The New York herald., 1921-03-19
Ph0to-Dran1a
Pressing Plays
In Broadway
Many Legitimate Theatres to
Be Given Over to Films
Next Season.

Negotiations are under way which
Will put motion pictures in such salient
position on Broadway by the beginning
of next season and will alter so ma
terially the theatrical map that the big
feature films viii be offering very heavy
competition to the legitimate spoken
drama.
1t was learned yesterday that plans
were being made to have at least twely-,
theatres formerly devoted to plays given
over 10 screen productions for long en-
gagements. and there is strong belief
In flm circles that when the season gets
under way fifteen out of the fifty first
class houses in the Times square dis
trict will be devoted TO the silent drama.
This unprecedented number marks the
rise or the celluloid plays TO a position
where they are encroaching seriously en-
the province Of the spoken plays, con-
firining the fears Of some of the legiti-
mate managers several years ago that
the movies would come to dominate the
enterta inment world
News OF this important change In the
atrlcal policy comes at q time when
the revenues Of the spoken productions
are suffering decline of about 25 per
cent In business. which some managers,
however, consider only a temporary con-
dition of affairs.
It IS a fact, though, that several plan
to curtail their activities next year.
And at the same time word has come
from Los Angeles that tine picture busi-
ness, which recently suffered slump,
Is fast getting onto its feet again.
William OK viii be in the van of
those who will exhibit long run feature
pictures ION Broadway" He plans next
season 70 have five theatres there under
his coutroi-the Broadhurst and the
Selwyn, now occupied BY Fox features:
the Lyric and the Park. which he has
leased, and another the name of which
is not yet known. ID. w. Griffith VIII
have two and probably three houses,
with Way Down East" already booked
until September at the Forty fourth
Street. He will 20 into the Central
with film on April s. The Metro yer-
sion of THE Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse" now at the Lyric. Will
move shortly into the Astor. which has
housed the spoken drama all season.
Marc Klaw has an option on several
big foreign feature films and expects TO
have several Broadway theatres to house
them next fail. Universal is expected
10 do likewise with at least one theatre,
and A II. Woods also has an option on
theatre for ilm exhibition and con-
templates taxing another. IL is UNDER
stood also that such stars as Nary Pick
ford and Douglas Fairbanks will enter
the long lb.. ield. In view of the big
profits being made by these pictures as
against short runs of the weekly pro-
grammes. IL is estimated that at least
$3.50. 1000 in weekly receipts will be di-
verted from the spoken TO the film field.
This shift in entertainment was set
going primarily by the success of Grif-
fifth with his presentation OF Way
Down East" at top rices that are only
about fifty cents less than those of the
spoken drama. Five years ago Griffith
tried to inaugurate the So movie, but
his venture was not a success. Since
then, however. the public appears 70
Rave been educated up TO the point OF
paying big prices for films. The big
returns from such exhibitions has led
Marc Klaw and AL III. Woods, managers
hitherto concerned primarily with the
spoken drama, to turn much Of their
energy to exhibiting. Woods, in fact
has started a circuit Of five first class
heatres in Chicago. New York, Phila-
delphia. Boston and Detroit. to be ready
within year, which he plans to extend
to Cleveland, St Louis, Pittsburgh. Bal
tlmore and other cities.