y gathering habitually the answers to that alone
the place would get the drift of its public, realize its genius, and
become an art-gallery, the people bestowing the blue ribbons. The
photoplay theatres have coupon contests and balloting already: the most
popular young lady, money prizes to the best vote-getter in the audience,
etc. Why not ballot on the matter in hand?

If the cards are sent out by the big producers, a referendum could be
secured that would be invaluable in arguing down to rigid censorship, and
enable them to make their own private censorship more intelligent.
Various styles of experimental cards could be tried till the vital one is
found.

There is growing up in this country a clan of half-formed moving picture
critics. The present stage of their work is indicated by the eloquent
notice describing Your Girl and Mine, in the chapter on "Progress and
Endowment." The metropolitan papers give their photoplay reporters as
much space as the theatrical critics. Here in my home town the twelve
moving picture places take one half a page of chaotic notices daily. The
country is being badly led by professional photoplay news-writers who do
not know where they are going, but are on the way.

But they aptly describe the habitual attendants as moving picture fans.
The fan at the photoplay, as at the baseball grounds, is neither a
low-brow nor a high-brow. He is an enthusiast who is as stirred by the
charge of the photographic cavalry as by the home runs that he watches
from the bleachers. In both places he has the privilege of comment while
the game goes on. In the photoplay theatre it is not so vociferous, but
as keenly felt. Each person roots by himself. He has his own judgment,
and roasts the umpire: who is the keeper of the local theatre: or the
producer, as the case may be. If these opinions of the fan can be
collected and classified, an informal censorship is at once established.
The photoplay reporters can then take the enthusiasts in hand and lead
them to a realization of the finer points in awarding praise and blame.
Even the sporting pages have their expert opinions with due influence on
the betting odds. Out of the work of the photoplay reporters let a
superstructure of art criticism be reared in periodicals like The
Century, Harper's, Scribner's, The Atlantic, The Craftsman, and the
architectural magazines. These are our natural custodians of art. They
should reproduce the most exquisite tableaus, and