Film Fun (Jan - Dec 1916)

M 28 1916 &CI.BZ54 823 Film Fun Magazine of Fun, Judge's Library and Sis Hopkins' Own Book Combined Published monthly by LESLIE-JUDGE COMPANY. PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK CITY. Reuben P. Sleicher. Secretary. A. E. Rollauer, Treasurer. Grant Hamilton, Art Director. V 225 Fifth Avenue, New Yore. §o/yright, 1916. by Leslie-Judge Company, Publishers. MA (Q Entered at the post-office at New York ^AkV as second-class matter. No. 8*-FERBUARY, 1916 John A. Sleicher, President. Elizabeth Sears, Editor. Title registered as a trade-mark. "Single Copies, 10 Cents Subscription by the Year. 81.00 E D T O R A What Constitutes a Comedy '"PO THE general run of audiences a comedy is a play with comic situations. Originally the word "comedy" was merely an indication of a happy ending, without regard to the plot or the play. As a rule, the producing companies accept either interpretation of the word. To them a comedy is a picture in which an actor disports himself as a jumping-jack or intrudes his pulchritude into as many close ups as a single reel will hold. The main essentials for a comedy seem to be a pretty girl who falls off a bench and displays a generous section of striped or ringed hose, and a comedian whose only resemblance to Charlie Chaplin is a flexible walking stick and a secondhand mustache. Chaplin, by the way, is a genius, and to expect a resemblance in make-up to be a substitute for his artistry shows what a poor idea of public intelligence the movie producer must have. Entitled to Better Comedies T^HE BETTER class of companies are sincerely trying to raise their standards, but a large share of them still persist in the delusion that the broad-gauge and roughhouse scenario remains the measure of the public preference. On the other hand, we believe that the great body of motion picture fans is entitled to better comedies than the present average. The greatest asset of the motion picture is that it allows a large number of people to obtain excellent diversion at a small cost. But to follow the fortunes of a tear-dripping and chestheaving heroine through five long reels calls for some quality of opposite afterward. A clean, snappy comedy that is at once crisp and sane is the tonic needed. The producers who spend alleged thousands of real money per week on their stars and directors might find it profitable to invest thirty or forty cents extra and produce a comedy or two that relies as much on its intrinsic humor as upon its unique falls, tumbles, trips and nonchalant kicks and drops into calm lakes and seething oceans. Some day, we hope, there will arise a genius who will hear the call of the clever one-reel comedy and give to the laughterloving, joyous American public the need of the hour — clean comedy. * « Inflated Values HPHE MISSION of Film Fun is to make the people laugh not weep. For this reason we feel inclined to say a word regarding investments in motion picture stocks. Many letters have reached us, asking advice as to investing in motion picture concerns. Many have invested in them and made money. And hundreds more have sent their savings hopefully, only to wait month after month for a prosperous report. As a rule, there are highly inflated values in the motion picture business. The shrewd man, who knows how to make his money work for him, can make money anywhere. He is the one who is piling up fortunes in the motion picture business. Largely he is enabled to do this because of the money sent in for investment by the hundreds of people who have heard of these wondrous fortunes and hope to get wealthy in a few months. We hear much of the salaries of $2,000 a minute made by stars of renown, but the actual pay checks might tell another story than that of the enterprising press agent. For there is another side to the story. A man who would not miss the loss of $10,000 or $20,000 complains of the slowness of results from the motion picture business. He has invested heavily. He explains that it costs from $5,000 to $50,000 to outfit each company. There must be thirty companies at work before there are any returns on the profits. Expenses keep up all the time. To raise the money for thirty companies takes some scouting in Wall Street, and to wait three or four years for interest takes some patience on the part of the investors. If you have money to spare and patience to wait, then invest in the motion picture stocks.