Photoplay Magazine Cover — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

©he World’s Leading, Moving, PitHPOeMagazine PHOTOPLAY VOL. XXI May, 1922 No. 6 WHAT DO YOU WANT? OU know what you want, Ask for it. Dont murmur. Shout! If there ever was a democratic institution it is the motion picture. In a few short vears it sprang up among the skyscraper industries of the world,— because it appealed to the masses. It was created by you. It will live by you. But it needs your attention. Every motion picture producer is Striving to please you. What does the public want?—that is the constant query of the motion picture, The boxoffice reports supply a fair gauge but it is not absolute. It merely states that a certain picture did a big business, Burt why? Was it because the theme was mother love, or bécause the players in it are popular, or because the director of it always pleases you? The motion picture is not a luxury, it is a necessity. We realized this poignantly in war times, We must have recreation, The motion picture supplies it at a lower cost than any other form of entertainment. Furthermore, it is one in which all members of the family may participate. Since it is a necessity it deserves your study. You know the brand of coffee you like and you demand it. You know the newspapers that supply you with the kind of news you want, and you ask for them. Accord the same interest to your enter- tainment, If the exhibitor is charging you more than you can afford, more than you believe the entertainment justifies, kick! If you would rather have the price lowered than to have the present prologue numbers of music, song and dance, tell the exhibitor. He's not conducting a theater for his own amusement. [f you like certain stars, tell the exhibitor. If vou dislike certain others, tell him that, too. We believe the exhibitor should find a means of direct communication with patrons, Some of them have. [But it is not easy A merchant knows what you want. When vou examine a piece af goods you express your approval or disapproval and give your reasons. Why not do the same with the motion picture? Don't leave the theater grumbling. Step up to the manager or an attendant and state your opinion. He won't be offended. He'll pass it on with emphasis to the man who sold him the picture. That man will tell the producer. Don't think for one moment that the motion picture industry can afford to ignore what you say. It is too directly dependent upon you. Some exhibitors make reports to trade apers as to how a picture draws, how you iked it and what the virtues and weaknesses were, We ask that you make similar reports to the editor of PHoTopLay. From our two million readers throughout the world we now receive on the average of twenty-five thousand letters a month. We want more. We consider very carefully your opinions as to PHOTOPLAY magazine, and we put into it the personalities and the information which you indicate you want If your theater manager does not supply you with what you want, tell us. We'll pass the tip on to the producer. Start in today being vour own critic o stars, Stories, directors and producing com- panies. Learn to know them by their brand names. Learn to know what you want— and Ask For It. comicbooks com