The Moving Picture World (November 1907)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 559 The Situation in Philadelphia. Former District Attorney John C Bell will open the battle r the suppression of the moving picture nuisance by filing a U in equity against A. Boggard. He will ask for an injunction gainst the showman to restrain him from further annoyance of agliboring business men. Boggard is the show proprietor who prevented an amicable ttlement between the business men and the amusement people f refusing to join in the compromise. All the other show roers were willing" to either abolish their music during bust- 5 hours or to so curtail the volume of sound as to make things arable to the ears of passersby. Boggard announced that he oposed to defy the business men. Boggard operates three places on Market street, in two of lich he employs bands to attract the attention of passers-by. ie business men assert that they are the most vigorously con- icted bands on the street. OTHER SHOWMEN RESENTFUL. That the other show owners are resentful that the compromise is prevented was evident recently when they made an offer the Market Street Protective Association to join the busi- ss men in the attack on Boggard. Boggard will not discuss e situation, but it is understood that he has employed counsel d that he proposes to fight Reports that Mr. Bell may frame his attack to include the alle- tion that the nickel shows are run in defiance of the amuse- ent laws is believed to be the reason the other show owners e not anxious to have a fight in court. If this point is made d is sustained it would close up every show in town. Under e amusement law they would be under the same restrictions a* e theaters, and would be compelled not only to pay a $500 ense, but to have a ten-foot alley with adequate exits on either le of their auditoriums. It would be this feature that would calculated to make it impossible for the showmen to do siness. Fire Marshal Lattimer said recently that all told there are 2 places in town which are operated as moving picture shows, ie Councilmanic Sub-Committee on Police and Fire plans to •pect all of these places in the course of the investigation it now making. Discussing the present method of dealing with these places, e Fire Marshal said: "When a moving picture place opens the policeman on the beat )orts it to the lieutenant, and in due time the fact reaches me. 1 inspection is made by my bureau and before a permit is issued ; place must meet the requirements of the laws. They must ve an exit either on the side or in the rear, besides the uble exit and entrance in front The boxes in which the ichines are located must be fireproof, and if the celluloid film ignited the operator would be able to step out, shut the door d allow the fire to burn out These places have all been in- Kted and they meet the requirements of the law. If they do t, they are not permitted to open." * * * 'DIRECTOR CLAY'S ORDINANCE. Director Clay's ordinance follows: An ordinance, providing for the issuing of licenses for places which moving picture exhibitions are held and for the opera- 's of such exhibitions; regulating the operations of moving lure machines, and providing a penalty for the violation of ^provisions thereof. Section 1. The Select and Common Councils of the city, of iladelphia do ordain, that it shall not be lawful to exhibit in f building, garden, grounds, concert room, saloon, or other ce or places or in any room or other inclosure within the city Philadelphia, any moving picture exhibition until a license for i building, garden, grounds, concert room, saloon, or other ce or places, or room or inclosure, shall have first been tnted by the Mayor of said city to the lessee or proprietor xeof, for which license the said lessee or proprietor shall pay ee of fifty (50) dollars, and which license shall be good and uable thereafter for the whole or any portion of one calendar it beginning on the first day of January of each year; pro- led, that this section shall not apply to any church or other ce not devoted to the business of such exhibitions so as to re- re the payment of the said license fee for the giving of a single libiticn of moving pictures; and, provided, further, that this tion shall not apply to theaters and other places of public usements which are otherwise obliged under existing laws and linances to pay license fees to the Commonwealth or to the MUST CERTIFY TO SAFETY, section 2. Befcre any license shall be granted, as provided in soon 1 hereof, the fire marshal shall certify to the Mayor t he has inspected such place, places, rccms and inclosures, and the equipment thereof, and that he approves such application for license. Section 3. It shall be unlawful to operate any moving pic- ture machine unless the person so operating the same shall have first passed an examination before a board of examiners, con- sisting of the fire marshal, chief of the electrical bureau, and a member of the Board of Fire Underwriters. All persons having passed such examination to the -satisfaction of said board shall receive a license entitling and permitting them to operate said machines upon the payment of the sum of five (5) dollars, and shall not be required to make any further payment therefor. Section 4. All moving picture machines must be equipped with fireproof magazines for the top reel and tension take-up devices with fire-proof magazines for the bottom reel, and any other appliance necessary to secure safety from fire, which may be ap- proved by the fire marshal Section 5. The director of the Department of Public Safety shall have power.to prevent the operation of any moving picture machine by reason of the requirement of the foregoing sections not being fulfilled or by reason of any other cause that endangers the public safety. Section 6. Any persons or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be subject to a penalty of (50) dollars, to be recovered as penalties of like amount are now by law recoverable. * * * PHILADELPHIA FIRMS TALK FIVE-CENT SHOWS. Chastened strains of horn and trombone, more bashful utter- ances of phonographs and even promises of complete muteness have not been sufficient to convince the merchants of Market street of the futility of organization against the nickel music shows of the city. On the contrary, deepened enthusiasm was noted at the meet- ing which took place at the business place, of Mr. C. Eastburn, 929 Market street, who has been the prime mover of the organ- ization. At this meeting, held for the primary purpose of effecting a formal organization, fourteen new firms will add to the protest against the vandalistic din which has invaded the formerly se- date district of Market street These new firms, with thirteen others, who first agitated the removal of the disturbing noises of Market street, make a total of twenty-seven merchants. In fact, hardly an important firm in this thoroughfare has refused to join the movement. The new firms represented are: Hanscom Brothers, William H. Wanamaker, Slyvan Dalsimer & Sons, Twaddell Brothers, Ivins, Dietz & Magee, George D. Bains, William Walters & Sons, Showell & Fryer, Bert Marks, Fry, Glanz & Hall, the Penn Furniture Company, R. Goldberger, Rochelle Carpet Com- pany, and the Kensington Carpet Company. Meanwhile, time seems to reveal a succession of new reasons to prove that the cheap shows are a menace to the public weaL Among the most prominent of these recently advanced reasons is the fact that the moving pictures involve a more or less per- sistent danger of fire, which in many cases is not safeguarded by the existence of a rear exit to the building, in which they are installed. A thorough round of inquiry among the fire insurance companies discloses the fact that this danger is realized by many of these companies, who either refuse to insure the structures occupied by the moving pictures or else demand a higher rate of insurance. Those who are included in the former class is the Fire Asso- ciation, 407 Walnut street. In speaking of the matter, the presi- dent, Mr. E. C. Irwin, said decisively, in a tone that did not encourage further inquiries, "No, we do not insure places occu- pied by moving pictures." Another firm which takes this stand is the Hartford Com- pany. "No," said the head of the local branch of this com- pany, "We do not insure the moving pictures, although this de- cision is in spite of the recent improvements in the apparatus which almost eliminates the danger of ignition. Our real justi- fication in not doing so is based on the frothy character of these concerns. As a rule, we prfer to insure something which seems to promise more permanency." Another aspect of the case was presented by Mr. William McDevitt and Mr. Washington Devereaux, both prominently identified with the Underwriters' Association, with offices in the Bullitt building. Added weight was given to the utterances of these gentlemen by the fact that they will give, before the fire insurance companies, a lecture intended to enlighten mem- bers upon the best safeguards against the moving picture ap- paratus. "There is, of course," said Mr. McDevitt, "always danger of fire in the films, but this nowadays does not imply fire in the .building where they are operated. For modern appliances are so thorough that they practically guarantee the repression of