The Moving Picture World (November 1907)

630 THE. MOVING .BICTUKE WORLD: 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. 5 01 Wells Street, Chicago, 111. morals. ■. If the managers^-of. these moving picture shows persist I in giving .such^exhibraons~ I wrtfksk'for" legislation to' drive them l out of business./ <X.l\'~-2.>\~\ T ~r v ''*~ 2 " , : [•= ~* r >j j "While the^theatrical arid, dramatic law doesn't cover.moving picture shows, if the managers persist in taking advantage of technicalities, I will resort to every law that I can take advantage of in closing them up. The managers of these places have I brought matters to a point where they will be forced to comply with the law." , ■ ■ •- - .'. - A squad of detectives and patrolmen will be detailed Sundays to visit the moving picture shows. If pictures are placed on ex- hibition that are sensational the manager of the place will be arrested. Policemen who visited the exhibitions last Sunday reported that they found a majority of the amusement places had regular vaudeville programs. The managers of the shows claim that the special acts are exhibitions of "art" and "skill" and do not oeme under the ban of any State or municipal law.' If the managers are brought into court they will be charged with violating the State labor law. The police say that the manual labor of collecting tickets, keep- ing the heating apparatus going, and ushering will form the basis of the complaints. ; "The so-called legitimate theaters are kept closed on Sunday, and I fail to find any reason why the managers of moving pic- ture shows should be allowed to introduce vaudeville." said Kohler. "For a time the orders to dispense with all sensational pictures were obeyed. But they are no longer so well behaved. They have gradually added various acts until the moving picture part of the program is simply a blind. -Show anything in order to get the crowds,' has been the spirit of the managers." The glories of Broadway, Owatonna, Minn., are not entirely departed, for the Lyric moving picture theater is to be reopened. this time under local management^ Messrs. R. T. Woodward and H. C. Burgan will reopen the Lyric and conduct it evenings only. The venture should prove successful under such management and conditions. Mt. Woodward has had considerable, experience with moving picture exhibitions and will supervise the performance. * * * Janesville, Wis., also boasts of the five-cent theater craze. Thi« takes form* in parties of young people, and many older ones, witnessing the moving pictures at the two five-cent theaters on Monday and Thursday nights. It has become quite a fad to invite friends for a "theater party" and then serve a tempting luncheon afterwards. * * * Philadelphia.—As yet no agreement has been reached between the Market street merchants and the proprietors of the moving picture show places as to the playing of music in front of the latter* s places of amusement. An agreement will be made, it is expected, by-which William G. Boogar, who was restrained by order of the Court, and others may use the bands and orchestras after 6 o'clock. Charming Eastburn, president of the Market Street Merchants' Protective Association, which prosecuted the case against Boogar, in explaining the necessity of a compromise, said: "Judge Bregy's decision prevents Boogar from having music at any time, whereas the merchants have no objection to his band playing after 6 o'clock in the evening. The merchants have no desire to impose a hardship, even though we are within our legal rights. "We, therefore, expect to get all the moving picture proprietors to agree to accept an absolute decree against music during busi- ness hours, provided they may have the bands in the evening- This agreement will make it unnecessary to fight the Boogar case in the higher courts, and will obviate the institution of suits against the showmen if they should decide to ignore the decision in the test case against Boogar." *■ * * Elizabeth, N. J.—A robbery was committed here Saturday, the 16th, when the moving picture machine in the new Bijou Theater at 41 Broad street was carried off by thieves. The Bijou is hi the heart of the business section and only a short distance from the Lyceum Theater. The. machine was valued at $200. The managers of the theater are O'Hara & Martin. * * * John Walters.'32 years old, of 8748 Eighteenth avenue, Brook- lyn, N. Y., a stereopticon'operator employed in a moving picture establishment on Surf avenue, was in the Coney Island Court on a charge of grand larceny brought by his-employer. In the complaint it is alleged that Walters took a moving picture ma- chine belonging to his employer and substituted one of his own. an old one and not-of the same value as the other. He was held in $1,000 bail for examination.