The Film Daily (1925)

THE 20 ■^^ DAILY Sunday, June 21, 1925 DEVELOPING THE "KIDDIE" SHOW (Continued from Facie 17) Kiiowledged by all as the greatest of the world's benefactors. Child Problem Must Be Considered But until that time, it is you, the exhibitor who must carry on. We have known for years that sooner or later the child problem as it appears to the public must be considered. I believe the best way and the only way, is to handle it ourselves. To make it a part of the regular service of the neighborhood, motion picture theaters. I know just how dubious you are on this subject because of past experiences. I know both sides of the question, as chairman of molion pictures in women's organizations, as well as now from the exhibitor's side. I know how little dependence can be put upon promises of support and what it is to watch the line at the box office anxiously, for I have had full charge of our children's programs from Oct. 11, 1924 to April 1, 1925. I selected, edited, bought and carried all the incident and advertising expenses; so you see 1 do know how discouraging they can be. In addition they take more time and effort than the regular shows. They should. You are doing a very important thing with your children's programs, just how important I doubt if you have ever realized. I said ours is laboratory work and analysis of failure is our most important and valued asset, for through our mistakes and failures we grow, f look back over many years of the public's apparent universal demand for children's programs and the many fine efiforts made by the industry to meet this demand which almost in every instance were disappointing; and I now firmly believe there has always been a big underlying cause for these failures. 1 know my public and I know the demand for -such programs has always been sincere. But "the public" even today has not yet learned to know its own responsiljility in the matter. Children's programs are a vital factor in the growth and in the protection of the development of motion pictures. Please do not pass this over lightly. If you need to be convinced listen to those who find nothing good, nothing worth commending In the motion picture. Do you not realize that "the children" is the only .■substantial plank they have to stand upon? What would they do if the children's programs of carefully selected and edited films were run regularly throughout the length and lireadth of our land? Is it to their interest to see such a movement succeed? Do you know how many would be out of a commercial job if this was brought about? .Do you know that in every organization throughout the land there are those who have become innoculated with this virus of hatred against motion pictures and everything and everybody connected with them? If you doubt this, ask anyone of the progressive, outstanding women who are giving themselves to the constructive work of Better Films Committees, fi-ndorsers of Photo-Play and like movements. i'hey will tell you how difficult iheir work is made through active opposition within their own organizations, and ot the tault finders who inject unjust and illogical criticisms; ^^■ho, by lack of support, endeavor to oreak down the entnusiasm ot those .-ngaged in promoting "better pic11. res and children s programs", nave )'ou ever known one ot the sclt appomted censors to advance one constructive idea or give one gram ot support to tne euorts oi tnose promoung the advancement ot the asetuiness oi the motion picture wuh.11 Its own legitimate place ot show,ng? i believe I am correct in saying ^•very women s organization meeting •n national conference this year discussed at lengtn "tne motion picture in ns relation to the child , and adopted resolutions for further effort. The flays Office Programs The onering ot the Hays selected programs for children is psychological at this time. 1 hey are short programs and the booking is so arranged that they work no hardships anil entail no risk, that I can see, upon the manager undertaking tlieni. just make enough on them so they will not cut in on your regular Saturday afternoon business and you should be amply satisfied. For every aoUar you take in at the box-office credit ten to your good-will account, and you will nnd yourself far ahead of the game at the end of the season, and }'ou will have in addition the satisfaction oi knowing that you have nelped dislodge the strongest plank our very good friends are now standing on. Our own special programs for children will open at our Tivoli, Saturday morning, Oct. 31. In studying the needs of the children we feel ihat as October is the most delightful month of the year in Washington, It is better for the kiddies to be in [he open; besides the Scouts, boys and girls, on whom we depend for our ushers and for our regular openMig exercises of the pledge to the flag, have their out-of-door games and hikes, during that month. The same conditions hold good in the early spring, so we close the 1st of April. We find this arrangement nieels with the hearty approval of the ijarents and organization leaders. We are not using the Hays' pro.;ranis because our work was started .(une time before they were ready iiul we have mapped out a definite ,)lan i)ased on the child psychology. For instance, we know why "Our .lang" comedies have the same ap•,jeal for children that is credited to I serial. It is because they are eager o know what their screen play felows are going to do next week and he first (|uestion when they enter ,he theater is, "Are we going to have an 'Our Gang' "? We know the deep sea pictures with plenty of marine life will hold them spellbound. We know that they wiggle and twist if a film is longer than tour reels and that they like comedy best ot anything. It is not hard to make up perfectly delightful programs tor cniidren it you put your whole heart into the effort. 