Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1922)

OVEREXPLOITATION PRICES AND SCANDAL 3. Poor stories, and the distortion of both plot and characters, and even titles, when a picture is supposedly made from some wellknown book or play. 4. The insistence of producers, directors, or perhaps a part of the public on the leads playing one type of part continually, regardless of their talents in other characterizations. 5. The very wretched vaudeville programs that are so often presented in conjunction with the films. 6. The great number of moving picture theaters of every description, particularly in the cities. AGNES R. HURLEY THE principal reason why some of my friends and I, who were formerly ardent "movie fans," have either entirely eliminated motion pictures, or boycotted film plays produced by certain players, is because we are, like most American middle class folks, fundamentally decent. The scandalous exposures made during the current year, whether true or not, by newspapers andmagazines throughout our land, have torn away from us the veil of illusion about these film folks, and have made us feel that they stand, even some of the highest among them, for rather loose ethical principles. Public pets, like Caesar's wife, should be above suspicion, and these actors and actresses must deserve the adulation we show them. Co-ordinating with this comes the fact that civic, intellectual and spiritual forces in my community have tried to influence us to raise our standards, so that we shall take only the best, and shall avoid plays and players which have been touched by calamitous criticism. MRS. DAVID PLUMMER MY husband, who is a clerk, received a twenty-five per cent cut in wages the first of the year. That means we haven't so much money to spend for pleasure as before. We still have to pay a quarter, or more, to see pictures that are worth at the most ten cents. The pictures turned out now seem to be a jumble of Nothing. One is neither entertained nor rested by them. In their haste to get another picture on the market the producing companies grab up any kind of an idea and make a feature production out of it. The picture industries, becoming too highly inflated with their phenomenal successes, now seem to have burst .... by way of pin pricks from the box office. The pinnacle has been reached, and reached too soon. The ascent was too rapid and the descent is as correspondingly abrupt. Personally I am not interested in the stars that are now being exploited. The glamour is somehow gone from pictures. I can sit through them all and not experience a thrill. And it used to thrill me just to see the electric sign announcing my favorite player. MRS. F. J. SHOLLAR WHILE the diminution of attendance in the motion-picture theaters may be due, in part, to the high admission charges, this fault is not so serious as is the poor quality of the stories. The public is tired, yes, disgusted, with sex pictures, crime pictures, fighting pictures, and, worst of all, silly pictures. We see so much of poverty and struggle, of vulgarity and unfaithfulness, of silliness and flippancy, all about us, that we turn to the motion picture with the hope of seeing the beautiful side of life. We like to look upon the lovely qualities of human beings to balance the selfishness and sorrows of the race. The love of pleasure, the weakness for silky glittering clothes, adds nothing to the charm of woman. The love for automobiles and races is not the quality we love in men. Give us simple, wholesome, human stories, with sincere men, faithful women, and a generous sprinkling of that great hit — babies. If the public grows weary of motion pictures, it will be for the reason that they do not appeal to the best in us. The serious, great-minded among the producers have nothing to fear. Their work will always bring its own reward. SHATT€(?JNI<S ILLUSIONS By v PERSONAL People are getting tired of seeing themselves ridiculed and burlesqued. A real laundress1 daughter would be disgusted at the way she is pictured on the screen. Produce photoplays truer to life! MRS. HETTIE G. TELL 1. The advanced prices. When you could see a good picture, or program, for five cents, almost every one could afford to go. The people of this town have been disappointed too many times by high priced pictures when they were no better than the one the previous night, for half the price. The much advertised stars, or at least many of them, do not earn the high salaries they receive, and for which the public must pay. 2. The reduction in the price of automobiles (especially Fords) has enabled many more families to own one, and they much prefer to drive in the open air to sitting in a stuffy theater, and, 3. Variety is the spice of life and there are too many pictures of the same kind. 4. The newspapers which delight in publishing statements, detrimental to the character of our favorite friends of the screen, have caused some patrons to become disgusted. 5. So many pictures are unfit for children to see. E. ALLAN ROBERTS 1. The failure on the part of the producers to provide consistently good pictures. This, in my opinion, is the main reason. The pictures are shallow, they arc lacking in suspense, lacking in heart and love interest and the plots are generally weak. The personalities of the screen are bound to lose their magnetism unless they are featured in better plays. Producers should strive to provide pictures (Continued on page 110) hi