortly
so that l can speak about them from the
personal viewpoint l think the industry
is about TO go through a process OF reor-
ganiZation. 1t cannot travel at its present
pace The cost of production has gone be-
yond all bounds OF reason. There is waste
extravagant waste, which must be stopped
at once. New men are needed, different
kinds of men, more writer's and producers
with intelligence and ideals. educators and
fnanciers who want to make a safe invest.
ment for their money with reasonable re-
turns, instead of a wild scramble for enor-
nous profits that may end In disastrous
losses. You might call these wiser men