Variety (September 1908)

12 V4JMBTY MOVING PICTURE NEWS ^ MOVING PICTURE REVIEWS HOW ABOUT FILM RETUWIS? The moving picture trade is just now concerning itself with the question, "what will happen when the time cornea for the first return of films to the manufacturers at the expiration of seven months from March 1?" Undejr the terms of the Buf- falo convention renters must give back their films to the manufacturers after they have held them for six months. This agreement went into effect April 1 and the first return shipments are due next Thursday on the reels delivered by the manufacturers when the trade agreement went into effect at that time. Needless to say the rental exchanges are- most unwilling to carry out this pro- gram. They maintain that such a pro- ceeding will work a serious hardship upon them and the discussion constantly going on among them bears upon the possibility of evading the issue or securing some sort of concession from the manufacturers. It is scarcely possible at this time to forecast what will be done, but the opin- ion of a prominent Association man is worth quoting: "I believe," said he, "the manufacturers understand that prevailing conditions call for a certain degree of compromise. I am convinced that there is no disposition on their part to force immediate obedience to the letter of the contract. It may be the term of lease of reels will be extended or some other arrangement made by which the renters may hold the films received April 1 for a longer period. Certainly I am sure that there will be no trouble over this detail. "When the leasing* arrangement was decided upon in Buffalo, it was not pos- sible to foresee what conditions would be at this time. We could only guess ap- proximately. Our guesses have not turned out to have been entirely right and there- fore conditions prevail which rather react against the renter in this matter. The rental price of film is not as high as we hoped it would be, and the exchanges are not realising as quickly aa might be upon their original outlay. It is this as much as anything else that has aroused the dis- cussion over returns." NEW EXCHANGE MANAGERS. New Orleans, Sept. 24. H. Fichtenberg, proprietor of three mov- ing picture theatres here, has taken over the management of A. H. Swanson's local branch rental bureau. He will conduct the business for Mr. Swanson. "PALS" IN PICTURES. Louisville, Sept. 24. "Pals," Edmund Day's play in which Jim Corbett starred two seasons ago, has been reduced to moving pictures and was introduced with great success at the Hop- kins Sunday last. It is now called "Classmates." The Colonial Four will shortly be seen in a new production, placed in vaudeville by Biasing & Solman, who have taken the singers under their direction. The quar- tet will appear in a hotel office. "Yearn- ing," a ballad written by Mr. Solman, will be the leading selection, and a novelty lightning change the feature. CONSOLIDATION IMPENDING. Whatever the detail that causes the hitch may be, the consolidation of the warring interests in the film trade is still hanging fire. Rumors have been plentiful that the deal had been consummated whereby the American Mutoscope and Biograph Com- pany, George Kleine, together with its other licensees, the Powers Company, the Armat Company and the Edison Company with its licensees, had entered into an all- embracing trade agreement. As a matter of fact there has been no change in the situation since Variety forecasted the coming together of the factions three weeks ago. In the opinion of prominent renters and manufacturers the consolidation is inevi- table, but there are still certain details, the nature of which remain a mystery, that have to be disposed of before the completion of peace terms. REPORT ON WESTERN AFFAIRS. At a meeting in New York on Monday of this week the executive committee of the Film Service Association received re- ports from its Western office of conditions in the trade. The Western secretary (with headquarters in Pittsburg) has recently completed a long trip among the rental exchanges west of his post and examined into conditions. He reported that the as- sociation's members were well in line and that there had been an almost entire dis- appearance of the subrenters who were formerly a distinct loss to the direct buy- ers of film from manufacturers. General conditions in the territory can- vassed were reported as being favorable to the association, according to the state- ment of a member of the committee after the meeting. "YIDDISH" "FAMILY" HOUSE. Chicago, Sept. 24. "Everybody works but father, He stands around in the wingB; Yonkel, he's an usher; Rivka acts and sings; Mother takes the money; Becky sells tickets, too; Rosie thumps the keyboard, And Abe is Ballyhoo!" The first "Yiddish" moving-picture the? atre opened on the West Side. It is lo- cated on Halsted Street, near 14th, in the Ghetto district. The place is conducted by an enterprising family. The father, of course, is the owner. The son-in-law is the ballyhoo; a son is the usher, and a daughter manipulates the piano; she wears a kimona. Another helping daughter is the ticket dispenser, while mother looks after the receipts. The most striking feature, however, from the patron's view, is the daughter- in-law (elect). She is the chief attrac- tion, sings, dances and has a sketch in "Yiddish" with a male partner. The con- versation translated would make the English-speaking public blush, but in "Yiddish" double entendre is permissible. The place is a "family" theatre in every sense of the word. When the pa- trons file out the proud father-owner asks them if they are "sufrieden"f (satisfied). Gans-Nelson Fight. Hammerstein's. The reproduction of the