Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 1922-Apr 1923)

Page Twelve D. W. GRIFFITHS STATES SCREEN WILL NOT SUPPLANT POWER OF THE PRESS (Exclusive To The Digest). 664° course no one can foretell just what the future will bring out, as far as the moving picture industry is concerned, because it has grown so tremendously in the few years that it has been an industry that it is liable to surprise even those in the hum of it, but I would be willing to hazard a guess that it will never supplant the newspaper. There has been some dreaming about such an event, I know, but I do not think it is much more than dreaming. Each functions in its own way and the peculiar conditions affecting each would make it almost impossible for the one to supplant the other. In the first place there is the matter of cost. To properly produce a movie newspaper would mean a far greater expenditure than to produce a good newspaper, as we have known them. Cost I find is a mighty factor in shaping the course of any industry and certainly the movies are not an exception. But there is an even greater obstacle than cost, as I see it, and that is the element of time. To produce a movie newspaper would require a far greater amount of time than to produce a good newspaper, and so one of the features of a newspaper, namely to give the news, would be wiped out. I am afraid that it is a beautiful day dream but little else to feel that the movies will ever supplant the newspapers as news media. However, I do look for the growth of what might be termed pictorial movies, which would supplant the magazine features of the newspapers generally. Of late years competition in the newspaper business has resulted in the inclusion within the column of a newspaper of many features and departments which were unheard of a few years ago. Newspapers have almost ceased to be solely newspapers, but have taken on the appearance of magazines as well. All sorts of features, and odds and ends calculated to interest the public and hold them, have worked themselves into the newspaper's pages. Montreal Picture Industry Excited Over “The Pilgrim” The big sensation here in Montreal, in the picture line, is the coming release of Chaplin’s latest production, “The Pilgrim,’ which will appear at Loew’s. The Imperial, the Princess and the Midway. The public, however, because of the rapid growth of the movies are not thinking as much as they formerly did. They like to learn by means of the eye more than ever and so I look for a rapid growth of the movies along this line, a growth that will give to the public the magazine features and odds and ends that are now a part of the big daily newspapers. There are several reels on the market today: which are attempts at this. My idea, however, is that the movie pictorial will be a multiple reel affair and will possibly contain news pictures such as are shown in the news reels now on the market and in addition such magazine and possibly educational features as are to be found in the printed and . sometimes illustrated form in newspapers. Thinking along that line I see a big opportunity for someone to pioneer and develop this phase of the movie industry. The marked popularity of the news reel would seem to indicate that such a multiple reel, if properly selected and produced, would be most popular. Certainly it should appeal to the public as much as the same features do in a newspaper. It may be that in time this multiple reel movie pictorial and magazine, or call it what you will, will become so popular that the newspapers will be relieved. of including magazine features in their pages and can return to their original status of being distributors of news. And of course there is the editorial consideration too. Newspapers do have some power as moulders of public thought through editorials and naturally moving pictures cannot produce editorials in printed form because such a _ thing would be too tedious. So it would seem that regardless of how successful the movies may become, regardless of how popular and startling the changes may be they will never quite take the place of the newspaper. Each I expect, will continue to fill its own little niche in serving the public and preserving life in all its phase.” More F.-P. Goldwyns Bringing Big Business Mgr. A. Moisan, proprietor of the Victoria moving picture house, Que bec, reports big business with “Mad Love,” while J. Bernier, of the Au ditorium, has been cleaning up with the “Strangers’ Banquet.” CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Mgr. D. C. Brown Awarded First Prize Paramount Contest Mgr. Donald C. Brown, of Griffin’s Theatre, St. Catharines, secured the first prize for Paramount’s Canadian exploitation contest for month of March.Mr. Brown showed his showmanship mettle. on “Adam’s Rib.” Second Prize went to John C. Greene, manager of the Capitol Theatres of Galt, Guelph, Kitchener and Peterboro, for his splendid presentation of publicity for “Thirty Days,” which gave these theatres bariner business only. A committee of three awarded the prizes, composed of: G. E. Akers, general manager Canadian FamousLasky Film Service; W. D. Ferguson, manager of York and Empress Theatres, Toronto, and G. A. Smith, Paramount exploitation representative. Favorable mention was awarded to the following :— “Manslaughter” campaign by John Ward, manager of Allen’s Classic Theatre, Stratford. “Adam’s Rib” campaign by O. D. Cloakey, manager of Capitol and Savoy Theatres, Hamilton. “Old Homestead” campaign by Manager Finlay, Monarch Theatre, Medicine Hat. Campaign on the “Super-39” booklets by J. A. Stewart, manager Princess Theatre, Chatham. “To Have and To Hold” campaign by Manager Banting, New Dreamland, Barrie. “Good Provider” campaign by A. H. Pepper, manager Community Theatre, Madawaska. “To Have and To Hold” campaign by A. Moisan, manager Victoria Theatre, Quebec. “Manslaughter” campaign by E. Abbey, manager Strand Theatre, Kingston. “Burning Sands” campaign by Ernie Sanders, manager Star Theatre, St. Thomas. “If You Believe It, It’s So” campaign by G. Newton Wallis, manager Iroquois Theatre, Petrolia. Exhibitors Praise Equity “Child For Sale” Equity Pictures Productions has had highly laudative wires from the Strand Theatre, Napanee, and the Allen Theatre, Kingston, in connection with the presentation by those houses, of “Child For Sale.” The managers of these two houses speak very highly of the merits of the ‘picture as a money-maker. Subscribe To The Digest $2.00 a Year. Gi Baa Pictures Read The Digest \4dwertising Pagts.