1 welcome the announcement ot the many short subjects coming out this season. It is the final solution to the problem of the future. 'I here is another advantage in our selecting films. VVe have calls from many seclions oi the country for the list ot nims we have used. When they are planning children s programs however, 1 always recommend the Hays programs, because it would be tatai for anyone to attempt to do what we are doing unless equipped tor the work m having a large number ol exchanges to draw from and a projection room to use at all times. ihere are always new fields opening tor our usetuiness. Just recently the Agriculture Department Fxtension Division tor the Boys' and Girls cluljs ol the country have asked for selected hims tor their programs. 1 quote from the director's letter, that you may see how far reaching this branch of our service may be lor the future. "I believe you have a fair idea of what I have in mind in regard to the development of a desire and an appreciation of better films on the part of the one-half million farm boys and girls whom our work reaches. A large number of these ultimately find their way to the city and all of them Irequent the motion picture shows in our city". Our first list went to the State College of 'Washington, Extension .-service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Pullman, Washington. In starting your children's programs next tall you will realize that they are only the beginning, that you are sowing the first seed that shall in lime bring forth the biggest crop you ever harvested. I wish you every success. How it Works in New York Uly S. Hill, munaying director of the Mark Strand, Albany and the I roy theater, Troy, N. Y., has been a stiidoit of entertainment for children for many years. He has shown special children's programs up-state lor some time. This is what his experiencc has shown him: Catering to and providing the proper kind of entertainment for children has been a study with the writer jince 1891 long before motion picture was thought of as entertainment for the masses. 1 have al\\a>s believed that children prefer to a certain extent the same kind of entertainment either stage or niotion picture as their parents do, and 1 have always given it to them whenever the attraction was suitable and morally fit for them to witness and to this I attribute our great success with the "Junior Movies" as we call them. Furthermore our success is also due in a great part to the co-operation w< receive in Albany from the Albau} Mothers' Club and Mrs. F. W. Clark who is one of the pioneers in children's entertainment, and also a l)eliever in pictures that please adults, providing they are of the proper sort Mrs. Clark has been very successful ly in many cities where she introduced ill the "Junior" idea During the season just passed we have entertained in Albany and Troy, N. Y., two cities which I su jervise over 50,000 children and al i\ays on a Saturday morning. In i« . roy, the Parent-Teachers' Associa ion is the sponsor and works in .onjunction with us at the theater irvie Fldred the Superintendent oi .chools at Troy, is a great believei n helping the child get everything ;.at is of benefit, and a man thalj^ akes great interest in the boys anc ,ir!s. He believes that the proper 'inds of motion pictures are great .ducators. The success of the "Junior Movie s possible only where you get thf o-operation of the schools, churches and various clubs interested in this kind of work and where the parent; know that theaters do not allow pro grams for children that would bt detrimental to their morals or wher their comfort and health are not pro tected. We have made a study o this form of entertainment and spenc money for their entertainment througl which we secure special pictures am attractions. For instance we asked the boy nd girls in Albany and Troy at th •Juniors" if they would like to hav Mr. Burgess, the bedtime story ma ome and give his entertainment an :>is talk. To show you how inter .sled they were, they voted unan mously to have him. We secure him for six performances for hot our towns and it would make you heart glad to see the enjoyment the had out of this engagement. The turned out by the thousands and ha id ion ibo cs 111 I y ID III SI Ai tl iki ka it« ;cei lii )le ki IS irel lUSi Th 'im ie leli ill! oug j(t Hi m iU onlj irch App BOV the time of their lives. So it is reac J' ily seen how much better and moi instructive in a natural history wa was this man than if we had pri sented some fairy story in which t^J. kiddies were not interested. It w an expensive proposition but the responded and showed their apprec ation. VVe do not give them many fail stories but rather select their ente tainment from such pictures as "Ca ered Wagon", "Abraham Lincoln "Sea Hawk" and other pictures suable for their pleasure. Catering to children is a great d light for they are enthusiastic, a preciative, and when you please the they always come back. We ha the co-operation of everyone in the cities who is interested in childre even the public liliraries tell the sto (Continued on Faye 37) me iiagi ... liy i ist; idt Uini Iks '«iDi till Ihe ikt Ivor loci 5iaci Rer pic