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THE STAR SYSTEM 85
lar idea in a series of pictures, he could try to induce theater owners to pay him a price above the normal, and if some of his films were not as good as others he could "sweeten the deal" by cutting rates on them. Exhibitors, by nature and training, were traders and bargainers, and, annoyed by the trust's insistence on stability and regularity, they broke away from its rigid rules whenever the temptation was sufficient, and dealt with the independents.
During the early years of the contest, the independents in addition to freedom to run wild, to hire employes away from any competitor, to sell or rent their films at whatever prices seemed best, to make the best trades, best bargains, whenever and however they could do so, enjoyed the incalculably great advantage of close contact with the public. Most of General Film's opponents had been exhibitors and they retained their interests in store shows after becoming producers. Through frequent visits to their theaters and daily reports of managers who often were partners they were constantly advised of audience reactions. They developed their sense of showmanship merely by observing the response of their patrons, in tears or laughter or indifference, as the story flowed across the screen, and by carefully listening to comments as the audience left the house.
The real rulers of the patents-film trust were not in touch with the consumers of their product. They never had been exhibitors, nor did they make any effort to discover what the public might happen to want. Several members of General Film were excellent showmen, but they were in the minority, and their suggestions and recommendations were overruled by the conservatives who could see no sense in departing from their industrial philosophy of standardization and regularity.
Before the novelty of one-reel story-telling pictures had worn off, alert exhibitors and their producer associates realized that screen enthusiasts were beginning to form habits of discrimination and selection. Interest in personalities manifested itself first, and theater patrons learned to identify various players long before their names appeared on the screen or in posters. "Little