The Film Daily (1918)

ZfcBBADSTREET of FILMDOM 7^recochized Authority VOL. VI. No. 73 Friday, December 20, 1918 Price s Cents Combating "Flu" N. A. M. P. I. Takes Action in NationWide Campaign The N. A. M. P. I. has inaugurated a nationwide campaign of education seeking to prove that it is a mistake on the part of public officials to close down picture theaters and other places of public gathering as a means of combating the epidemic of Spanish Influenza. This campaign has been started as the result of a strong letter which the Association received from Dr. Royal S. Copeland, Health Commissioner of the City of New York. In this letter Dr. Copeland states that the motion picture theaters of the city were of great assistance to the Department of Health in furthering the work of public health education during the epidemic. In another part of the letter he says : "My principal purpose in keeping open the theaters in New York City was to prevent the spread of panic and hysteria, and thus to protect the public from a condition of mind which would predispose it to physical ills." That Commissioner Copeland's policy in keeping the theaters open had this effect is substantiated in a table of statistics that has been compiled by the U. S. Dept. of Labor showing that of the major cities of the country wtip-the epidemic had the greatest hr York, the largest city ^r States, which kept : of the time. T" ( The [ional ior its ob.,e of these facts officials of all the cities ountry of 25,000 population and EH'er. A copy of the Commissioner's letter to the Association, a reprint of the statement issued by him, and pub lished in the New York Times explaining in detail why the death rate of New York City was so low and giving great credit to the motion picture theaters for the part they played in keeping the death rate down, and the table compiled by the Department of Labor is being sent to the picture theaters, daily papers, exchanges, Mayors, Chiefs of Police Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade, city and state health officers, and to the superintendents of schools. With the material that is being sent to the exhibitors is a letter telling iv detail just what he is to do in order to use this material to its greatest advantage. Likewise a letter is being sent to exchange managers of the various companies by the executive heads of the companies, apprising the managers of what is being done, instructing them to get together with the exhibitors, and to use every force of concerted effort to impress on the authorities the beneficial results that will be the result of a proper campaign of public health education. The material that is being sent out has been designed in such form that the exhibitors can use it to post in their lobbies in the form of bulletins, and supplies them with the necessary information to enable them to throw slides upon the screen or as was done by the exhibitors in New York City make short addresses to their patrons before every performance on the great danger of public coughing, sneezing and spitting. It is expected that the entire country will be covered with this educative propaganda before the end of the week. "Flu" Going Stronger Official Report Shows General Increase of Cases. Washington, D. C. — A report just published and compiled by Surgeon ' Blues showes that influenza nefhout certain castle ana jo setts 5,500 new cases are reporte though of a milder character. Ohio is hard hit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Salem and Youngstown especially so. The disease, here, however, is milder. West Virginia is as badly off as it was tno months ago while Louisiana is visited by a very severe outbreak of the "flu." For the three days ending Dec. 9, St. Louis had 1700 new cases. The theaters are threatened with closing or the roping off of every other row of seats in Nebraska. California cities are suffering from a repitition of the original epidemic. Michigan intended closing theaters beginning Saturday last but action was deferred for two weeks to ascertain the effects of an intensive educational campaign in the theaters. Saving a Brand from the Burning GRAY THEATRE CO. Spencer, Iowa. December 11, 1918. Wid's Daily, New York, N. Y. Dear Wid: I just read Frank Newman's letter in your daily and have known Frank for some time and he is a real exhibitor. I too feel that your daily is fine and I am going to move up to the Mourners' Bench and send a check for $10 to cover a years subscription. The choir can now rise and sing "A Brand Saved from the Burning." Yours very truly, (Sig.) H. B. GRAY. To Stay in Films Nazimova to Devote Herself to Screen For Coming Year Alia Nazimova announces that she will devote all of her time during the coming year to screen work. Six productions in all will be made by the famous star. Arrangements for the new series have just been completed. Productions will be made in California, where the star has already gone, ac anied by her director, Albert taf? of assistants, Henri and her be maiiL .. of Maxwell Kargci. The first picture to be made "The Red Lantern" from the novel ot Edith Wherry. The settings are mainly Chinese. June Mathis, in collaboration with M. Capellani, made the adaptation. Simultaneously with the beginning of the newest picture, the cutting and assembling of her last production, " 'Ception Shoals," has just been completed. Coast Edition of Gaumont News. Gaumont announces that starting about Jan. 1, it will issue special Pacific Coast editions of its independent newsreels, the Gaumont News and Gaumont Graphic. xhey will be edited by Eugene W. Castle, who has been associated with Gaumont for five years.