Judge — August 21, 1920 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

EYE CAMERA’S IN THE Drown by Hewwan Parscen Your Picture While You Wait By Myron M. Stearss (“Lexso”’) But how can I see it now? Only by going to the exchange and getting them to run it for me, as though I owned a string of theatres myself—or happening to run across it at some out-of the-way theatre like that of the Connecticut man, who dares to show even six-months- old pictures to a fairly intelligent audience. “Look here,” I asked the “Blind Husbands” booster, “did P in Connecticut there lives a man who's traveled all over the world, as the story goes. He's been to Water bury; he’s been to New Haven; he’s been to Bridge port. He’s even been to Winsted and Torrington. He's had expe too! A wife, and two children, and a motion-picture theatre. Nothing so very remarkable about that? Waat) He not only knows a lot—he uses his knowledge in his business. That's what distinguished hits from most of the rest of the people in the world, particularly in the motion-picture business: he's not only got sense, but he uses it Uses it with remarkable success, too, in a small town. For you can go into his picture palace almost any night, and see a full house watching a good picture. od” is of course used here in a qualified sense; it only means the best pictures there are. Not that his house is always full; that’s the case, relative in something like half of the 16,000-up picture theatre in America. But that the full house is watching the best films that can be found—there’s the big thing. Why, peo- Pictures Worth Seeing: you see ‘The Copperhead’?” He hadn't seen it. Nobody had happened to tell him it was good before it flickered past. He's a motion-picture advertis- ing man himself, so of course he hadn’t believed any of the ad- vance notices of the picture, telling how good it was. That made us even. Out in the pictures—more pictures—and more new much good pictures as new ones. Tell a studio manager how he can improve his pictures— he hasn't time to listen to you; his photoplays are good enough as they are, until the rush is over. The rush is never over. Explain to the owner of a producing tudios they're bitten by the same bug—new pictures. Not so ple drive in from other towns just as big the pictures in this man’s little show-palace. Leave equally good the atres tocome. Usually not equally good pictures, And he doesn’t disappoint ‘em How does he do it? Simply takes off the emphasis on pictures, and puts it on good ones. And finds that enough people whouse good sense come to his the atre, in consequence, to make it profitable. Most exhibitors, following the demand of most film “ fans,” hustle only for the best of the new films. If there aren’t any good new ones, they take a bad new one. But this brainy bird in Connecticut gets a good new film whenever he can and when he can't get a good new one. gets a good old one. Some difference It takes the curse off one of the worst spavins of the present picture game—the Pressure on newness, the get-it-over-at- once, the grab-it-quick. It’s the empha- sis on being up-to-the-minute that makes it impossible for the more intelligent pic- ture-audiences to sce the best pictures without having to waste time in reading weary reams of “fan” reviews, in order to catch the better films as they flicker past. The other day a man was telling me about Von Strohcim’s “Blind Husbands.” “Why,” he sai it’s one of the best pictures of the vear! It’s a pity you missed it.” to see THE WHITE CIRCLE Truly artistic melodrama, HOMER COMES HOME Charles Ray in village humor. HUMORESQUE* Very human portrayal of Jewish mother-love. THE SINS OF ST. ANTHONY Pleasing farce. GO AND GET IT De Luxe edition of impossible movie thriller. THE WORLD AND HIS WIFE* Good rendition of classic Spanish tragedy. THE HEART OF A CHILD Improbable romance, with in- dividuality and Nazimova. WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE? “Domestic drama” of society, with human touches. THE FIGHTING CHANCE Chambers’ story for Chambers’ fans. ALARM CLOCK ANDY Business comedy stuff, with good acting. THE GAMEST GIRL Griffith melodrama ON WITH THE DANCE Story of New York, screened with idealistic touches, * Exceptionally good. company that the present system of pic- ture direction is holding him back to a half-cooked product, and he impatientiy explains that he has to have three new pictures finished before Christmas—how can he train new directors, or change the system and put real story-brains over them, without losing too much time? Wait until after Christmas!—Christmas doesn’t come until friend producer has gone te-totally bust Look at the picture advertising; in the trade journals, boosting the pictures going Lo come out next month, and the month after. In the dailies, playing up the picture showing “this week only” because it’s “just out.” And next week, when the fellows who really have a hand in making public opinion, who could do this or that or the other for the picture game if they would, h that the photoplay was ’s gone. Nor will any one else in town take a chance on it now, because it’s “already been shown.” It’s “old.” People “have seen it.” Nochance—except for that guy up in Connecticut, or Missouri, or Louisi- ana, or wherever it was, who not only had abean, but wsed it. There's some chance there. t week he even ran Grif- ] of Babylon.” Reissue, ear old, part of a film years he poor nut! What? comicbooks.com