Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-16
YHAT effect is the presenta-
4 ton plan OF the photoplay
Y houses having upon the

houses having upon NHS
legitimate theater? TIL,
question has been asked many times
during the past few weeks, but il
has not been answered. Predictions
have been made; the regular vaude.
vile houses, according to statements
are playing to the same crowds; bu;
what does the future hold in store
for them?
During the first days of the Win
ter the photoplay theaters started
their raids upon straight vaudeville
Gilda Gray was one of the first stars
to sign with a movie chain, and her
success was of such a character as
to draw attention from other stars
Now such performers as Nora Bayes
Van and Schenck, Gus Edwards and
many others have deserted the
! vaudeville wheels TO show their
wares before the movie audiences
Will this situation slowly kill off the
regular vaudeville patronage? Or
will movie audiences tire OF the
f, presentation scheme and demand
their pictures Straight? The solu
ton of the problem seems to be up
to the audiences, and only time will
tell
Regarding the photoplay houses
and their vaudeville attractions, the
patrons will not be content with
cheap and worthless pictures in or
der to enjoy a stage attraction, The
photoplay fan attends his theater
primarily to see a photoplay; the
stage attraction is, and probably al
ways will be, of secondary impor-
lance. Expensive stage settings and
a high-priced entertainer will not
satisfy if the picture is bad. Now,
: again, will the expensive entertainer
and the elaborate stage settings al
low the exhibition OF frst-class
photoplays?
Here is what may happen: Poor
photopiays-lower prices-mediocre
] Observation-Disclosures houses d.
! viding the big stars with vaudeville
vaudeville prices cut-movies grab
bing new plays in advance OF stage
production.
1t might be worth repeating that
the taste of the public is as tickle
as that of a high school girl. John
]. Public and his wife have the
chameleon flashed TO the mast" as
far as quick change is concerned.
John and his better half, at the pres
cnt time, are demanding all their en-
tertainment in one menu, storming
the box offices of the photoplay
houses but he and his wife may talk
the matter over when they get home
tonight. Mrs. John may state that
the family has decided to change its
plan OF entertainment. John, nat
urally, agrees. and
But, anyway, the problem is here
for the theater managers and own
ers. The public is the Judge Lands
in the case. The decision may not
be handed down before the blue
birds sing in the Springtime.
All this appears on the horizon
while the entire Nation is celebrat-
ing Laugh Month!
~ 4
NEW YORK photoplay theaters
~ broke all records for attendance
during the holiday season, gathering
S457, 706 in the box Offices of IS the
alters in the downtown section. The
big total was enlarged considerably
by the midnight shows 1t is also
stated that the road show of Odd
Ironsides" broke the world two-a-
day record, drawing $2o7o7.
nov. AL SMITH has gone on
~ record against photoplay cen
sorship. In his message to the New
York Legislature he urgently asked
that the State bill be repealed, and
it is thought that he may have suf-
'fcient supporters to do away with
the State censorship. Gov. All, among
other things, says this of censor
ship:
mo useful purpose is served by
the continuance of this function and
1T constitutes an unnecessary drain
upon the revenues of the State. even
though they be compensated by tax
alton upon the business itself. If
there is any reason for such tax,
it might well be continued for the
benefit of public revenue, but to dis
Sipate it in a senseless censorship
seems to be entirely WITHOUT either
rhyme or reason. To my mind, there
seems to be no more reason for the
censorship Oh pHOlOpldyS imam LOT
censorship of books, of the press or
of the spoken drama. The method
of correcting evils is by recourse
to the penal statutes after the Of
Tense"
X * 4 n
THE movies are receiving atten-
l. ton from the colleges, and DIR.
Nicholas Murray Butler, president of
Columbia University. has offered the
entire facilities of his big institution
to the motion picture industry for
whatever use can be made of them
The announcement was made at