Moving Picture News (Jan-Jun 1913)

THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS 3i WASHINGTON, D. C. ''The Toll of War" was not friendly received in Washington. Though passed by the National Board of Censorship, it was further censored here by the cutting of the assassination of President Lincoln. It did not please the nation's capital to have counterfeited in pictures a national calamity that is still vivid in the minds of many residents. The picture has had but one presentation here and will probably not be popular if further exhibited. * * ^ * The Kalorama Film Company is progressing and will soon be ready to announce releases. An Oriental play is now in course of production. It is Manager Rogerson's desire to place before the public later a series of Biblical subjects which will carry with them an educational value. Some very big scenes will be pictured. * * * * The "swat the fly" film recently released rr^et unfavorable criticism in Washington. Many patrons left the theatre during its exhibition, or expressed disgust at the repulsive scenes of the fly pest. Such films are of great scientific value, but scarcely have a welcome place in the daily program of the moving picture theatre, where the spectators are composed largely of those who seek recreation, amusement and pleasant teaching. ¥ -fc -f The Washington Times is weekly devoting considerable space to moving picture news and advertisements. This is the second local newspaper to recognize the moving picture, the first one being the Herald, which still continues its daily column of interest to the industry and the fan. Many of the theatres in the residential districts are having special Saturday matinee performances with programs suitable for school children. The Saturday morning exhibitions at Moore's Garden, under the jurisdiction of the District Board of Education, continue to increase in popularity. ^ ^ ^ % Manager Bangs of the Acme is using several multi-reel productions during the week selecting those of educational and historical nature when possible. The Acme, with the Mutual program, has found a place of its own in the northwest section. The Lyric, under Manager Greenberg, has proved that a 10 cent show with four reels can prosper in the midst of 5 cent competitors. The Lyric, with a seating capacity of 500, is Washington's latest picture house. It is well ventilated and lighted, with comfortable seats and it always exhibits to capacity houses. Manager Davis of the M Street theatre is featuring George Powell in illustrated songs and the singer always finds a warm welcome. * * * * The Arcade mingles education and topical reels in its daily program. Manager Adler is always seeking to please his patrons and he succeeds. Tom Moore anticipates making extensive improvements in the Garden this summer with a view of giving it a greater seating capacity. During the running of the Noakes Electrascore at the Garden, the patrons of the Plaza are having the benefit of the orchestra of ten of this theatre. The Plaza is therefore showing to overflow audiences. The Colonial has become known as the multi-reel house of the downtown section. Excellent first-run pictures are always found here. The Edison talking pictures are becoming more popular at Chase's, our largest and handsomest theatre for big time vaudeville. The Kinemacolor scenes and plays are perhaps as popular as the Kinetophones. ^ Sfe -K The Captain Scott Pictures of the South Pole had a twoweeks run in Washington at the Belasco, one of the Schubert theatres. These were largely attended by educat ors, scientific, and official folks, while the matinees have been especially popular with school children and teachers. No better idea of the frozen pole could be obtained than from these views. The supplementary address by Ernest Torrence was very interesting, adding many educational points. He had a way of picking out humorous features that pleased his hearers. The ''Undying Story of Captain Scott" should be seen by everyone. * * * * Airdromes are opening. The Royal Park, La Grande, Truxton, and M Street are offering good bills for fresh-air patrons. W. H. THE OLDEST SHIP AFLOAT IN A RELIANCE MOVING PICTURE DRAMA W"hile making a picture dramatization of "Half a Chance," the well-known novel by Frederick Isham, Producing Manager J. V. Ritchey of the Reliance, found himself faces to face with a difficulty that seemed impossible to overcome. The story deals with events that took place during the era when Great Britain was exiling prisoners to Australia and part of the action is on board one of the old convict ships of that period. Manager Ritchey was just about despairing of finding a ship that could be made to look like the genuine article when he located a real "hell-ship'' at his very door. The Success which lies moored in the Hudson River, is an old convict ship which carried thousands of the one hundred and sixty-five thousand convicts that left English ports while that disgraceful system of transportation lasted — a ship which, in the days of her activity, carried eighty pairs of handcuffs and three hundred basils with chains to torture the miserable convicts who were forced to make the entire voyage in irons. The convict ship Success is said to be one of the oldest boats afloat, as her timbers were laid down in Moulmain, British India, in 1790. She is built of teak wood throughout and, in spite of her 123 years of active service, made the voyage across the Atlantic last year — under her own canvas — a trip which took ninety-six days. The weird old hulk with its rows of gloomy dungeons and its paraphernalia of punishment and torture, fitted into the Reliance dramatization of "Half a Chance" as if the book had been written with this very ship as a background. The picture will be presented in two reels on Saturday, June 14th. SELIG POLYSCOPE CO. TO ERECT MILLION DOLLAR STUDIO— LARGEST ZOO IN THE WORLD TO BE FEATURE OF LOS ANGELES PROPERTIES— W. N. SELIG TO PURCHASE HOME NEAR EDENDALE STUDIOS Mr. William N. Selig, president of the Selig Polyscope Company, returned this week after a prolonged visit to the Selig studio and wild animal farm in Los Angeles. Before departing from Los Angeles he made public some of his plans for a greater studio and zoo in the Southern California metropolis. These plans include provisions for extensive tracts of land, enlarged and completely equipped studios, the largest zoo in the world, and an elaborate outlay of rare plants and foreign vegetation which will be imported to this country. The main plant and studios are in Chicago, on the northwest side of the city, where they occupy several acres of ground. On the Chicago property are two studios, the largest of which is three stories in height and covers almost one-fourth of a city block. In addition to the studios are several smaller buildings, an electric light and power plant, carpenter shops, machine shops, developing and printing plants, a private fire department, artificial lake, etc. The present Los Angeles properties consist of the studios, carpenter shops, plant, artificial lake , etc., which are located at Edendale, a suburb of the city, and the 320-acre wild animal farm adjoining Eastlake Park, which is to Los Angeles what Central Park is to New York and Lincoln Park is to Chicago.