Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1912)

J' THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 55 fKSH5Z5H5e!5E52ff25E5E5H5T2S25HSH5H5H5Zri Correspondence &aSEK5H5Z5il5Z5H5Z5H5Z5H5H5Z5H5Z5Z5E?. IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. npHE Industrial Moving Picture Company of Chi-1 cago, got good results for the Gaiety Ttieater Springfield, 111., when 1,600 feet of municipality film were shown on May 2 to 26. The photography was remarkably good. Some of the subjects are valuable from an historic viewpoint. Among the places and personages photographed were: Lincoln's tomb and home; Governor Deneen, now a national figure, and Springfield's parks and residence districts. Mr. Watterson W. Rothacker, general manager, and Mr. Lockwood of the Industrial Company, were in Springfield one day during the run of the films. The United Picture Company of Chicago, took the parade of Illinois veterans at the annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic in Peoria, and rounded out the stay of the cameramen by some industrial wo>-k. The Elgin, 111., City Council defeated a motion to repeal the Sunday theater ordinance which was requested in a petition signed by 2,762 voters . The Titanic disaster still plays an important part in moving pictures in the Middle West. It is announced that when they were shown at the Photoplay Theater, Witt, 111., "so great was the crowding for tickets that some were nearly injured. The beginning of a fight in the crowd was stopped only when the manager threatened to close the sale of tickets." Ed. Doskin, survivor of the Titanic, appeared recently at the Illinois Theater, Urbana, 111. Mayor Latham of Hillsboro, III., Is urging a higher license fee for moving picture theaters, circuses and other amusements and concessions. White & Compton, proprietors of the White Palace Electric Theater, Morrlsonville, III., have moved their outfit to the Gauer Building, where they have room for SO more patrons. The Star Theater, Elgin, 111.. showed the "Odyssey" to good business for three nights and Saturday matinee. C. Gruner will be the operator at the new Dees airdome, which has been opened in Pinckneyville, 111. Sycamore, II., Is to have a Hippodrome show In a tent, playing dramatic attractions, vaudeville and circus acts and moving pictures. In addition refreshments will be sold. Quiney moving picture show managers are in a fight over the musician question according to reports from that city. A pact had been made that songs should be abolished. One broke the agreement, it Is said, and the others got busy with plans for counter-attractions, such as souvenirs and orchestras. Tharp & Stivers have opened their airdome at Clinton, 111. A band concert preceded the first performance. The Fulrnth Opera House, Savanna, 111., Is playing vaudeville and pictures for the summer season. The Vaudette. Sterling, 111., is running vaudeville In connection with pictures every night, instead of three nights a week as formerly. The South Side Airdome has been opened at the corner of Cass and South Adams Street. Peoria. 111. While the Department of Illinois, Grand Army of the Republic, was encamped at Peoria, 111., the Malestic made it a point to run at least one war picture a day and included patriotic songs for the old soldiers. Five free tickets were given to the teacher of each grade in the Jacksonville. III., public schools when Manager Hunt had "Coming of Columbus" at the Grand. The Vaudette, Springfield, III., will install a pipe organ. Phil Martell, the pioneer moving picture man of Geneva, 111., has taken over the Star on West State Street In that city, and will conduct it. He has been In retirement for several years. Rev. Mr. Fiske, of the Universalist church, startled Galesburg. 111., when the Men's Club of his church began a series of Sunday meetings at the Colonial moving picture show. Biblical and educational films were shown: the boys' orchestra furnished music and the pastor delivered an address. Mr. Fiske stated that he expected to be criticized for his departure, but If the meetings brought about interest on the part of the people who spent their Sunday afternoons on Main Street without any apparent aim or design, he would be well satisfied with the experiment. This feeling of satisfaction would be based, he said, upon the recognized use of the moving picture as an Instrument for moral and educational lessons. Peter J. Smith, formerly singer at the Main Street Theater, Peoria, 111., is now at the Columbia in that city. Dempsey's Theater. Peoria. 111., will run all summer with a smattering of pictures. The Majestic Theater, of Rockford, 111., will operate the free moving picture show at Harlem Park, Three reels will be given at each performance. Lewis Dell, who has been managing the Modglin Picture Show a1 Creal Springs, 111., lias gone to Richmond, hid., to take charge of a photoplay house there. The Interstate Exhibitors' Advertising League Company of Dayton, Ohio, has been incorporated with a capital stock of .