Business and art do not usually go together, but this can not be said of Edward Earle, the popular photoplayer.

“Perhaps why I evince such a great interest in advertising,” Mr. Earle began, “is the fact that without it a photoplayer would soon find his popularity on the wane. A player must, first of all, possess ability, as otherwise the most brilliant publicity campaign in creation will fizzle out.”

Having thus broken the ice, I got down to business.

“Do you advocate the film as an advertising medium?”

“Well, yes, and then, no,” he remarked, thoughtfully. “It is the forceful methods adopted in film advertising to which I am opposed, and which, incidentally, are responsible for the medium not having attained the popularity of its older sister—press advertising.

“One of the points in favor of the latter is that you are not compelled to read the advertisements. They win out on their own merits, for if one is sufficiently compelling your attention is automatically attracted.

“But the ‘make-up’ of the motion-picture theater screen differs in that only one thing may be presented at a time. If an advertising film is unfolded, you have no other alternative in the darkened hall than to give it your attention.

“Nothing is more abhorrent to the people of this democratic country than compulsory methods,” Mr. Earle continued, “and it is my belief that motion-picture advertisers unconsciously get in bad with their prospects. It is a human trait in buying to be able to choose between goods of the same kind, but as the exhibitor only rents out his screen to one advertiser in each trade, the public can not possibly discriminate.

“You will have to go far to find a magazine or newspaper that doles out monopolies to advertisers. I honestly think that this condition of things has a tendency to make advertisers dull and listless. Competition is the life and soul of publicity, and makes the advertisement writer put plenty of ‘pep’ into his copy.

“Once the present forceful methods in film publicity presentation are abolished, the medium will enter an era of prosperity.”

“Do you consider this treatment can be avoided?” I asked.

“That all depends,” Edward Earle replied. “You see, the average photoplay program occupies two hours. To lengthen this in order to include advertising picture, the exhibitor has either to open his show earlier or else curtail his performance. The former step would not be practical, as his busy times are from seven to eleven in the evening, in which hours he has to give two performances. The latter move, however, would not meet with the approval of his patrons.

“If the advertising film was about one-reel in length, the exhibitor could just about squeeze it in. This should be shown at one theater for only a day, as the regular fans dislike to see a picture more than once. It will also allow other advertisers a look-in.

“If the ad. story can be told in less than one thousand feet, so much the better. I notice some commercial producers offer to release several subjects by different advertisers on the same reel. I know in the case of press advertising that it is a serious mistake to cram as many words as possible into a small, displayed announcement, but in film publicity the reverse is the case.

“The more material you compress into a film the snappier it will be,” commented Mr. Earle, “though clearness should not be overlooked. The bugbear in the motion-picture industry to-day is padding, and I should be sorry to see national advertisers fall for it. A film may occupy the screen longer, but it will certainly not impress spectators any the more.

“The big advertisement has its place in filmdom if the story succeeds in maintaining the interest from beginning to end, but you must remember that a whole page magazine ad. can be read inside of two minutes, while a feature, its motion-picture counterpart, demands at least an hour of a fan’s time.

“But there is no room for the big feature in the regular motion-picture theater. If I am not mistaken, there will spring up a chain of photoplay theaters in the large cities to which the public will be admitted free. At these ‘billboard stations’ short, regular photoplays will be sandwiched in between the ad. films so as to attract the folks inside.”

Mr. Earle raises some interesting points, which deserve the consideration of every national advertiser.