Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-20
MOVIES IN WARTIME
PROVE ESSENTIAL
Keeping Theatres Open Is
Necessary at This
Time

The fact that General Crowder. pro.
vost marshal, has declared that notion
picture players are to be classed as
Legitimate theatrical performers" and
that all skilled persons employed in the
picture productions are TO he classed as
engaged in productive employment. has
aroused enthusiastic approval in all
branches Of the film entertainment. for
1t settles the moot question Of the status
OF the moticn-picture industry under tho
work-or-fght' order. Players. mus-
clans. photographers. operators, mechan-
les and others necessary to productions
will hold their present class, fcations un-
der the draft law.
ihose within the motion-picture in
dus;ry felt that the Government would
come to realize and recognize its claims
to being one of the essentials" said
Frank w. Buhler. managing director Of
the Stanley Company. speaking abou,
the new order. There have been since
the beginning OF the war tho warmest
relations between the Government and
the picture Interests. and the picture
men were among the first to be called
to the Federal standards to see wha,
help they could offer.
They have been very helpful, Ru,
some of the helpfulness might. never.
theless. he pointed out 50 that the pub
| lie Will have renewed Impression OF
the service rendered by the motion pic.
ture in this wartime
1T is impossible to 20 into any mo
tion-picture theatre in the country with
out having in some way the attention
patriotically directed for few moment.
or without learning something in rela
tion to the war There are the new!
weeklies. showing events of the war
There are slides showing the flag o,
4 the President Every patriotic driv,
for men, money, material, has beer
preached and pleaded for from tn.
screens of the theatres all over tn,
country.
NO more widecast way Of srreadn.
information and patriotic propagand;
than from the picture screen has beef
devised. for II reaches the people VIII,
don't read as we'll as these who do: |
reaches those who are seeking enter
tainment and gives them information /,
spite of themselves.
while the business Of life is war
there must he amusement and entertain
ment to- keep up the national morale
| and this the pictures provide.
THE Importance Of motion picture
has been recognized as entertainment
and they are provided in all the train
ing camps here. in the camps abroad
and even On the transports going over
Speaking shows are expensive and un
wieldy. and must of necessity he in
frequent. but the pictures can be for
ever present.
Pictures serve as propaganda owe
there, cheering the tired Allies witt
information of our wonderful resource
and our strength of arm and arms
pictures as entertainment will hav
still more Importance this coming yea
with the new railroad rates in effect
which will tend to crush cut man
travelling playing companies. particu
larly in the one-night-stand places. leav
ing them amusementless. il their pic
ture theatres are closed up.
"An item not to he Smothered out |
the rolling SNOWFALL Of motion-pictur
taxes. which have exceeded those from
the legitimate houses. and have put an,
are putting nice sum into the Treas
urys strongboX.
picture making will be no serious
drain on coal-consumption. for the pro
ducing can virtually all be done ii
the South or West in the winter Il
fact most companies are already s.
arranging The angle Of difficulty il
coal for the theatres. and If people mus
be cold at home they ought to hav
some nice warm theatres to go to 70
inspiration. information and entertain
"A tDp coal crisis hera
many Of our managers made thei