An analysis of the history of film criticism, with particular regard to the concerns of film critics in the 1910s and the comparative relevance of those concerns today.
The paper shows how contemporary concerns regarding the film industry of nearly a century ago are sometimes divergent from, but more often very much akin to the concerns about the industry at that time. The paper reviews several articles from the January, 1913 issue of “The Photoplay Magazine” which indicate that at the time there was a tremendous focus on the potential social benefits of filmmaking, a context in which the early film industry is seldom contemplated today. The paper examines how critics in that era appealed to those in all facets of the film industry to expand their horizons through increased marketing so that higher budget films could be produced and disseminated widely and profitably.
“In an article entitled “Sanitation and the Motion Picture,” Willard Howe asserts that the motion picture has the potential to be a vehicle by which educational messages of great concern can be publicized. “The sterilization of water has been preached for years, but not until the reel of “Boil Your Water” made its appearance did the people realize its full significance,” Howe claims. “The normal housewife never dreamed of the animated life that was being consumed, until this was viewed on the screen.” At the time, it would appear that increased production of films of an educational or health-related nature was a valid concern. However, with the advent and omnipresence of radio and television in the years since, film has been replaced as the most efficient mass medium for these purposes, and so little discussion of this phase of film history ensues.”