The Moving Picture World (1908)

530 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD MORE ENCOURAGEMENT. New York, June 10, 1908. Editor Moving.Picture World. Dear Sir:—Having read in your paper several articles referring to certain firms cutting the price of slides, I wish to state the following: I have never sold a slide to this firm or any other firm for less than $$-00 per set, net, no discounts of any kind whatsoever; this price being net This was for fourteen pictures, title and chorus, making sixteen slides in all. I therefore cannot see how any one could sell my slides for less money than the above, unless they wished to lose money on same or furnish cheap dupli- cates, which not only are useless but hurt the slide business immensely. I also wish to state that notwithstanding the fact that a number of these poor slides have been thrown onto the market, the demand for my product is so great that it takes my entire energies to supply this demand. No one of my regular customers request or expect to secure or purchase any of my slides for less than $5.00 per set, net. I think that your articles in reference to slide matters are very well put, and to the point, and all the other good manufacturers of slides should feel quite thankful to you for exposing these transactions. I certainly do. Very truly yours, A. L SIMPSON. NOTES FROM OUR AUSTRALIAN CORRE- SPONDENT. Sydney, N. S. W., May 14, 1908. Editor Moving Picture World-: Dear Sir:—The moving picture business is increasing rap- idly in this part of the world, and we are in no way behind places which hold to the opinion that they are the center of the universe. Besides the managers of several large thea- ter circuits, who also deal in films, the following are the names and addresses of the dealers in films and machines in this quarter of the globe: Harrington & Co., Ltd., 386 George street, Sydney; Baker & Rouse, Proprietary, Ltd., 375 George street, Sydney, N. S. W.; Jerdans Limited, 393 George street, Sydney, N. S. W.; Clement Mason Trading Company, Ltd., Queen's Hall, Pitt street, Sydney; Pa the Freres, Ltd., Dixoirs Buildings, Pitt street, Sydney; American Picturescope Company, Victoria Hall, Pitt street, Sydney; Arthur Cox & Co., Ltd., 52 York street, Sydney. The New Lyceum. Mr. C. Spencer has taken a three years' lease of the New Lyceum, and the official opening'took place on last Friday by the Governor of the State officially declaring the place open to the world from that date. Mr. Spencer has got a fine place, for the moving picture business, and he should do well, as the longer the pictures are shown the larger the business seems to become. This hall will comfortably seat 3fO0o peo- ple, and every one has got an. uninterrupted view of the stage, and the passages between the seats have been left more than ordinarily wide, and if they had been placed as they are in most of the theaters, they could have made the seating capacity very much greater than they have. Mr. Spen- cer has all of the latest up-to-date films, and manv of them are shown long before they are seen in the United States, and how that is I am at a loss to understand. Now, I speak from a very close watch of the amusement papers in the United States, and as I am connected with the theatrical j>ress, I am sure to know what is going on when it comes to the amusement line. I find, by comparing dates of the first production of a film on this side of the water, that we have had films shown here two weeks before they are mentioned in your paper. Mr. Spencer is also going in for the making of films, and has a first-class plant for the production of both the nega- tives and the films for use. It is to be hoped that he will not lend himself to "dupes," as that is not to the credit of any one that has to do with the film business. Mr. C. Spencer's permanent address is at the Lyceum, Pitt street, Sydney, N. S. W. At the Gladarium. Mr. T. J. West nightly holds forth at this large place, that will stow an audience of 4,500, and on Saturday night it is packed to the very doors, and during the week it is filled almost to capacity. Mr. West has to vacate there on the 25th of this month, and then he goes to the Town Hall (that will also seat the same number) for six weeks, and where he goes from there the writer knoweth not, hut Mr. West told me that I could say that West's pictures had come to Sydney to stay, and what Mr. West says he gen- erally means, and that means a lot. As Mr. West has Louis - De Grben's Vice-Regal Band r that in itself is worth the price that is charged for admission, and as he places his pictures on as well as the best, it only stands to reason that he should be well patronized. Mr. West has a lease of the Wirth Brothers'. Olympia in Melbourne, and that has fully as much seating capacity as the Sydney place, if not more, and he has also a company running in Brisbane, Queensland, and one or two in Xew Zealand and one in Tasmania. Mr. West also imports films and supplies, and he is now going over to England to open an office to export- all the latest productions, just as soon as they come into the field. ' When the first moving picture show came to this city, it was a man sent out by the house of Lumiere, in France, and the representative that came here could not speak one word of English, yet he made enough to retire on and also the fortune of those that put some money in the venture. It is of interest to look back and see the number of films that he made that show with, the same programme submitted nightly and daily every half hour, and the place was packed at every performance, people clambering and fighting to get inside the show, with prices three times as high as what they are getting now, to see the same thing and not as good then as now. The business then went fiat for some years, but gradually was revived again, till now every show has its moving picture machine, and no bill of fare, so to speak, is complete without it Australia is a peculiar country to cater for in the amuse- ment line, and not only is it peculiar, but it is exacting to the very utmost. They have got so that it will not stand for anything that is not top notch. At the London Bio-Tableaux, Mr. Clement Mason, at this place of amusement, formerly known as the "Queen's Hall," nightly has good business, and he also adds another additional attraction in the shape of a young lady orchestra . that discourses sweet music, and they make rag-time go as well as the more classical pro- ductions. Mr. Clement Mason has also a depot for the hire and leasing of films, machines, etc, and also the sale of them. Mr. Mason is at the present time on tour of the West with his No. 3 Company, and I do not know when he will return to Sydney, but he has some one in charge who looks after his business all right, and it seems to go on just as well as ever, during his absence. He is also advertising some new Easter attractions for the coming rush of coun- try people, who wish to go to some place to be amused nightly, and there is to the writer's mind no'more healthy and diverting amusement than the moving picture show, as they are very strict over here, and anything of a demoraliz- ing nature is not for the moment permitted. At the American Picturescope Company. This is right close to the Queen's Hall, and has been built purposely for a moving picture show, and Mr. King, the manager and proprietor, has no cause to regret the day that he also put his good solid dollars into films and machines, as he has his place well filled nightly. Mr. King, the man- ager, also sells films and machines, and also caters for "at homes" and outside amusements, and he, like the others, are putting forward fresh efforts to make the Easter season very attractive to patrons. Mr. King is also absent from the city with his No. 2 Company, in Brisbane, and is doing very well in the North- ern State. There is one thing that will strike your readers in the States as very drastic, and that is the fact there can be no shows given in this part of the world on a Sunday, and a charge made for admittance; that is, an infringement of the laws of this country, and so you see that they are not working the "soiil case" out of an actor over here like in the States. I am an American, and was born and educated in the State of Connecticut, at the good old town of Danbury, and since I have been resident in foreign lands I see more fully the folly that the Americans are guilty of in making wrecks of themselves before they are fifty years old. They get less enjoyment out of life than in any country under the canopy of heaven. Business closes here at one o'clock on Saturdays and Wednesdays, and you can please yourself what day you take, but one of those days you must close up at one, like it or not The law says so, and the law must be obeyed. AH wholesale houses close at one on Saturday, and lots of re- tail houses as well. Now they are trying to get it a universal