The Moving Picture World (May 1908)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 393 be allowed in the. operating booth; matches, oil' lamps or illuminating gas must be kept out of the booth, which must be lined with asbestos, sheet iron or tin, and fireproof. maga- zines must be provided for the Alms. The.penalty pro- vided for violations is $100. DETROIT TO LICENSE OPERATORS. Detroit, Mich., April 23.—An ordinance how pending before the Common Council Committee, which requires that opera- tors of moving picture machines must have attained the age of eighteen years before they are eligible and they must be licensed after obtaining a certificate from the public light- ing commission concerning their competency. It probably will be reported at the next meeting of the Council. MOVING PICTURES FROM A BALLOON. Berlin, April 25.—Photographs for the cinematograph have just been taken from a balloon successfully by Herr Erne- mann, a Dresden engineer. As the exciting aerial voyage was ending he passed over the Sensteberg coal mine. Here, too, Ernemann succeeded in taking fine photographs. But just then the balloon shot down so suddenly that even the cinematograph apparatus had to be thrown from the basket. Luckily, the pictures were afterward found intact.—New York World. THEATERS CLOSED OR IN TROUBLE. Birmingham, Ala., April 17.—J. J. Ferry, proprietor of a moving picture show at 321 North Twentieth street, hied a voluntary petition in bankruptcy Friday. The liabilities are placed at $4,099.65, of which $295 is due the employes. The scenery and fixtures, which constitute the assets, are valued at $430. Salem, Mass, April 22.—Another of the local picture houses has given up the ghost, the Premier, on Essex street, closing its doors yesterday after an unsuccessful straggle to please the public. The Premier is the second moving picture theater to close within a few weeks, the Star having gone out of business quite recently. CHILDREN UNDER SIXTEEN NOT ADMITTED TO NEW JERSEY THEATERS. The moving picture theaters in New Jersey are hard hit by the new law which has just been passed prohibiting the admittance of children under sixteen years of age to thea- ters and dance halls, unless accompanied by parents or guardians. • i Although this bill was not aimed at the "moving picture parlors, these also come under the ban. It is said that managers are organizing to fight the law and test its constitutionality, meanwhile, as a rule, man- agers of moving -picture halls have shown a disposition to co-operate -with the authorities in the matter, and several have announced that in a few days signs will be displayed in their places stating that in no case will children under the age mentioned in the law be admitted. NOTES FROM CANADA. A theater manager in London, Ont, advises us that the City Council. is preparing a new law which provides that the aisles of all theaters shall be four feet wide and free from obstruction. Over each door there shall be an "Exit" sign painted in six-inch letters and illuminated by a set of red lights above. Probably the most important clause of the new regula- tions is the one referring to additional fire protection from the danger of the picture films igniting. Above the ma- chine a box of sand will be placed, containing fifty pounds •i( sand. By the means of fine mechanism the operator will be able to push a button and precipitate the sand upon the machine. This device has been experimented with and will extinguish a burning film in short order. The theater man- agers will appreciate the precaution, and that it is not likely that this portion will be objected to. It is not likely that the present license fee of $80 will be changed. The theaters will be under direct control of the police department - -. .... POLICE CENSORSHIP IN MASSACHUSETTS. Haverhill, Mass., April 17.—Anything sensational in mo* ing pictures ai Sunday, concerts will no longer get by, for the chief of the State police will be official censor of what is and what isn't suitable for a sacr-d concert. A bill to this effect got by the Legislature in some way without at- tracting any particular attention, but it passed all right and has been signed by Acting Governor Draper, becoming a law on May 11. The bill provides that the chief of the State police shall be critic, and that what he says is not sacred is not to be allowed. "Parsifal," "Passion Play." and the other Biblical subjects will be about the only kind of pictures allowed on Sundays. In order to have the Sup- day programme approved in time for the concert, it will be necessary to submit them to the chief early the week before, so that up-to-date programmes will be in the ad- vertisements only. The local theaters are doing pretty well in arranging their Sunday concerts, and in fact in arrang- ing all of their programmes, for the sensational pictures are run only when the people want them, and the other nura-" bers on the bill are of such an order as to tone them down, making it instead a well-balanced bill without objectionable features. SUNDAY SHOWS IN CLEVELAND, O. The Merchants' Association, of Cleveland, Ohio, are en- deavoring to enforce a law which will compel every busi- ness place in Cleveland to close on Sundays. This includes moving picture shows, cigar stores and ice cream parlors and penny arcades. The petition was presented to the uuCyor, who ruled against the penny arcades, but he called the managers and owners of theaters before him and told them that they would be allowed to give exhibitions if they would not ex- hibit vaudeville of any kind, instrumental or vocal music or illustrated songs. All pictures are to be of a moral and educational character, such as the "Passion Play," scenes in Jerusalem; in fact, nothing save of a moral character can be produced. Violation of these conditions Is to be fol- lowed by closing and future opening forbidden. Every exhibitor agreed to the terms, and permission was given. In closing the penny arcades, the mayor said: "I am satisfied that those places afford only a good place for loaf- ers. - . •'I have consulted a number of ministers, and they say Sunday is a great day for strangers in the city, and they want some sort of amusement," said the mayor. LOCAL SUNDAY SHOWS NOW BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT. Test cases on the question of the law relating to perform- ances in theaters on Sundays were argued in the Appellate. Division of the Supreme Court .yesterday. The cases in- cluded the Keith 65c Proctor Amusement Company, Archie I. Shepard, for the Manhattan Theater Company, and the Eden Musee American Company. The other cases are the Olympic Athletic Club, a moving picture place in Stanton street, and a dancing room in East Fifty-eighth street. The actions are an appeal in each case from an order in the Supreme Court continuing temporary injunction pend- ing decision in the cases, preventing interference by the police. Police Commissioner Bingham, some of his cap- tains and other officers, are named as appellants. Counsel for the Police Commissioner, Assistant Corporation Counsel Connoly, said in his brief to the court regarding the attempt of the police to close the Fifth Avenue Theater of Keith & Proctor on Sunday: "The principal question involved in this appeal is whether what is announced as the 'First exhibition on Broadway of Pathe Freres famous European representation of the Passion Play, or the Life of Christ, with appropriate Scriptural readings and special sacred music, and, in addition, a most interesting programme of special features,' violates the ordi- nance of May 19, 1907." In defense of the theater manager it was pointed out that the representation of the "Passion Play" was to have been an illustrated lecture on the life of Christ, and not a performance in the theatrical sense, and that it was not un- lawful. . ' . . . In the case of the Manhattan Theater, moving pictures on the "Life of Moses," "Prodigal Son," Bible stories and