The Moving Picture World (July 1907)

28o THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. tion. At once it was followed by a considerable number of devices made in all countries and christened in all sorts of ways from the Greek, Latin, and in more fanciful fashion still. Here are a few: "Anarithmoscope, chronophotographoscope, cinograph- oscope, cinograph, cinoscope, hypnoscope, katoscope, um- mographe, mutoscope, mouvementoscope (!!), phanto- graphe, etc., etc. There are scores of them, or even hun- dreds. To review these devices would be td-deliver a lecture on mechanics; but they all resemble the apparatus of Lumiere, which in its modern forms has been changed only by perfecting details." - A very ingenious combination of the phonograph and the cinematograph has been made by Gaumont, who has succeeded in obtaining perfect synchronism between the two. The lecturer showed a number of his pictures with special phonograph accompaniment, the sound being am- plified by compressed air in combination with the mega- phone. These are said to have been very striking and will doubtless soon become familiar to the public— Translation made for The Literary Digest. America, [Is the writer of the above, the Dr. B. A. Baer, nuj. ager for S. Lubin? Verily, he ought to get a raise U salary. But, Dr. Baer, why did you not say that ever? city in Europe refused to exhibit the film of i.ooo sales? And that in the United States it was condemned as being the most disreputable film ever placed on the market The article reminds us of the fable of "The Ass and th* Lion's Skin." And in this instance Dr. Baer has out- heroded Herod, in one big, cheeky, bare-faced bluff. Thomas A. Edison may well exclaim (like Diogenes of old), get out of my sunlight, fellow, and let a little shint on me. We were under the impression that S. Lubia was one of the least of the film men in the States, ba as we like to quote wiser men than ourselves, will a? "'A Prophet is not without honor, except in his o«i country" and among his own kindred. And again, "W have to go abroad to learn what our neighbor is doing.' If there is such a good chance for a German factory f« the manufacture of film, why does not Lubin, who use so much, start one ?— Ed.] Der Kinematograph Organ Fur-Die-Gesamte-Projek- tionskunst of May 15 has the following from the pen of Dr. B. A. Baer: America is the country of unlimited possibilities, also in the developing of the kinematograph business. In no country are there so many film factories built, so many projection machines made, and nowhere so many exhibitions as in the United States. The general belief is that Edison was the first inventor and the largest manufacturer of living pictures, ma- chines, etc. But this is a mistake. Because he is rather the smallest, than the largest manufacturer in United States. His picture machines are lacking in durability, his pictures lack the pulsating life, without which a film is not a hit. In the United States are six or seven large manufac- turers, and the first in line are Biograph and S. Lubin. The Biograph Co. in most cases makes films which can also be used in slot machines. S. Lubin is known for his sensation films, which sell like "hot cakes," but which demand from the public a large amount of credulity. The latest hit of that company was "The Unwritten Law," and made after the tragedy of Thaw. It is said that more than 1,000 films were sold, despite the price of $104. Each film measures 1,000 feet. The Mutoscope Co. were the first to make the "Chase Films." Lubin copied these and also French manufac- tures, and for some time we could not see one film with- out a race. Films for educational purposes are not yet popular, except in a few instances. What is wanted is sensation, grotesque humor and everyday life. American manufacturers suffer most under the disad- vantage of raw material. There is only the Eastman Kodak Co. factory, for positive or negative film. Until the 1st of January, 1907, this company held the price of raw film so high that it was impossible to compete with foreign manufacturers. A German company which would build in the United States a factory for celluloid film should have a brilliant future. There is needed so much film that all the manufactur- ers in the world put together cannot supply enough. And yet there is not to be seen one film of German origin. The Popular Illustrated Lecture. By Burton H. Allbee. Moving pictures with all their undenied attraction have not supplanted the popular illustrated lecture. Tbj lecture, properly handled, has certain attractions and cer- tain educational forces which cannot be supplanted bj the moving picture. While motion pictures are becom- ing more and more popular every day and apparenth they are more wanted than the lecture, yet when a lecturer appears who has something to say and has good picture with which to illustrate his story there is no questicc about profitable business for him. My introduction to illustrated lectures was under sud masters as Regan and Stoddard, the men who blare the track now followed by such lecturers as Dwigfe Elmendorf and Burton Holmes. They are fit successors to the former masters and their lectures and illustration are the equal of anything ever placed before the pubik The entire secret of successful lecturing is to have some thing to say, to say it entertainingly and use good pc tures in illustrating it. The American public, alwa] hungry for something new and attractive, will do tl rest. It is not true that the lecturer and the illustration must be bizarre. The most commonplace objects, pre sented in a bright and entertaining way, will alwaji please an audience and will bring a rich reward of shekel and growing popularity. Moving pictures are attractivt No one questions that; but there is something even mors pleasing about a lecture. The sound of the speaker! voice, if he has a happy and graphic way of putton! things, combined with good pictures, will satisfy mon than motion pictures alone. It will be noted by those who attend both varieties « entertainment that only certain subjects can be success fully depicted in moving pictures. On the other has- anything, no matter how commonplace or how homel? can be made the subject of a lecture and it depends alp upon the ability of the lecturer to make it entertaining instructive and attractive to make it succeed. Perhaps the greatest difficulty with illustrated lecturt of the present is that the lecture is prepared in the m with the aid of cyclopaedias and then some slide her is visited to find illustrations. It isn't my purpose