The Film Index (Jul-Dec 1910)

THE FILM INDEX =ir=ir=ir PLAYING THE PICTURES By Clyde Martin =ir=U^=-ll IE 111 YOU may say it is none of my business, when I dwell on the illustrated song question, but, as I told you before, when the audience leaves your theatre, having heard some of the trash that is printed in music form and offered by some of the best-known publishers, they say, "The pictures were fine, but the music was disgusting." This throws as much blame on the piano player as it does the singer, and no matter what efforts the piano player has made to "play the pictures," the music has been condemmed. I can safely say, that the song question in the motion picture theatres has had a great deal to do with the trouble that has been raised by the censorship boards in the different cities. I believe the songs that have been used in the picture houses have given the police and authorities more room for the action they have taken in their crusade against the picture business, than any picture that has ever been thrown on a screen. It is very gratifying indeed, to know that Chief of Police LeRoy T. Steward, of Chicago, has outlawed a number of these questionable songs, and I believe this has been brought about by the untiring efforts of C. P. McDonald, the Music Editor of The Show World. A censorship board has also been appointed by the city council of Springfield, 111., for the purpose of barring from that city such suggestive songs. Some of the songs that have been condemned by the Chicago Chief of Police are, "When I Get That Loving Feeling," "Oh, You Devil Rag," "Do Your Duty, Doctor," "The Dance of the Grizzly Bear," "Casey Jones" and "Her Name Was Mary Wood, but Mary Wouldn't." The daily papers of Chicago have taken up the fight with the Chief of Police and I believe the time is near when the authorities of the different cities will see their mistake in condemning the motion picture theatre; they will find it is the songs and not the pictures that need to be censored. It seems that the police authorities have hit the nail on the head when they have started at the bottom of the evil, the publisher, and the first complaints were filed last Wednesday in the Municipal Court of Chicago against H. S. Talbot, a publisher, at 184 Dearborn street, charging him with distributing a song that has failed to come up to the standard of decency established by the police department under the city ordinances. It is the aim of Sergt. O'Donnell, of Chicago, to make the rounds of the cheap theatres and listen to the songs, and any he finds beyond the limits of decency, he will arrest the singer. I believe C. P. O'Donnell. of The Show World staff, should have the glad hand out for anyone that will make a crusade against the late popular songs that the writers have to resort to smut to make them popular. Have you ever noticed, when one of these "smut" songs are used in a picture house, they always get a hand? And have you noticed the hand comes from the "rough necks?" If you are catering to the low element of your city I can think of no better drawing card than such songs as "I Love It," "Company in the Parlor," " 'Tis Hard to be a Lady in a Case Like That" or "That Lovin' Melody Rubenstein Wrote." Has the time come that the publishers have to resort to such low, degrading stuff, in order to stay in business. It is a cinch the better class of people, the ones you are catering to, are not demanding this kind of "music." There is no way possible for the general public to get a wrong conception of the publishers meaning in these titles and words. The publishers are making every effort to make it clear that they mean just what they say, for some of their advertising matter is lower (if possible) than the songs. For instance, in some of the advertising matter for the late song "I Love It," published by the Harry Von Tilzer Publishing Company, of New York, they say, "It is a little word, but pan mean many big things," Now wouldn't this advertising look good on a threesheet in front of your picture house? so the children could figure "it" out? No, don't put me down as a crank, I write this because I know what is good for the picture industry, and what is not. If you are obliged to put on this trash in your picture house, if you cannot find decent music, don't cater to a family business, change your location, move to the slums and you will soon have a fat bank account. Have you ever noticed, when the illustrated song comes on, the people, either leave the theatre or start up a conversation with those around them? and then as soon as the pictures start the house is quiet again. I think this would be enough to prove to the exhibitors that the majority of the people come for the pictures and not the songs. On the other hand, if you can get a good singer, one that can handle good ballads and classic music you will find your audience will greatly appreciate the music, and it provides a good relief for your program. I believe the songs in the picture theatre would have a better standing to-day if the managers and singers would have used better judgment in their selections. If this keeps up the illustrated song will be greatly injured and only spot light songs will be used. The fault is the carelessness of the slide rental agencies. They put me in mind of some of the fly-by-night film exchanges. I mean those that have not bought a reel of film for a year and are working on their original investment. The average slide renter is working on the same plan, when their customer has used their entire stock they give him repeaters until he gets next to himself and tries another. I recently