Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

1128 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 24, 1918 plant having a capacity of 33,000 cubic feet of air per minute. By advancing the line of the view circle 40 feet beyond that of the old, the back stalls look up to the foyer and enjoy the advantages of a 30 foot ceiling. The decorations are in the rococo of Louis XVI. treatment. Offices and retiring rooms are provided on the foyer floor, and the projecting machines — two 6B Power's — are housed in a fireproof room completely outside the walls of the building. Hoyt's Proprietary, Ltd., the new lessees of the theatre, opened with the ten-part Fox super-feature ''Les Miserables." * * * A deputation from the Theatrical Employees Association asked the Chief Secretary (Mr. Fuller) to amend the Theatres and Public Halls Act to provide for an examination ot biograph operators and a stricter inspection of theatres, as far as the operating boxes and exit doors were concerned. They contended also that the operator should be provided with an assistant. Mr. Fuller said that he would have to give the matter consideration before he would say he was prepared to bring in an amendment of the act. * * * Australasian Films, Ltd., are presenting Ambassador Gerard's "My Four Years in Germany" at the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday, June 15. The film has been most extensively advertised during the past month, and present indications point to the film being a record-breaker. * * * The Federal Censor Board has been working overtime lately, and several features have suffered considerably thereby. "Panthea," "The Price Mark," and "Scandal" fared very badly, the last named subject especially so. At present all films are reviewed in Melbourne, which causes much inconvenience to Sydney importers. The officials are now arranging for two of their members to be stationed in this city, and censor all local screenings before presentation. * * * Cecil B. DeMille's "Joan the Woman" is the current attraction at the Sydney Tivoli Theater special matinees. The Tivoli is ordinarily a "legit" house, but recently innovated photoplay entertainments each afternoon, under the direction of Alec Lorimore, chief of Paramount Pictures. * * » With the object of raising money for the Red Cross Society, society circles in Sydney and Melbourne have each produced a film proceeds from which will go to the fund. The Sydney production is entitled "Cupid Camouflaged," is in four reels, and features local society in all its glory. The initial screening of the picture was given at the Sydney Theatre Royal at prices of 21/-, 10/6, and 5/ (equivalent to your $5, $2.50, and $1.25) and the fact that a crowded house was obtained at these prices made the picture trade sit up with surprise. The Melbourne production, "His Only Chance," was conducted in much the same way, and a similar success has been registered by the southern film. From a critical point of view both subjects are woefully lacking in the essentials of an ordinarily good picture, and the fact that they are advertised as "amateur" films does not balance these defects. Plot, acting, photography and direction are mediocre in both pictures. * * * The Southern Cross Film Corporation situated in Adelaide, S. A., have completed a five-reeler entitled "The Woman Suffers." It is a melodrama of more than usual interest, the story being at all times consistent and true to life. The direction shows skill, and in all respects the picture is an improvement on the usual local article. Boyd Irwin and Lottie Lyell are the leading players. * * * "The Waybacks," a seven part version of the Australian novel by Henry B. Fletcher, was released this month, and has instantaneously scored a great success. The film received a great send-off at the Sydney Town Hall, where it was screened for one night only. The main entrance presented the spectacle of a riot. The ticket sellers were unable to cope with the crowd, which became jammed in the passage, and the only way people who had reserved their seats could get through was by organizing a succession of rushes, which, though it drove the ushers frantic, brought spasms of relief. * * * Sarah Allgood, the popular little Irish actress, who has just completed a successful theatrical tour through Australia and New Zealand, is the star of a Quality Feature, to be entitled "Just Peggy." This subject is listed for early release, and will be followed by similar high class subjects from the studio of this new concern. J. A. Lipman wrote and produced "Just Peggy." Majestic Puts Over a Paralta Play Portland Theatre Combines with Local Newspaper in Arousing Interest in Bessie Barriscale's "Madam Who." PARALTA PLAYS, distributed by the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation, went off with a bang in Portland, Oregon, where the Bessie Barriscale feature, "Madam Who," was given unusual advertising. Through arrangement with the Majestic Theatre, running Paralta-Hodkinson Service, the Evening Telegram conducted an advertising campaign. It was the week of the W. S. S. drive and also the week the Majestic Theatre was showing J. Warren Kerrigan in "A Man's Man." The Majestic management put up a prize of $50 in W. S. S. for the one who could identify a Madam Who scheduled to appear at certain business houses during the day for five days. The stores in which she appeared were those who took space in a full page of the Evening Telegram, making a page advertisement for "Madam Who," the Paralta Hodkinson Picture. Each day the Telegram carried a live and interesting story on Madam Who's experiences that day. Her disguises were many and clever. She was often approached and spoken to, but, as a certain phrase had to be correctly spoken, she remained uncaught until Friday noon, when Miss Mary Wing, of Portland, spoke the salutation correctly to the elusive Madam Who. Madam Who having been caught before the time of the hunt was up, the Majestic Theatre management put up another $50 in W. S. S. and another Madam Who was sent out. This advertising and publicity stunt resulted in a record business at the Majestic for both "A Man's Man" and "Madam Who." Are Women the Better Script Writers? Clara Beranger Perhaps Starts an Argument When in Some Detail She Tells Why She Thinks So. CLARA S. BERANGER, the noted scenario and continuity writer now with World Pictures and formerly with Pa the and other well known producers, who has just completed the continuity for "Heart of Gold," a new World Picture, says that women are going to come into the writing end of the picture industry in greater numbers than ever before. "The motion picture as an entertainment," declares Miss Beranger, "appeals more to women than to men. This fact is bound to be admitted if the exhibitors' statistics are to be given the credence they deserve. To appeal to the female patrons the photoplay must display the feminine point of view and no one is better able to project this angle than women writers. "It needs no cursory glance at the current releases and those of even six months ago to prove that there are more writers among the feminine sex than the male persuasion. "The heart throb, the human interest note, child life, domestic scenes and even the eternal triangle is more ably handled by women than men because of the thorough understanding our sex has of these matters. It is an old truism that love to a woman is her whole existence, while to the man it is a mere incident in his life. This is one of the reasons why a woman writing drama for the screen gives to her story the sincerity that no man can lend. With this sincerity the audience gets plausibility and probability. Men writers in developing their story have to create artificial emotions which they delude themselves into believing is inspiration." ROOT STRONG FOR WINNING THE WAR. At "Jack" Root's Strand Theatre, Pasadena, California, $226.05 was raised in a free will collection for "Our Boys in France Tobacco Fund" in two days. One of the features was Billie Rhodes in "Our Lady Nicotine" during the two days. Manager Root expended $25 in the advertising and young women of Pasadena stood at the door with subscription lists and took the cash. The same way at the same theatre on another occasion $205 was raised for the Belgian children, and thousands of dollars at various benefits given by Manager Root for various war needs. Mr. Root was born in Australia, but came to America when a child and says none too gently he detests his native country. Manager Root thinks he has more Liberty Bonds than are possessed by any other Southern California theatre manager.