$10,000, to deal in moving picture advertising. The incorporators are, Valen tine Rayburg, R. E. Alexander, Clem Kerr, Charles J. and Bertram B. Geyer. A. F. Ratelle, singed, and Walter Davlsson, pianist, who have been at the Vaudette, Springfield, 111., for some time, have gone to Portsmouth, Ohio. Follansbee Brothers of Pittsburgh, Pa., makers of tin plate, have been using the moving pictures extensively in the Mississippi Valley. The reels are shown to builders and contractors and metal workers under the auspices of the Master Sheet Metal Workers' Associations. The grip of the photoplay upon the small town residents is evidenced in a story from Neoga, 111., where it is said that William A. Nolting gave two picture shows one night at his Lyric, while half the shows of a competing carnival company were closed and those open played to less than a $5 total Members of the Cincinnati, Ohio, Chapter, American Institute of Architects, protesting before that body that the state and city building codes were at odds, showed that under the state code, picture theaters must be 25 feet wide, while the city demanded a building thirty feet wide. The Original Moving Picture Theater, West St. Paul Street, Spring Valley, 111., was recently struck by lightning, the walls were badly scorched and the furnishings destroyed. About thirty persons were in the building at the time. Following the crash, fire broke out in the operating room, and James Mazzaroni, the operator, had a narrow escape. Roy Charles, operator at the Tureman Opera House, Virginia, 111., recently was shocked while operating the machine and fell, the back of his head striking some seats, cutting a bad gash and rendering him unconscious for several minutes. Harry T. Loper, proprietor of the Lyric, Springfield, 111., and family, recently made an automobile trip to New York to visit Mr. Loper's son, Russell, prior to the latter's departure for London. Russell Loper, now with the Appleton Publishing Company's London branch, was formerly with his father in the moving picture business. The Liberty Theater, 329 South Adams Street, Peoria, 111., has joined with other business houses in the city in a popularity contest, in which two pianos and other prizes will be given away. Merchants of Arthur, 111., have united in paying the expense of a moving picture show one night each week on the streets in order to advertise the town. Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Hatcher have returned from Elmwood, 111., to LaHarpe, 111., to resume charge of the Photoplay Theater. The Electric Theater, G. H. Gaskill, manager, Lewlstown, 111., never misses an opportunity to feature a Sellg In which Miss Phyllis Gordon appears. Se once lived in Lewlstown. D. C. McClellan. who guides the destiny of moving pictures in Pekin, 111., is also a post-office clerk, and made an address at the recent Illinois State convention of postalmen at Decatur. William Newman of Elgin, 111., has purchased the interest of Charles Prickett in the Grand Theater in that city. Organizers for a fraternal society in Illinois, have found their work easier and the prospects more accessible by giving moving pictures at their meetings, preliminary to organization. Many who otherwise would not attend have been interested in fraternal insurance and enrolled in the order. The newly incorporated Colonial Amusement Company of Harrisburg, 111., will operate three theaters in that city in addition to the new Knell Theater, at Mt. Carmel, 111., which has been leased. O. L. Turner will be in charge of the Mt. Carmel house. The Star Photoplay, the Empire and the Princess of Lincoln, 111., closed for five days during a Moose carnival. The Gaiety Theater. East Monroe Street, Springfield, 111., has Installed a 360-plpe organ, which will be ready for use during the summer run of pictures. Paul Aschenbrenner, director of the Gaiety orchestra, and an unusually responsive accompanist of pictures, will be the organist. M. P. Harvey, singer at the Lyric Theater. Champaign, 111., better known as "Moving Picture" Harvev. has resigned his position and gone into vaudeville. J. H. Martin has re-opened his airdome at Red Bud, 111. The Orplienm Amusement Company of Rockford, 111., may build a new theater in that city. Ed. Fellis. Jr., has joined his father, Ed. Fellls, Sr.. of Hillshoro, 111., In the management of his two picture shows at Hillsboro and Schram City, 111. A parade, headed by a band, advertised the exhibition of "The Coming of Columbus" at the Lyric, Freeport, 111. L. Eisman is reported to have re-opened the Majestic Theater, on Eighteenth Street, Rock Island, 111., as a picture show. J. H. Goodman, manager of the Lyric, took the house under his care. A pipe organ is announced as an attraction. Maurice H. Livingston, an original song writer, is advertised to sing a new composition of his own each week at the Theater De Luxe, Peoria, 111. The Family Theater Company of Rock Island, 111., has been Incorporated with capital stock of 1 5.000, to do a general theatrical and moving plc ture business rhe incorporators ire .1 \ Marie I.lsy, and A. 0. Tudor. George k. Scharf. bas opened an airdome at sidell, 111. Sam Rose's new picture show In South Street, Rockford, III., to he opened June l will he known as the Kalserhof. It will seat •'!"'