Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-20
"HOKUM" is JAZZ
OF SCREEN BUT
PUBLIC WANTS 1T
By MARSHALL NEILAN

WHAT jazz Is to modern dance
w music, hokum is to the motion
picture production Of today.
1, The persons among the motion pic
ture devotees who do not enjoy hokum
on the screen just about equal the mum
Der of persons who go to our modern
dencing pavilion and do not dance to
jazz music.
The dance orchestra, catering to the
great popular demand of the public,
plays an occasional old fashioned waltz
to satisfy n few, but It plays jazz all
the rest of the evening to satisfS the
multitude.
The director occasionally produces
what he likes to call an example Of !dra :
matte art, but he usually fills his picture
with hokum to win public approval
whether he admits 1t or not.
What Is hokumf Opinions vary.
When the most popular star Of them
all slides down a coal chute and ap.
pears In the cellar besmirchcd with
coal dust-that's hokum.
When Wesley Barry appears as
kitchen bandit and holds up the cook
for her pies at the point OF his gun
that's holsum.
And when the hero leaps from the
top Of moving train on to the ladder
Of an airplnne flying overhead-that's
hokum.
When comedian throws a pie and
hits another In the face-that's stap-
stick. When big woman kicks a.little
man in the seat Of his trousers-that' s
slapstick. And when a man with a
ladder on his shoulder swings around
and hits another man in the face with
the ladder-that's slapstick.
A RTISTIC drama will be found
"A among the motion picture material
that does not fit in with the above types
of entertainment.
The writer. not by way Of compli-
ment. he assures you. has been termed
the hokum king of them all. Although,
as he states. he has not been 80 termed
In a complimentary manner, he never
theless unblushingly accepts 1t as such.
The most successful motion picture
producers of today are the men and
women who are most sensitive to the
desire of the public.
The most unsuccessful producers are
those who go blindly ahead. nlacina
their own ideals foremost, regardless OF
the nopular public taste.
The fact that a producer Is ten
years ahead of the public Is no more
excuse for failure than Is the fact
that he is ten years behind the times.
Those who scoff Mt hokum-which
% l. h. - a..
the same class as the persons who still
ride in hanson cabs instead of using
taxis. The critics who turn IN their
noses and leave the theatre with the
remark "hokum" when all the others In
the audience applaud and leave the
theatre with happy smile are in the
same boat with the persons who go to
modern dance and wait for the old
fashioned waltz.
MO PERSON or group of persons
~ can dictate what the public shall
have in spite of what they want. The
individual who attempts this stand
and there are quite n few-finds him
self in the same position ms the sales
man who cndcavors to sell fur coats
to the South Sea Islanders.
1t is foolish to soar to lofty heights
that are beyond the average theatre
goer just because the producer il
anxious to register how artistic he
can be. Art must be commercial or II
will not pay. The business Of starving
to death for arts sake makes good
reading, but leaves nothing to ones
heirs.
Tho producer, critic or theatre goer
who travels the lonely road-no matte,
how beautiful it may appear to him
will. find he will have to enjoy what he
considers beautiful by himself The
producer who travels the road of hokum,
where the public crowds itself in its
search for entertainment, will find his
work most profitable.
1t would be mistake for every pro :
ducer to devote his entire efforts to the
propagation of hokum on the screen.
Just because hokum is popular it docs
not follow that a film with nothing
else but hokum would be riot. There
must be contrast to offset the hokum-
just as there must be crust around
the pie.
For once l have declared myself.
If the charge that l am hokr&l is
true. all can say-with apologies to
Il. c. Bis
thank you.