The Moving Picture World (November 1907)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 595 A new ten-cent theater, the Crescent, opened at 1512 Fourth avenue, Davenport, la., for moving pictures and illustrated songs. Up on Broadway, New York, in the heart of the Tenderloin, is the Viscount Henri d'Hauterives. The Count is running a moving picture establishment, but none the less he is a count. and bis name and family are among the proudest in all France. Still further be it known that the Count is a relative of Boni de Castellane. But he is not proud of that at all. The Count is thirty-eight and of distinguished bearing. In spite of his titles, he gives a good picture show. The signs in the windows of the shop wherein he gives the show attract much attention from.people around Broadway and Forty-second street, who wonder what the show is like. Ah, if they only could know the identity of the showman. Incidentally, the Count's mother is with him in this country. She has almost as many, if not more, titles than the Count, but she is loath to mention them. However, she helps her son in his business by selling tickets. • * * BROOKLYN ITEMS. Sunday entertainments were inaugurated at Phillips' Lyceum, when moving picture exhibitions and illustrated songs are to be given. The Lyceum is located in a section of the city where such entertainments are sure to attract large audiences. It would appear that since Hyde and Behman closed their houses Sunday nights and the Rev. Canon Chase commenced his war- fare against these entertainments, as though every theater in town has a Sunday show, concert or moving, picture exhibition. Even the Young Men's Christian' Association has "got the habit." There was a moving picture show at Association Hall last Sunday, and this afternoon at the same place the story of '"Ben-Hur" will be shown in pictures. Former Assemblyman Cyrus B. Gale, who is well known as a Democratic campaign orator, appeared before Justice Aspinall, in the Supreme Court, Brooklyn, N. Y., to apply for an in- junction restraining the police from interfering with the Sun- day operation of his moving picture show at the Penny Arcade on Fulton street, near Hanover Place. He was represented by James W. Ridgway, while Assistant Corporation Counsel Ed- ward Lazansky represented the police. After the lawyers had argued the application, Mr. Gale asked the privilege of explaining his position on the Sunday ques- tion. Justice Aspinall granted the request, a very unusual honor extended to a layman. Mr. Gale stated that he had a large sum of money invested in the enterprise, and that his interests were affected by Sunday closing. He declared his willingness to close on Sunday, however, should Sunday shows finally be declared unlawful, but he insisted that in that case the law must be en- forced impartially and every form of Sunday entertainment stopped. Justice Aspinall reserved decision. '■ * * * The moving picture craze has developed into a huge enter- prise, and with the increase has come many peculiarities, con- cerning which the public knows but little. Joseph Mack and myself had a little chat on the subject recently, and as it proved interesting-to me, it may to others. Mr. Mack states that the best films come from France, and the next in merit are from Germany. American films ■ are not as good as those from either of the two mentioned countries, just why no one seems to know, except that some process in the developing makes the French films superior. The life of a film is about six weeks, for with the oil and pit incidental to the machine, the pictures' become "rainy," to employ a technical phrase. Films will be imported, reaching this country the latter part of the week, and are exhibited the following week, beginning a tour which lasts less than two months. Recently, in the* city of Providence, the chief of police has been ordered to censor all moving pictures before they are Publicly exhibited. So a private view is given the minion of we law, and if any subject deals with suicide, murder or crime in any form, it is tabooed. Any film which shows a woman ^sufficiently clad comes under the same ban, for the reason a at the effect on the public is not supposed to be conducive to 8«>d morals. * * * A new invention is being tried in New York wherein the ™cuig machine is to be utilized with motion pictures, the only vacuity at present being to time the two devices so that the Sp ^ T c bes will come in at the proper moment. Who knows but soon we will have a play in which no living JBJ will appear on the stage, but comic operas sung and Wed by competent people will supplant some of the monstros- ESSANAY FIL READ THIS DESCRIPTION ...OF. . The Eleventh Hour A. Dramatic Triumph in Effort and Story. DESCRIPTION. Think over the long list of feature films that have been issued and decide which have been the most suc- cessful ; invariably the decision will be "pictures that ' have children as the leading characters." In producing "THE ELEVENTH HOUR" we knew that something different must be made to have a child picture a success, and we have used the children in' connection with this" film in an entirely original way. The story can be told in a few words. An honest Italian attending to his "peanut stand is bothered by a bully, who insists on filling his pockets from the Italian's ware. _ Of course, the Italian resents this; a fight ensues, in which the bully is knocked down, and in falling strikes his head against the pavement, which kills him. The Italian is arrested and torn from his wife and children, convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged. The poor wife seeks a pardon by going to the Governor, who absolutely refuses any aid whatever, believing the Italian guilty of willful murder. The home-coming of the mother to her children follows, and the poor woman is so overcome with grief that the children themselves are stirred to action. They leave home and start to make a final attempt to save the life of their father. They go to the Governor and beg him to give them back their dad. At last the Governor's human nature is touched and he hands a pardon to the two tots. Of course they lose no time in delivering it, and reach the jail just as the father is being led out to meet his fate. The pardon is delivered at the eleventh hour, the father released, and a happy reunion follows. Length, 850 ft. (about) Code, Tonie Price, 12c per foot And Send For Additional Copies Over Your Regular Order. ESSANAY FILM MFG. CO. 501 Wells Street, Chicago, 111.