The New York herald., 1922-12-17
rHE Notion Picture Nesos. q

sion as to which aspect of the motion
pictures is the more important-the
industrial or the artistic That same
question has foored many movie
critics before our time, and IT. is still
the basis OF all arguments about the
silent drama
Personally we are free to confess
that our sympathy is all with the
artistic minority IN its struggle with
commercialisrn. But IN preparing a
list OF twelve good men and true who
have been OF equal benefit to both
sides we felt that our deep rooted
prejudice must be temporarily ig-
nored.
This is our selection, with reasons
(such as they are) attached:
Charlie Chaplin.
Adolph Zukor
David Wark Griffith.
Charles Urban.
Mary Pickford.
Rex Ingram.
Harold Lloyd
Samuel Rothafel.
Thomas A. Edison.
Jesse L. Lasky.
William A Johnston.
Douglas Fairbanks.
AZ least half Of the names on this
list are SO obvious as to need no ex-
PLANTATION, and we venture to say that
the majority of our ninety-nine fellow
jurymen will agree with us. Chaplin,
Griffith, Pickford, Fairbanks and Edi-
son require no apologies.
Some of the others. however. fur
nish grounds for debate.
Samuel Rothafel, for instance, is an
cxhibitor-and therefore local prod
uct. His activities are limited to one
theater, and he isn't even IN complete
control at that, as It is owned by one
of the large producing companies and
therefore committed largely to It:
private policies.
However, Mr.. Rothafei has done more
TO develop movie presentation than any
other man in the country. He was
the first to experiment with the unit
program" and he has carried 1t to q
state of approximate perfection. We
believe that there Is no theater In the
country wherein motion pictures are
so effectively presented as the Capt.
tol, here In New York. For this rea-
son we nominate Mr.. RothafeI as the
greatest of all exhibitors-greater than
Or. Riesenfeld, Joseph Plunkett, Mast
baum of Philadelphia, Darlington Of
san Francisco or Graumann OF Los
Angeles.
We have included both Adolpt
Zukor and Jesse LaslSy in the list, al
though they are officials OF the same
company, because 1t seems to us that
they are the only big magnates who
have ever displayed any respect for
the artistic possibilities of the movies
Although the box office has always
come first in their affections, they have
made a sincere effort to improve the
quality of their films-and in many
cases they have succeeded. -
William Fox is undoubtedly a mar
velous business man, but even his
stanchest supporters cannot claim
that he has aided the cinema to pro-
gress as an art. Samuel Goldwyn
made the attempt, but was unable to
carry 1t out. W. W. Hodkinson Is
perhaps the most intelligent and en-
lightened OF all the producers at the
present time, but he lacks the finan-
cial acumen Of Adolph Zukor. and 1t Is
improbable that he will ever make
more than ripple In the industry.
Albert r. Smith. the president OF
the vitagraph Company, was one of
the pioneers in film production, but he
fx.4 fr, ytya IA
cession.
Joseph Schenck comes pretty close
20 the elect group. lie has always
operated on an independent basis. and
has been personally responsible for
the development OF such stars as
Norma and Constance Talmadge and
Buster Keaton.
Rex ingram IS placed among the
twelve because he directed THE -Four
ITorsemen OF the Apocalypse"-the
greatest movie OF them ali-and has
supplemented IL with three photo
plays which possess unusual distinc-
ton.
William A. Johnston Is not known
to the public, but he has exerted a
tremendous influence on the industry,
and particularly on the exhibitors,
through the Motion Picture Netcs.
This influence, be Il said. has been
thoroughly beneficial. Joseph Dan
nenberg OF the Film Daily should also
be mentioned I'm this connection.
Charles Urban has been working
away at movies for some twenty-six
years. He produced the first Kinema-
color pictures, making films of the
coronation OF King George and the
subsequent Durbar, which were shown
ne the old Garden Theater. Since then
he has been an indefatigabie expert
menter In all varieties of fields. He
has produced innumerable educational
films. geographical, botanical and
geological.
The name OF Harold Lloyd would re-
main on our list, even IL we had 20
limit Il 20 six. Mr.. Lloyd impresses us
nightly. lie has made comedies ga
lore, and every one OF them has been
incredibly successful. "a Sailor Made
Man" we believe, has proved TO be
the most profitable motion picture of
the year To obtain his effects he has
never hit below the belt. He has al
vyava been clean, spontaneous and