Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1915)

February 13, 1915 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 955 J. P. Chalmers, Founder. Published Weekly by the CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY 17 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY. (Telephone, 3510 Madison Square.) J. P. Chalmers, Sr President J. F. Chalmers Vice-President E. J. Chalmers Secretary and Treasurer John V/ylie General Manager The office of the company is the address of the officers. Western Office— Suite 917-919 Schiller Building, 64 West Randolph St., Chicago, 111. Telephone, Central 5099. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. United States, Mexico, Hawaii, Porto Rico and Philippine Islands $3.00 per year Canada 3.50 per yeaT Foreign Countries (Postpaid) 4.00 per year ADVERTISING RATES. Classifixd Advertising — no display — three cents per word ; minimum charge, 50c. Display Adtektisinc Rates made known on application. NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. All changes of address should give both old and new addresses in full and clearly written. NOTE. — Address all correspondence, remittances and subscriptions to Moving Picture World, P. O. Box 226, Madison Square Station, New York, and not to individuals. (The Index for this issue ivill be found on paqe 1060.") Entered at the General Post Office, New York City, as Second Class Matter Saturday, February 13, 1915. Facts and Comments TALKING with an old friend of The Moving Picture World who had just returned from a long trip through many Western states, the writer was told that out of seven big dailies printed in the principal cities of the area covered by the traveler four printed more motion picture advertisements than the regular theatrical announcements. The other three ran about even in the matter of motion picture and of purely theatrical advertisements. We have not tried to gather statistics on the subject, but it seems most likely that similar conditions prevail throughout the country. In part, at least, this fact accounts for the mighty change that has come over the press in its treatment of motion pictures. There is scarcely a paper in any large city in the Union which does not give special attention to the motion picture. In Philadelphia one of the evening papers prints a complete list of the programs in the principal motion picture theaters in the city. The list is arranged alphabetically according to the principal features shown. The idea has met with decided public approval and will no doubt be copied all over the countrv. =f: * * A FEW faint spirits among the exchange men in the two states where official censorship exists are in favor of compromise on the question of censorship. They say that an absolute repeal is too much to hope for and then they point out that something would be gained if the fees for the exatnination of duplicate films were abolished. There can be no compromise here. A vital principle is involved. Even if the official censors were willing to forego all remuneration, censorship would be no less objectionable. ICxhibilors frown upon such a compromise and a little reflection ought to convince every exchange man that he cannot afford to even think of compromise on such a question. * * * THE idea of having a big Broadway theater devoted exclusively to the presentation of extraordinary film features, selected from the world's market and intended for prolonged runs, is one which will be hailed by all friends of the motion picture. It is proposed to charge a maximum of one dollar by way of admission, and to have a presentation which is to be in keeping with the extraordinary character of the picture. It is said that about six big features will keep the house busy for one year. We believed for some time past that such a theater was a necessity because a highly meritorious production cannot be exhausted in one week's rim. Some recent productions of supreme quality have suft'ered through the lack of such a house where they might have been shown to the best advantage. * * * IT takes a real danger to bring the exhibitors to a realization of the fact that organization is an absolute necessity. The New York Board of Aldermen threatens to enact an ordinance which is even more drastic than the Canadian law, of which we spoke in these pages recently. The proposed ordinance practically requires the exhibitor to find out the exact relation between a minor under sixteen years of age and the person who is taking such a minor into a motion picture theater. We are glad to note that the local organization here has risen as one man against this iniquitous ordinance and has in two days raised a substantial sum to fight and defeat it. Just wiiy the Board of Aldermen should want to take this action when the state law amply regulates the admission of minors is one of those political mysteries which needs a lot of explaining. AT the very last moment the House Committee on Education has reported favorably the Federal Censor Bill introduced by Congressman Hughes, of Alabama. The real author of the bill is Rev. Wilbur F. Crafts, a professional reformer located at Washington. It is, of course, impossible for the bill to be reached for passage at this session of Congress and it is likewise true that the opposition in the House and the Senate will halt any further progress of the bill for the time being. In spite of all this it would be foolish to deny that the bill has made some progress and that we must without delay begin a strong campaign for .its defeat. It shoidd be borne in mind that federal censorship will not in the slightest degree relieve us from state or minor local censorship ; it is only an added burden all around. There are still simple souls who cannot grasp this fact and who fondly imagine the federal censorship would immediately do away with every other kind of censorship. If the Smith-Hughes Bill is allowed to become a law by default it will harm and cripple this industry to an extent that human imagination can scarcely conceive.