Gans-Nelson fight, which occurred Labor Day at Colma, Cal., was presented at Hammerstein's Mon- day, and has since been drawing large crowds. The fight in the original reels is of the full twenty-one rounds, with views of the training quarters shown previous to the commencement of the battle in the ring. All but twelve rounds have been taken out, Hammerstein's reducing the running time this week to permit the show ending at a seasonable hour, the fight pictures winding up the vaudeville bill, the program being one act short the usual number to allow of this. The pic- tures are clear showing the immense cio;>d present. The continual "boring in" \>y Nelson is easily observable. The "knock-out' 1 in the 'twenty-first round when James J. Jeffries, the referee of the encounter, ordered Gans to his corner re- veals that although unquestionably beaten to a standstill, Gans was standing on his feet when counted out. Nelson played for the black man's body altogether, except- ing in the final two or three rounds, when he beat him at will wherever he pleased. The pictures will hold the men closely. They hold over for the second week at Hammerstein's, where John P. Dunn, the referee and former match-maker of the Coney Island Club, explains the fight as it progresses. Sime. "William Jennings Bryan and John W. Kern." Fifth Avenue. Topical interest of course gives this subject its value. It begins with a series of scenes in Lincoln, Neb., the presi- dential candidate's home city. General views on the Bryan farm follow, the can- didate not appearing in these. Then the camera moves into Bryan's study where he is shown reading a book, leaving the house, trip to a political meeting, accom- panied by the vice-presidential candidate and finally an enlarged view of both men taken close at hand. Each in turn smiles into the camera and slowly raises his hat. The reel is a Lubin production. All the views are clear and of good photographic quality. Ruth. Wifey*s Strategy. An old idea is here again exploited, suggesting that the producers are suffer- ing from a paucity of original plots. The Newlyweds are shown at breakfast. Hubby complains about the cooking, and after a quarrel departs with the deter- mination of getting a cook. Wifey fore- stalls him by disguising herself in shabby clothes and a grotesque wig, and is em- ployed by her own husband. Then she proceeds to make his life miserable by her carelessness and awkward blunders until in his rage he seises her by the hair to throw her out and, "presto," the wig comes off and wifey stands revealed. The reel ends with the couple happily reconciled and clasped in loving, embrace while firemen come to pour water on a dinner which is burning to cinders on the gas stove. There is not a great deal of novelty about the subject, but it is well laid out and acted and amused. Ruth. "Paris Fire Brigade." Fifth Avenue. A battalion of perhaps forty Paris fire- men are used in an interesting exhibition of skilL At the word of command they swarm up walls and descend in platoons from the top of a high frame. Gym- nasium training is then shown, although there is a suspicion here that a troupe of professional acrobats and gymnasts was employed. For the finish two score are put through setting-up exercises, keeping so exactly in unison that there is a suspicion of faking, aroused. The Fifth Avenue audience appeared to find the reel entertaining. Ru»k. "The Power of Labor." Chicago. There is a lapse of 15 years between the flret scene and the most important incidents in this sensational subject, by the Selig Company. The first ftsds two burglars arguing over booty, one slashing the other with a knife an<f leaving him for dead. The next picture shows the office of a large factory 15 years later. The younger burglar, through unscrupu- lous methods, has risen to the superin- tendency of the mills. His face is cov- ered with a beard. The owners are in Europe. During their absence, without rotifying them and in order to gratify l.is desire for more money, he makes a sweeping reduction in the salary of the men. It causes a disturbance. At this juncture the -*on of ode of the owners, a college youth, arrives with a cable from bis father with instructions to put the young man to work. The son and the pretty daughter of the foreman have been sweethearts since childhood. Another scene shows noon hour at the mills. The *on pleads with the superintendent on behalf of the men. The latter defies him. Fearing the young man will cable his father he engages three thugs to put him out of the way. The youth is drugged and placed in a cart with coal. Just as he is about to be thrown into the furnace, the girl throws the switch, In spite of the villain's efforts to prevent her, and saves his life, unbeknown to the superintendent, who cables to his father his son was mur- dered. The owner eventually returns, and when the arch villain describes how the young man was murdered a dramatic scene ensues. The superintendent is ex- posed and arrested. A meeting between capital and labor is arranged, and all ends happily. The story could be woven into a tense melodrama. It is stirring with all the characters finely drawn. It is really a dramatic triumph. Frank Wietherg. Albert Sutherland, the agent, is also the producer of "The Devil" with Preston Ken- dall, "The Patriot" with the Le Brun Trio, "The Lion and the Mouse" with Dell Le Louis, and "Too Much Sympathy." Harry Brown, the old time comic opera comedian and the original Lorenzo in' the American production of "The Mascot," will try out a new sketch called 'The Toymaker" in Fall River next week. After that he will play the William Morris, Inc., time if the* vehicle proves worthy of his efforts. . ■ .i