> perBons. Indirect lighting will he a feature. Because of a protest from the library Reel & Wilcox wen denied permission in ti to construct an airdome ot Nineteenth Stn Fourth Avenue, Rock Island, 111. The Lincoln-Belmont Theater Company ol cago, lias hen incorporated with capital sto $150,000, to do a general theatrical buslne incorporators are: John I>. Price, Marin, r \,, derson and Theodore Johnson. Manager Peterson of the Airdome, Sycamore, 111., is using licensed pictures. He Is booking his vaudeville through the Western Vaudeville Managers' Association. Dozens of Marshalltown, Iowa, merchants, for four days, gave away free tickets to the Isls. Princess, Lyric, Colonial and Elite Theaters in that city. The Cuneo Amusement Company of Chicago, has been incorporated with capital stock of $30,000, to operate theaters and places of amusement. The incorporators are: Frank, Lawrence and Lawrence F. ( uneo. The advent of pictures at the Majestic Theater, Peoria, 111., was marked by a free opening day for the women and children. Elmer Hawkins of Mahomet, 111., has been touring small towns in that vicinity with his picture show making two-week stands. The Princess Theater, Peoria, 111., pays special attention to all children unaccompanied at all afternoon performances. Manager Clauer, of Dreamland, Galena, 111., has installed a new operating room, a new machine, and made other Improvements. A playing fountain, flanked with flowers and plants, will be a feature of this house. A free moving picture exhibition at the Auditorium in Harlem Park, Rockford, 111., probably will be one of the attractions at that pleasure resort this summer. Both moving picture shows at Nokomis, 111., laid off for a week when a tent show, owned by a former Nokomis boy, came for a week stand. The American Amusement Company, Homer Bidwell, manager, has opened a moving picture show in the Palace Opera House, Plymouth, 111., playing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The Airdome at Augusta, 111., has been re-opened. G. A. Palmer has opened an airdome with a seating capacity of 500, at Fourth Avenue and Main Street, Rochelle, 111. The Adascope Company of Chicago, has been Incorporated with a capital stock of $2,500, to manufacture and deal In stereopticons and other devices The Incorporators are: Rudolph Mueller, James p] Coughlin and J. F. Hurtubise. George Davidson has taken over the management of the Majestic, at Bushnell, 111. The Daley Airdome has opened at Carllnvllle, 111., with three reels of pictures and vaudeville. The Chicago Motion Advertising Company of Chicago, has been Incorporated with a capital stock of $2,500, to deal in projection advertising apparatus. The incorporators are: Fred A. Schwartfager, Fred R. Rosebro and John D. Emricb. Mrs. Ed. Morrel, the energetic manager of a picture show at Watseka, 111., recently gave a free performance — four reels and an illustrated song — for advertising purposes. A twenty-five piece band from a neighboring city, opened the remodeled and enlarged Airdome at Litchfield, 111. Ezra D. Beers of Ipava, 111., will open a moving picture show at Lewlstown, 111., It Is reported. William Folkerts, who has been appointed postmaster at Witt, 111., has sold the Electric Theater to Thomas O'Dowd. The Lomax Theater Company of Chicago, has been incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000, to do a general theatrical business. The lncorpo^ rators are: Robert C. Knapp, Mahlon D. Bash and W. F. Quinn. The Standard Theater, Pekin, III., has ended the vaudeville season and Is showing three reels of Independent pictures. The Ideal Theater, Princeton, III., has been conducting a piano contest. The Glickmann Amusement Company of Chicago, has been incorporated with capital stock of $25,000, to do a general theater business. The Incorporators are: Adolph D. Weiner, Henry S. Goldsmith and Theodore C. Mayer. A. R. Lewis has leased the Auditorium at Morrison, 111., for three years. The Colonial Amusement Company of Harrisburg, III., has been incorporated with capital stock of $40,000, to conduct moving picture theaters and other amusement enterprises. The Incorporators are: 0. L. and W. T. Turner, W. P. Oliver, George Davenport and H. A. Murphy. The Messrs. Turner and Oliver have been conducting the Orpheum Picture Palace and the Star, while Messrs. Davenport and Murphy recently let the contract for a new vaudeville and picture theater. The Incorporation comes as the result of a merger. The Jacksonville, III., city council has been wrestling with the moving picture theater problems, and found all the proprietors more than wll