Higher ideals and better standards of perfection in motion pictures

The commercial importance of the motion picture is demonstrated by the fact that it now occupies fourth place in magnitude in the United States. In my opinion it will be the first in educational importance and in the future welfare of civilization will be more dependent upon the character of its amusements than upon any other one thing.

The great, soul-stirring, tense scenes of the modern picture-play with a "punch" sufficient to raise it to box-office importance leave a vivid mark on the memory of the beholder. The absorption of ideas visualized on the screen is as instantaneous as the flash of the camera that photographs the scene. The whole moral tone of our coming generations, their standards of deportment, address, manners and morality will be more influenced by realistic picturization on the screen than by any other single agency.

It is apparent, therefore, that great responsibility rests with the producers of motion pictures. But especially heavily does this responsibility rest upon the shoulders of the directors, and they must eternally strive for higher ideals and better standards of perfection in their work. Financial reward will assuredly follow the successful realization of such efforts, because, the greatest money-making pictures have been from good, clean, wholesome stories without objectionable scenes. Everyone enjoys beauty, even the most depraved, but everyone does not enjoy vicious entertainment, and the cultured will not long tolerate it. This truth should command respect from a purely commercial view-point alone, aside from its moral aspect.

The unprecedented demand for pictures during the last few years has made necessary the employment of many persons unskilled in the better forms of this craft. Crude, vulgar or sensational climaxes are easiest of attainment and offer a ready means of enlivening an otherwise useless scenario, and too many of these have already been presented to the public under the guise of entertainment. There is now abundant evidence that the public’s interest in such pictures is beginning to wane.

Theatre goers and others who wish to condemn objectionable motion pictures can best aid in their suppression by giving their generous support to those who aspire to produce pictures of true artistic merit and real moral worth. 

RUPERT JULIAN.

Next: List of Productions by Rupert Julian