Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

DON R. EGBERT, Managing Editor NEW Y6RK OFFICE: 1022 LONGACRE BUILDING, Forty-second Street and Broadwar Telephone Bryant 7030 CHAM.ES W ERENNAH, Advertising Manager LOS ANGELES OFFICE: 6035 HOLLYWOOD BLVD., MABEL CONDON. Western Representatlie NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Changes of advertising copy should reach the office of publication not less than fifteen days In advance of date of issue. Begular date of issi>» every Saturday ,VT77, THE MOTION PICTURE TRADE JOURNAL PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ELECTRICITY MAGAZINE CORPORATION E. R. MOCK, President and Treasurer PAUL H. WOODRUFF, Editor in Chief, E. M. C. Publications MONADNOCK BUILDING CHICAGO, ELL. Branch Telephone Exchange: Harrison 3014 Entered at Chicago Post Office as Second Class Mail Matter. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE Per Year $3.00 Canada • Per year $4.00 Foreign • Per year 5.00 Single copy .... .15 NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Remittances— Remittances should be made by check. New York draft or money order in favor of Motographt. Foreign subscriptions may be remitted direct by International Postal Mouey Order. Change of Address— The old address should be given as well as the new, and notice should be received two weeks in advance of the desired change. This publication is free and independent of all business^ or house connections or control. No manufacturer or supply dealer, or their stockholders or representatives, have any financial interest in Motography or any voice in its management or policy'. Volume XIX CHICAGO, APRIL 27, 1918 Number 17 Help Keep Your Block Clean IF the city block in which your house is situated has a rather questionable reputation, you probably think it is none of your business. It is the duty of the police to prevent actual law-breaking. It is the duty of the people to behave themselves. It is the duty of parents to keep track of their children. It is your duty to run a show that will keep the house full, and that, you think, is all. So far as duty goes, you are probably right. But if that is as far as you care to go, you will fall far short of your opportunity. You will never realize the value of the good will, the friendship of your patronage that it is possible to build up in your neighborhood. It is a strange thing that the more unsavory a neighborhood is, the more its inhabitants appreciate a "square guy." Not so strange either, maybe ; they appreciate him more because he is a rarity. And if he goes just a little bit out of his way to help along the street, the neighbors will do more to keep him happy than any "respectable" neighborhood in the world would do. The picture theatre man carries a lot of responsibility — and some of them do not seem to know it or care about it. In a block of the kind we mean, the theatre may be the only meeting place. It may be the only place, besides the saloon, where a little crowd of friends can get together without being told to move on. It is likely the only place where young folks can make a date. It is certainly the only place where the kids of that kind of a block can get any fairy story stuff. That means a lot. It means that the exhibitor has charge, for several hours a day, of the morals of some hundreds of children and young folks. It does not mean that the exhibitor should be a police reserve; but he certainly should know his neighbors and his patrons. The children and the young folks ought to be Mary and Bill and Lizzie and Heinie to him. Just that little friendly touch, with his presence somewhere about the place, helps to keep a lot of things straight. It is astonishing how little it takes to help some people. When old Mrs. Murphy breaks her leg and cannot do any washing for a spell, a few dollars' worth — almost a few cents' worth — of meat and vegetables will keep her from fretting. You bet the neighborhood exhibitor ought to be on that list — at the top of it. It isn't just Mrs. Murphy's blessing he gets; it is the good wishes of the whole block. You see, he is a square guy. That is only an example. Something of trouble or tragedy is happening all the time in places like that. A few cents, a bit of friendly counsel, some left-over circulars for little Katie to draw her pictures on, maybe some help in getting big Tom a job — why, do you think that exhibitor could fail? They would go to his shows if they disliked them, just to keep him among them. The less other interests people have, the more human interest they have. The exhibitor