The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-21
Eight Million Feet
Of Film To Be Shown
By Y. M. G. A. Camps

To provide recreation for the troops
in camp, the National War Work
Council Of the Young Mems Chris
tan Associations in the United States
has made provision for the presenta
ton Of eight million feet, of film per
week. In 343 environments, camps
posts, 1926 programs will be render
ed weekly.
OF course the great demands will
be in connection with the camps of
the National Guard and the National
Army, 80 in number, but arrange
ments, have been made to take care
of many smaller points. In the South
ern Department for instance, two mo-
tor trucks will be used to carry en-
tertainments to troops in out of the
way places. The moving picture ma
chine will be mounted on the, truck
and portable screen will be hung
wherever needed. A week will be re-
quired for, a truck to cover its, route.
Should the necessity arise, other
trucks will be put into service. In the
permanent camps arrangements being
made for outdoor and indoor moving
pictures. The machines in the large
auditoriums will be so arranged that
the pictures may be thrown upon the
screens in front of the auditorium or
OuI a WIHdOWN 10 Ill open dlT screen
on the side.
derstand what eight million feet of
film a week means, 1t may be explain
ed that second Is required to run
a. foot of film through a machine
This means that eight million feet of
film represent eight million seconds,
or two thousand two hundred and
twenty-eight hours of solid entertain
ment. Reducing these figures still
further it means that were an ordin-
airy moving picture house to present
a show two hours long, the eight mil
lion feet Of film would provide a pro-
gram, for one thousand one hundred
and fourteen days. The eight million
feet would stretch from New York
| to Fargo. North Dakota or Wichita.
Kansas. 1T would stretch from New
York to two hundred miles beyond
Kansas City, New Orleans and Mime
lapolis.
AS a result of careful study of the
pictures presented by the Young
Mems Christian Association at the
various camps along the border and
in the camps established since the
war began, Mr.. Warren Durham Fos-
ter of the Community Motion Picture
Bureau which is supplying the pic
lures for the Young Mems Christian
Association has pretty good ideas as
to the kind of pictures the men like
In summing up the dislikes of the
men in camp, he said:
The men don't want sob stuff.
They do not want pictures which tend
| to intensity inconsistencies or which
shout with moralizing. At the same
| time they do not like pictures depict
ling the soldier as being especially he
| roic or patriotic.
! On the other hand they like ro-
mances. Little Mary Pickford is just
as popular with the men in the camps
as she is with the millions of movie
fans. The men like real war pictures.
They like farces. In fact they are
working hard and they want enter
tainment.
TT may seem a little strange, but
reports from the various departments
show that what is popular in one de-
partment is popular in another. For
instance, what proves a great success
in the Western Department, also
i proves a success in the Eastern
Southern or Central Departments.
The reports from the various depart
ments are nearly uniform