saw a shipment of three sets of song slides from a house making a specialty of the rental business, with twenty-one slides, out of forty cracked, and two of the chorus slides missing. Good combination is it not? first run film service and five year slide service. Well, to get back to "Playing the Pictures" there is another great point that is sadly neglected, not by the piano player but, by the manager, and that is, the care of the piano. I have found in visiting different picture houses, that nine out of every ten pianos are in need of tuning. I will say that the wear and rough use that some of them get, it would be well for the manager to have a piano tuner on his salary list and keep him employed the year round. But, with the average use a piano gets in a picture theatre, it should be gone over at least every six weeks by an expert, not a "dub." A great mistake that is made by many exhibitors is, placing the piano in a pit. When you place a piano in a pit, it deadens the tone, and no matter how hard the piano player works, his music seems to have a dull finish. It is much better, if possible, to elevate the piano, so that the tones carry over the entile nouse and it makes the work much lighter for the musician. If you have room to place the piano on the stage next to the picture screen, you will find it will give great results. Another inexpensive improvement is to remove the rollers from the piano and place a heavy glass insulator under each corner, by raising the instrument from the floor it will add greatly to the tone quality. In next week's article I will offer some suggestions of appropriate music for some of the notable releases of the last two weeks, such as "Sunshine Sue," Biograph, "Woman of Samaria" Pathe, and "Francesca Da Rimini" Vitagraph. APPEALS FOR MOTION PICTURES NEW JAMESTOWN PHOTOPLAY THEATRE OPENS. The new photoplay theatre at the corner of Main and First streets, Jamestown, N. Y., opened to a crowded house Nov. 10. The program consisted of only the latest motion pictures and illustrated songs. As there will be no vaudeville or any prizes given, the management will change the entire program of pictures every day. The house is modern in every way, and affords the patrons plenty of room; the seats being large enough for a patron to not be cramped. Good music }s also one of the features, Rev. J. R. Postlewait of Kansas City Wants One Installed in His Institute — Will Educate Children Before a called meeting of philanthropic workers of Kansas City, Mo., which was held in the Y. M. C. A. auditorium last week, the Rev. J. R. Postlewait, of the Twenty-ninth street institute, delivered a most stirring address in behalf of motion pictures being used in charitable institutions. Just before the close of his discourse, he made this appeal: "Give me enough money to purchase, and the use of, instructive and amusing films, and I eventually will make more good law-abiding citizens out of the children of the poorer districts than by months of preaching." The Twenty-ninth street institute, which is situated in the milling district of Kansas City, is to some extent isolated from the main part of the city. In that section there are thousands of children who have no place of amusement whatever, and by having a motion picture machine installed in the institute, would greatly add to the moral uplift of the children in that section of the town. Owing to the lack of proper entertainment for the young people in that section, Rev. Mr. Postlewait says that the pool rooms and saloons take in about $800 every day, where, if there was some sort of proper amusement, not half that amount would be spent in such places. Besides trying to get a motion picture machine in the institute, Rev. Mr. Postlewait is having the gymnasium, reading rooms and baths completed in order that they may be used this coming winter. PICTURES PAY IN FREDERICK, MD. Since the City Opera House, Frederick, Md., installed pictures, business has been booming. Every performance is well attended, and the management is running more than 5,000 feet of the latest films daily. There is always some new and novel attraction to add to the interest of the entertainment which keeps the audience continually on the alert. Until the City Opera House installed pictures, the management had found the theatne a poor investment — big attractions did not draw well, owing to the nearness of Baltimore and Washington. It was also thougnt that pictures would not add anything of consequence to the box receipts, but since they were installed, the house has been crowded nightly. Only the best and latest licensed pictures are used. NEW PHOTOPLAY THEATRE FOR UTICA. A motion picture theatre to cost about $6,000, is to be built in the near future on Mary street, a short distance east of Third avenue, Utica, N. Y. It will be called the Columbus Theatre, and will have a seating capacity of about 650 persons, all on the ground floor. The theatre, which is to be 52 feet wide and 80 feet deep, will have a pressed brick front with litholite trimmings in imitation of marble, a vestibule of tile and the interior of the building will be decorated in stucco. The ticket office will be located in front of the center of the vestibule. On the left of the entrance will be a retiring room for women, and on the right, one for men. There will be a box on either side of the orchestra pit. The proscenium arch will be built 20 feet wide and 12 feet high, the stage 12 feet deep and 3 feet, 6 inches from the floor. The floor will have a pitch of five feet from the entrance to the orchestra pit. Arrangements have been made for proper ventilation.