Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 187 an institution with open mind, with no preconceived conclusions, and, after a searching investigation of every detail of the business, analyze its needs. The moving picture business has ,ccupied my attention for some time, and, as a result, I have -eached certain conclusions. While some avenues of information have not been open to me, I believe that these conclusions will stand in the light of any other facts that might appear. An unavoidable and important conclusion is that the production of films is a commercial manufacturing business, and should be treated as such. The word commercial is emphasized because, at the present time, the business seems to be regarded as a speculative one. That is, films are placed upon the market with a speculation as to whether or not they will win the fancy and approval of the theater operators and public. They are not produced with the certainty that they will be required to meet a maximum, fore-known demand. To achieve the greatest success a manufacturing business requires three things : 1. A trade-marked product of uniform quality. 2. Satisfactory distributive machinery. 3. Progressive selling methods. Let us discuss the first requirement. When you come to think of it, films are sold to the "ultimate consumer," Mr. Average Alan, in five cent "packages." When he buys a package of Essanay, for instance, it must give him satisfaction. But, what is more important, he must learn that whenever he buys an Essanay package he can expect satisfaction. He will then come to demand the Essanay package. Now, the only way in which the Essanay, or any other producing company can bring such a state of affairs about is to produce a plainly labelled product of uniformly satisfactory quality. It may be argued that it is impossible to produce plays that will satisfy everybody. That is true. But it can not be denied that there is an attainable standard of quality which will always satisfy Mr. Average Man. It is not the purpose of this article to embrace a discussion of ways and means of establishing an infallible standard of quality in plays. But it appears to an outsider, that the manufacturers are not giving enough attention to the choosing of scenarios. No matter how capable and conscientious a scenario editor may be, at his best he is only a fallible human being. The Moving Picture World has always contended for the artistic in motion pictures as against that commercial instinct which would reduce the visualized drama to the level of box of biscuit or the latest best-seller in cigarettes. If the highest form of picture art is to be. attained it can be accomplished only by the recognition of artistic excellence and the placing of that consideration foremost at all times. From the first the Moving Picture World has disparaged every movement of a commercial nature calculated to sustain mediocrity — to give the bad and the carelessly produced picture an equal chance with the good. In publishing the foregoing article by Milton A. Dodge our purpose is to show to what lengths the commercial idea may be extended and to emphasize the error of that policy. We fear that we would insult Mr. Dodge's intelligence if we were to consider his proposition seriously. To do so would convict him of ignorance of the business 'which he attempts to advise ; ignorance not only of existing trade organization, but of the predominating influence of the principles of pure art which of necessity must, and do, enter into the production of motion pictures. Hence, we say, without fear of contradiction, that any commercial device calculated to stamp with approval arbitrarily, or to guarantee a market for the product of any motion picture producer, regardless, is not calculated to improve motion pictures. Instead, it cannot fail to encourage the production of poor pictures, of which there are now too many. There is little danger that Mr. Dodge's plan will ever come to pass. With motion pictures as with the legitimate drama, it is beyond the possibility of human endeavor to guarantee excellence or superiority. Even Frohman and Belasco have their failures, and will always continue to have them. If those wizards of the drama are not infallible, what guarantee have we that there shall come forth presently a race of motion picture producers who shall never know what it is to fail ? A Weekly Film of the World's Events Beginning on the first day of next month the moving picture theatres of this country will go into active and, we believe, successful competition with the illustrated periodicals and magazines, for they will be able to show the important news of the world not in cold type or in still pictures but in actual moving reproduction. The exhibitors will give their patrons no descriptions or photographs, but the things themselves, "just as they moved and had their being." This novel idea, which will revolutionize pictorial journalism the world over, is called "The Weekly Journal," is edited by the Pathe Freres, and will appear on the screens of the moving picture houses every Tuesday. The Moving Picture World was privileged to see an European edition of this marvelous picture sheet, and after seeing it we readily believed the statement of a Pathe representative to the effect that the demand in Europe for this film of the world's events far exceeds the demand for ordinary films, and that the exhibitors have gained a new and steady clientele. The reel opens with the title page, "The World's Events of Last Week," gives the name and address of the editor, with the telephone number, and then begins its "articles" with a regulation head-line or two. The first "page" showed a fine moving picture of the flower carnival at Nizza, with views of the aviation meeting held in connection with the festival ; the second "page" transports us into Russia, where at St. Pettersburg we witness among the masses of snow the strange obsequies of a Corean prince, who had committed suicide there ; the third "article" took us into Spain, where we had a fine view of King Alfonso laying a cornerstone, and afterwards assisting at some naval manoeuvres ; then followed a reproduction of the meeting of the Kings of Italy and Montenegro, a great event in Switzerland, showing the cleverness of the Swiss men on snowshoes ; next a big fire in an English town, then the ravages of a furious storm on the Sicilian coast and other events of contemporaneous importance and interest. The American edition will of course show more American events, but will give equally good pictures of the more sensational happenings in Europe. How is it done ? We answer : How does the newspaper gather its news from every quarter of the globe. Simply by organization. The reporter with the pen will be superseded by the reported with the camera. Camera correspondents will be on the alert in every part of the civilized world, regular correspondents and free lance correspondents, just the same as the members of the staff of a newspaper. The world will be treated to that rarest of rare things — a reporter who does not, in fact, who cannot lie. The events will come to us not as the policy of the paper would want to color them, but as they actually occurred. That is true reporting. The elder Bennet remarked years ago that the secret of success in journalism lay in being close to the place "where hell is going to break loose next." Nothing will escape the camera-man. MUNICIPAL EXPLOSIVES COMMISSION. Hearing on Revised Regulations. Notice is hereby given to all persons interested that the Municipal Explosives Commission of The City of New York will give a public hearing on the 27th day of July, 191 1, at 10.30 o'clock in the forenoon thereof, at Fire Headquarters, 157 East 67th Street, Borough of Manhattan, on the subject of the manufacture, transportation, storage and sale of motion picture films. A copy of the proposed regulations may be obtained by applying in person to the Bureau of Combustibles, Fire Headquarters.