Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31

THE outstanding problem, of course,
= is what does the public really want?
And the response that will spring I-4-
hesitatingly to most OF those who guess
ct the answer is that the public doesn't
Az E'ant the same thing. The public
has no single standard Each unit of
that colossal and mysterious collective
noun wants what he likes best. so that
beyc-.1 the peradventure of doubt the
first hing to do in endeavoring to as
certain what the public wants is to
find out for whom the purveyor of en-
tertainment must cater Manifestly
the first thing to do is to break up into
important units, at least, that wonder
full collective noun the public" This
done, we must endeavor to Ak the
standards for each of these groups. In
this way certainly We may ascertain
what most of the public wants. The
very large number Of people who 60 to
the theaters to see plays and photo
plays, especially those who attend the
picture houses, warrants the inference
that they include persons of all degrees
of intelligence, culture and moral stand
ards. Refined, cultured people are apt
to prefer for their entertainment that
which has something of an intellectual
appeal. 1t must be assumed that they
are. in a sense, sophisticated, and also
that they have some knowledge of pro-
priety and of improperly. The great
mass of young people who patronize
the theater, and especially the movies,
are merely floundering in letters. arts
and perhaps in morals. 1T is not that
they want to be immoral, but unqueS-
tionably they have a curiosity to know
about and actually to see things which
are usually clasSed as 1.-The forbidden"
There is yet another very large group
OF me public. probably the largest of
them all, and this group constitutes
what are known as 1.-The middle classes"
those who do not aim high in literary
heart and mind, but like to laugh, even
at the risque. If it be not too raw, and
who go to the theaters to forget the
cares and the trials of the day. They
want to forget trouble, and, IL they
cannot be happy, at least they want to
rest peacefully and pleasantly for an
hour or so. The others who go toward
making up "the public" need not bother
the heads of the movie executives be-
yond the moral obligation of seeing, at
least that they are not further schooled
in depravity, but are led gently and
pleasantly to higher ground, away from
the ways of the underworld and out into
the bright sunshine of truth and clean
living. Now there are the four big
unit groups of what is known as 1.-The
general public" And knowing these
groups. 1t ought not to be difficult, If
the duty is performed with honesty
and sincerity, to provide proper and
paying entertainment for all of them
One standard will not fit them all.
4
THERE is one tIGth, however, which
- the screen industry should drag
from its concealment and fix firmly
and everlastingly IN its memory de-
partment. That tlIIth is that In MAX
ing entertainment for any one of the
groups of the general public the upper
most idea must ncf be merely ''the box
office appeal" OF fourse the industry
is in this business &, make money, but
primarily it is in DUTY bound to make
proper entertainment for the public
There is never an excuse for making
an unclean, suggestive, demoralizing
picture, no matter how much money
1t will draw to the box Office. If there