New York Clipper (Jan 1916)

January 8 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER MOTION PICTURES 33 HABBT ENNIS, MOTION PIOTmiB EDITOR. ADOLPH ZDKOR DISCUSSES THE PUBUC-ITS LKES AlHD DISLIKES^ FAHOUS FUIERS' EXECDTITE FIOSEER EXHIBITOR i& WELL AS nARDFACnillER. said before, it 1b a pbyale*] ImpoialbUltr to pro- duce films to enK tlie requirements of any glnai locality, Tbe standarda of measurtment most te broad, and thm la no possible way Id 'wfaldt to make them «o except tbflt wblcb bas already been adopted. "IndlTldual reports are also made on the pro- dneUoDB, gToir,>:ap tbem accordliif to tbe otar vblch appears In tbem. In tbts way ve are en- ^ —.« ..... ^ .^^^^^ZZ^I^ZZr^ ■ , •._,■* «*'«d to ke«!p rtrict actomit of tbe popularity ol OEANFICnilS-PLATS BEST FROPOSmONm THE LONG RUN DECLARES FILRHAIT. Mary nckrurd. lurpiente aark. Fauiioa Fred. erick. Hazel Dawn and Jobn Barrymore, and to Tbere Is no qoestlon of more Tltal Importance to tbe motion pli'tcre Industry than the very old, but ever new, one—vbat does the pi/bUc want? The subject Is constantly before the exhibitor and the producer, and it Is one which Is always open to a difference of opinion. The average exhibitor bases his knowledge of <tbe public upon his per- sonal experience, which must of necessity be dr- cnmscrlbed and limited In Its local extent There- fore his views miipt be considered as referring to his individual community rather than to the pub- lic as a whole. The producer, nn the other hand, must attempt to strike a genera; average in his films which will approximate the desires of the largest number of persona. J^ls 'problem Is, in fact, an international one, OB hl^ prodoct reaches the far ends of tho civilized 'vforld of 'this sort, bnt the record of tbe staee play and of the photoplay T>rove, cibsolirtely, that the sac- oess is merely tcmiraraiy, and that the releasing of such pictures is poor Judgment from a buslneas standpoint. 'In tbe long run,' clean pictures pay best, whether t i-y are comedies or dramas. see at a glaneo lo what typ« of play Atj are best received. Tbe constant tendency of our popularly pendulum to swlnx toward the stronger dramatic plays and toward the lighter comedies bas deter- mined our policy for tbe coming year. SOURCE SAIiACIOUS PICTI7KE» A DETRIMENT TO THE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, "lliat tbe frankly suggestive Is a detriment to tne Industry as a wbole there can be positively no question. Inasmuch as It spurs the censors to In. creased activity and gives the agitators for cenaor- fihip grounda apon which the^ bafie their argu- ments. "Onr records show that clean, comedies and the poiwerfal dramas cf the better sort are <the supreme j favorites to-day. The lasting success of films of llieref<)Te tlie opinion of a man who was one this type, and the heavy demands for the appeal^ of the first owners of motion picture theatres in this coofitry, and is at the same time the or- ganizer «j( the pioneer feature film producing com- pany. Is of peculiar interest at this time. Tbe comprebeuBlve knowledge of the situation which arises from this unique position gives particular force to the opinion of Adolpb Zukor, in whom is Tested this dnal InteresL Though it is not gen- erally known, in addition to being the founder and president of tbe Famous Players Film Company, Ur. Znkor la also a pioneer exhibitor, as he was one of tbe first exhibitors In New Tork City, and also owned one of tbe first chains of photoplay theatres ever formed. It Is apparent, then, that tbe opinion of this man as to the methods of determining what tUe public really wants, as against what any one individual producer or exhibitor may think that It wants, can be accepted as being based upon Cact and not upon theory. once of the stars In them, prove beyond doubt that the public to-day is getting what It wants. Any new attempt to guage 'what the public wants' by different standards than those of country wide re- ports on the successes of the Immediate past and of 'the present, is doomed to failure. As I have IMMATERIAI.—THE PLAT'S TBB THING. "So far as the sonrce of material Is concerned, experience has «bown that to be of no Importance whatever. It mokes no difference whether a play or a novel Is being adopted, or whether the sub- ject which Is being produced Is an original sce- nario prepared especially for tbe screen. Tbere is Just one point of importance—bas the flnlnbed product real screen vnlae? Is it a good photoplay 1 "The whole heated ezgnment over this qneatlon reminds me of notbing so forcefully as the old conundrum, "Which came first—tbe chicken or tbe egg?' They are abont of the same relative Im- portance. For, after all, tbe only vital thing Is tbe fact that both are here. So long as we have onr chicken, our egg and our good photoplay, what difference does it make which come first or from what source the last was drawn?" OAUODfO THE DrVERGBNT TASTES OF W01I1.D WIDE PICTURJEl FANS, "niere is Just one way of determining what the public wants," declares Mr. Zukor, "and that is to take tbe concensus of opinion of as many ex- hibitors as possible. This opinion shoold be based solely npon the actual record of the results talned by showing varlons types of film In their respective theatres. It is in accordance with this ▼lew that the Famous Players recnlve from the Paramount Pictures Corporation, their releasing mediom, weekly reports on every feature that is prodnced. "This report covers every section of the country, and a tAnuin-r- index extends to tbe foreign natlooA as well From a careful study of its averages it is simple for the prodncer to determine exactly what kind of films are well received and those of Inferior popularity. There is no more effective method devisable for tbe obtaining of accurate and detailed information of a really comprehensive nature. No one exhibitor, however Judicious or well Informed, can ever draw proper conclusions from his own limited field of observation. "Though the exhibitor can, of course, determine his own seeds. It is impossible for the producer to accede to the demands of the individual ex- liibltor. To paraphrase a temlllar line, he must meet the greatest needs of the greatest number. "^e pTodact.r 'Who attemplB to determine on his own initiative Just what 13ie public wants, or who attempts to force the pnbUc to want what he tiilnka that It on^lit to want, 19 predestined to come to plef. There are those who consistently attempt to foist upon the pnbUc a salacious type of film either under the guise of preaching sermons or with ftank intention of appealing to the sexes. TtM temporary success of that style of production tioa lonA several manufacturers to release plays A STR0N6LY APPEALING COMBINATION A BIG AUTHOR AUGUSTUS THOMAS AJSROIOA'S I^BADINO DRAMATIST A RELIABLE PRODUCER] HARRY R. RAVER IVBO INTRODUCED •a,00 MOTION FICTVBB8 STABS KNOWN THE COUNTBT OVER JAMES J. CORBETT FOF1II<A& BSaO ACTOR PAUL CIL MATUBB II>OI< OB* MABT BVCCESSBS A STRONG SUPPORTING CAST WITH WILLIAM MULDOON FAMED WREBTIiER This Is All Offered In the First Raver-Thomas Production 6 Parts»300 Scenes and 400 People 879 or tbe ScoBoa Are Ooloretf STATE RIGHTS ARE FOR SALE WUB IH<llIIRIES ABBWERED TW BfWPIATBliT RAVER ¥IIM CORPORATION Room S402, HOW. 40th St. - - - NBW YORK CITY