Motography (Jan-Jun 1917)

March 17, 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 555 MINISTERS SEEK PICTURES Committee of Churchmen Confers with National Association Regarding Pictures Suitable for Sunday School Children To encourage the production of better pictures by arranging and bringing to the attention of motion picture manufacturers the immense audience of 5,000,000 Sunday school children is the object of a group of ministers and Sunday school workers in New York. They prefer to work for the betterment of the films, instead of agitating for the closing of the theaters on Sunday, for censorship and for the exclusion of children from picture shows. The leader in this movement is the Reverend Christian Reisner, pastor of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, New York City, the pioneer pastor to use motion pictures in his Sunday night services. Dr. Reisner heads a committee of seven chosen by the church leaders of many protestant churches and authorized to confer with the Children's Program Committee of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry with a view to offering and receiving the co-operation of the producers in the work which his committee has laid out for itself. Jesse L. Lasky Heads Committee The National Association has one of its strongest committees assigned to this subject of children's programs. At its head is Jesse L. Lasky, vice-president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corp., with John R. Freuler, president of the Mutual Film Corporation, and David Wark Griffith. A meeting will be arranged with this committee and Dr. Reisner's committee, and the whole subject will be threshed out. Dr. Reisner feels that the producers are ready to take the question up seriously, and to a large degree through his instrumentality and example, it is undoubtedly true that many thousands of the ministers of the countrv are ready now to take this positive way of solving the motion picture problem, instead of clinging to the idea of postponing its solution by the negative means of censorship, Sunday closing and juvenile attendance legislation. "We want to discuss three things with the committee of producers," said Dr. Reisner in talking things over with the National Association officers. "First, a plan looking toward an ultimate system of recommending certain pictures submitted to a board, for use in Siinday schools. Second, some way of encouraging, through the concerted support of our Sunday schools and their 5,000.000 children, the production of pictures especially suitable for our work. Third, the establishment of some system of exchange of information about suitable films, and arrangements by which these films, after they have served their time in the theaters, can be made available, at moderate rentals, for church and' Sunday school exhibitions." Dr. Reisner is thoroughly conversant with the distribution system of the film companies, and the National Association expects to be able to work out, through him, some approach to the solution of the problems of the churches, which will be of mutual advantage. Humor in Fine Arts Play One of the humorous situations in the Triangle Fine Arts drama, "A Woman's Awakening," is where Seena Owen and Alma Rueben, two society girls, don men's attire, and visit a gambling house for a lark. They put on full dress suits, wear wigs, and then make their way to a fashionable gambling house to play at roulette. When they arrive at the gambling house they begin to gamble and when a fight starts they are visibly embarrassed. Both young women get treated rather roughly when the place is raided by the police. Miss Owen and Miss Rueben enjoyed the taking of this scene very much. FATTY ARBUCKLE is a mighty serious man. Witness these words of wisdom which fell from his lips into our capacious ears while the all-round comedian was in Chicago last week. "My wife is my rudder." "The reason for my entrance into the silent drama was because I wanted to eat." "I claim the unique distinction of being the only star on the screen getting less than ten thousand dollars a week salary." "I want to stand or flop on my own merits. No exhibitor is bound to take my comedies because he has contracted for the Paramount program. And, on the other hand, he can use my pictures without having to use the whole or a part of the regular Paramount releases." And here's one Fatty's wife, the rouge-topped Minta Durfee. tells on him : "When we were married six years ago we weren't up to our chins in wealth. The first morning after we were married Fatty said: 'Say, have you got a five? I've got to go out and rustle up some breakfast.' " And last summer Fatty paid $8,800 for a little old RollesRoyce English car. He shipped it by express from N'York to Los, a little matter of $800. creensnine hi By Mel Ody Chicago is close to the heart of many a man, and close to the purse of many another— particularly the hicks who stroll in. All of which is leading up to the remark that Adolph Zukor, who mans the Famous Players-Lasky ship, declares that he has a very warm spot in his heart for Chicago, having been married here. We have heard before that a tragedy always pumps into the participants a strange allurement to the spot where it happened. The following spasm of worse appeared in Screenshine some time ago, and was delivered in person at the recent Fatty Arbuckle banquet by Yours Truly, Mel (who felt very neek in the wees at the time). It is re-echoed here by request (of two others besides the author) : Here's to the heroine's heaving chest, Here's to her rolling eyes ; Here's to the vamp's eternal zest ! Here's to her clumsy thighs. Here's to the whiskers — just like hay — The villain's vile, black heart. Here's to the screen, as she are today ; (Whisper) Here's to the silent art! Somebody has suggested a banquet for the Chicago exhibitors, who have tried the other seven sins. "Mary Pickford is coming to the Auditorium," says Max Goldstine, who presides in the Chicago Artcraft office. He meant her "Poor Little Rich Girl." If "Little Mary" came herself, Geraldine Farrar, Mary Garden and the other opera stars would look like amateur crowd pullers. Just like the well known magazine by that name, the word "Motography" is coming into universal use. Listen to the manner in which Toastmaster Joe Hopp, president of the Chicago branch of the M. P. E. L. of America, Introduced President Adolph Zukor of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, at the Arbuckle banquet in Chicago. He wound up his flow of silvery oratory with these words : " — and, ladies and gentlemen, I now have the extreme pleasure of presenting to you the wizard of Motography — Adolph Zukor."