Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

[86 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Another potent reason is the growing interest of and in the pictures themselves. Added to the merely amusing features of the average picture program, is the frequent educational subject illustrating some interesting feature of political or natural history, a mechanical process or scenes in unfamiliar lands, all of which possess deep interest to the observer and serve to entertain him in ever increasing numbers. Not alone is it the "gallery god" who has been enticed from the "legit" ; men and women of refinement and discrimination will be found enjoying the mysteries and treasures of cinematography wherever suitable arrangements for their comfort are provided. It might be imagined that men possessing the power of seeing things in advance — an attribute common to most theater managers — would have long ago discovered the practicability of co-operation with the established picture interests and thus held the allegiance of the "gallery god" by giving him the sort of entertainment his discriminating soul craved and at a price suited to his never too plethoric purse ; also, that they, having the accommodations best calculated to serve the comfort of particular people would have been quick to see the importance of preserving the prestige of their houses as amusement centers. It is never too late to mend and, to paraphrase the biblical allusion : While the lamp holds out to burn the most hide-bound legitimate theater manager may still get into the picture business with profit and honor. Thus, and only thus, may the Lost Gallery be regained. The Coming National Convention of Exhibitors The National Convention of Moving Picture Exhibitors in this country is to be held on the first day of August. It promises to mark an epoch in the history of the moving picture industry. We presume that some plan for a permanent national organization will be adopted and that the convention will agree On a platform and a policy. To expect from this first great gathering of exhibitors a complete organization on a national basis, perfect in every detail, would be unreasonable. It is not likely that all of the States will be represented. The convention will do its full duty, if it succeeds in laying the cornerstone for a national organization by drafting such rules and regulations as will make it easy and desirable to every exhibitor to join. That there may be formed at the coming convention in Cleveland the nucleus of a great, intelligent and powerful body, is the earnest hope of The Moving Picture World. So far, the exhibitor has had many duties, but no rights. He has had to bear, we think, a little more than his just proportion of the heat and burden of the day. Single-handed he had to fight all hostile legislation. Whenever he won, the victory benefited not only him but redounded to the advantage of the whole industry; whenever he lost, he had his labor for his pains. He had to meet his bills promptly in all kinds of weather and under all sorts of conditions, and he always had to pay one hundred cents on the dollar. He gets at first hand all the rude shocks and petty annoyances that. daily contact with the public in such a democratic art temple as the moving picture theatre brings in its train. Waiting in the anterooms of film exchanges for his programme, often sitting on the steps, getting crumbs and enduring "the proud man's contumely," the exhibitor seemed indeed like the hewer of wood and the drawer of water in our great industry. In spite of this strange situation, however, it was even in the earliest days of the industry generally recognized that the exhibitor, while weak and insignificant individually, was collectively important and powerful. It was soon felt that if the wideh scattered exhibitors could be brought into one fold with a clear realization of the solidarity of their interests and that if the fold could find leaders of ability and experience, the exhibitor's power would be equal to that of any other in the industry. Efforts began to be made to organize on a State basis in different parts of the Union, and these efforts were on the whole attended with a considerable degree of success. These efforts are now expected to find final fruition in the creation and maintenance of a national body. If the organizers keep to their task, and the spirit of organization among the exhibitors grows, there will come into being a new power in the field, which we have every reason to assume will be exerted for the benefit of the industry at large. In every industry, especially in this industry, so closely allied to art, it is well to have a division of power. We do not for one moment believe that in this strictly modern and complex industry of moving pictures there can be a wholly arbitrary and irresponsible power. There always is in the last analysis the responsibility to the public and to the trade conditions, neither of which can ever be controlled absolutely. It is, however, by no means impossible that the dominion of one interest over that of another may become too great, while the general welfare and prosperity of the industry demands a fair and just balancing of powers. We therefore hail this new power, the nationally organized exhibitor, as a wholesome countercheck to any possible absolutism on the part of the manufacturers. To deal with problems arising out of their relations with the manufacturers an exhibitors' organization will best serve its ends by a society national in scope and territory, but it seems to us that in every other respect exhibitors should concentrate their efforts on the State organizations and keep them in the most active condition possible. The national organization must ultimately always derive its strength from a set of compact, strong and prosperous State bodies. The exhibitors in acquiring the benefits of a national organization have one very substantial advantage to begin with: they have the good will of the only journal in the moving picture industry, to wit, The Moving Picture World. This journal, as is well known, reaches every part of the LTnited States ; its activity is a national one in the fullest sense of the word: it brings together the East and the West, the North and the South. The national organization of exhibitors will find the columns of The Moving Picture World as hospitable and helpful as the State organizations have always found them in the past. The time has come when the voice of the exhibitor must be heard and heeded in the councils of the industry. Production Commercialized Writing to the Moving Picture World, Mr. Milton A. Dodge, of Chicago, attempts to discuss what he fancies to be some of the crying needs of the picture business. Though the correspondent claims to have given this business considerable attention he seems to be singularly uninformed as to the commercial methods in vogue. There is one suggestion contained in his letter, printed in part herewith, regarding which we offer some comment — "A trade-marked product of uniform quality." Here is what Mr. Dodge says on that point : For several years I have been engaged in solving advertising problems of greater or less extent. It is my method to approach