The billboard (Sept 1910)

24 Tlie Bill board SEPTEMBER 24, 1910. FILMS vs. PAPE RBACKS Laura Jean Libbey, Nick Carter, The Duchess and Others of the Quarter Novel Writers Relegated to the Limbd pfl^^ By RlCiHARD HENRY LITTLE. (In TbB Chleaso Trnwine.) "NJck Carter, the King of DetecHveB?" The book shop man Bhook his head sadly. "Nope, they don't call for Nick any more. 1 don't know where yon'U find wm Yes, I do. too. He's probably doing a torn In some TandeTllle theatre U he hain't peddling pop ont at the ball game. And I 'speet yon'U flnd BUI the Eld, or the Nemesis of Dead Man's Gnliib; light with him." The old book shop man sighed hesTlIy. "Nope," he resmned, ''and 1 halnt got any more Millionaire's Bride, nor Lord Dofmmy'a Heiress, Dor Bertha the Beantlfnl Typewriter, nor Wil- fred, UUdred. or the Mnrder In the Hannted Castle. Times have changed. Bertha M. day and SUk Carter and «ad Man- Beadle and bU the lest «t 'em have been pnt ont of boslnesB. Tint's the reason that Lama Jean Ubbey has mm on the nndeviae stage. I saw lots of ■tnr In the papers aboot Iianra Jean going on the TOde'Till stage In New York, and not one at the pieces I read told the reason." "Well, Btatber Wlniam," asked, "and. vaa^ what Is v tbs zeasonT" *%auiie," nld Oiarbeard. "the nickel the- atre motion picture shows has pnt 'em on the btun. Maxy tbe cook A»i'1: sit op nlsbts now Selling out ]nst why the yoimg Xmi MoUycod- e thiew down tbe hntty Lady Veie de Veie to wed sweet little Kitty, the street sweeper's dan^ter. Nor does little lAcy with the pom- padour who works behind the lace remnant counter In the department store sneak around behind the water-^wler to find ont It Wilful Madge polstHied hec husband, (dd MlUIonaire Manyscads, and how she nit ont of JaU to young Percy Honker, wfia had always ' IS her Innocence?" "Nope," resmned. the former p m iejur of thrillers and yellowbacks, "times have changed. Messenger boys don't walk along the street any more counting the cursed redskins that UtUe ThtraAer, the Boy Steoorge of ;tlie Arrapaboes, killed, or watch him while he sticks bis knife into Big Charlie, the White Chief of the Kick- .. anoos. And they don't care any more whether ' Mick. Carter, disguised as a fisli peddler, gets ont of the grave where' the counterfeiters bur- led Urn or not. Tbey get their tbrllla now at the nickel motion picture shows." Bother William -went on to explain tliat the former clientele of lAura Jean Itlbbey and Bertha H. Clay and-Nick Carter and (Ad man Beadle now get lu literary delists at the picture sIiDws. "It's easier," said' Father wnilam. "Ton Inst pay a nlckel'and sit In a chair and yon don't have to spell the words ont. Ton see the whole business right there before yon. These motion pictures work ont a tegnlac plot, only Instead of reading how the beantlfm Mildred threw herself Into the arms of her faithful sweetheart yon can catch her rl^t In the act. No. dree, these nickel motion picture shows nave certainly pnt a crimp on Uteratnre." To ninstrate his point Father William brought 'Ont a magazine containing the synopsis of the plots of the week's crop of new film pictures. He picked ont one at random and submitted it in evidence. . "Here yon are," said Father WHUam. 'Tsee it says this film is called Bosemaiy for Be- membrance, and It ssys that Ute heroine Is a conntry girl whose sweetheart falls from gtace one dark nl^t by drinking with the boys. His father casts Mm ont and he goes to the city to make s man of himself. He succeeds and keeps straight and clesns up a fortune on the stock exchange and marries a swell heiress, Hw little country girl keeps the tosematy he Save her for remembrance and dies of a broken eart, stIU kissing the little faded Ooweret." "Now," says Father William, "can't yon see it? Wouldn't tliat plot give The Dnchess cards and spades and make Bertha M, Clay throw a back somersault with Joy? But the. girls that eat that kind of stuff aUTe; without salt, pep- per, or salad dressing, would rather see the hero getting a line bun om and disgracing himself all over the village and his pa putting the In- dian sign on blm and telling him to beat it than to read the story. And then ttiey see him salting down the mazuma in New Tork and making love to the heUress and the big wedding with all the peoide there^ Why, they get so excited seeing tlie wbole. tlilns xisbt before their bands and face that they feel as though they were Invited. And then at last the scene shifts bsck to the dear did village vrith UtUe yane, the farmer's dengfiter, sitting down bade Of the haystack kissing the bgndt of rasemary and during wbUe the tet'woman at Uie piano plays She Was Hara^ TDI She Met '7on. fiiat's why I4inra Jean Ubbey has gmie Into vand'- viUe." "rn bet, by lieck, that The Dnchess Is mak- ing beds In a boarding bouse, and that Bertha M. Clay Is writing patent medicine ads for dandruff cure, and that Nick Carter Is driving an ice wagon. It's a good thing they didn't Invent motion pictures two or three hundred years ago. Tbey woidd have put old BUI Shakespeare blmwlf ont of business." Father WUlIam, anxious further to prove Ills point on the decadence of literature and why Ijiara Jean lAblxy tbrew her pens and tbe bot- tle of lavender ink into the East Blver and fled to the slielter of the vaudeville theatre, grabbed his hat and led the way to a motion picture show. He didn't liave to go far. There are thousands of them In Chicago. In one short block, on Madison street* there are four. The place was crowded snd was fourteen degrees hotter tlian n Xorkisb batlu "I«)fc," Whispered Father WUIIam. "Thete's a woman that used to boy up aU of Bertha H. Clay and Xanra Jean libbey before the Ink on their books was dry. And there's a messenger boy there that I'll bet has got seventeen life and death messages in his pocket right now. He osed to make me take novels back if there wasn't at least two hundred of the 'cursed redskins' 'biting the dust' In every one of 'em. Sore, ail my old customers are right here." The motion picture film came to a close with the fond lover clasping his "weeping sweetheart to his breast while a preacher came in and married them then and there to tbe soft strains of "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" The next 'plctore made Father 'William sit up and laugh with sardonic. glee. It "was a film that pictured mackerel fishing off the coast of Norway. ^ "Ha, ha!" snorted Father W&IIam as he glaied malevtflently at his former customers. "Ha. hal StamKUhy llmlny!" PICTURES OF EL QIN RACES. Pictures of the Elgin National Trophy Eosd Eaces. held recently In Elgin, HI., have been released by the American Motor Baclng Picture Company offices of which firm are located at 830 B. 35th street. Chicago. The film, which Is complete from the start of the races to the {iresentatlon of prizes and Is 1,000 feet In ength, is pronounced by those who 'witnessed the private exhibitions as one 'of the best repro- ductions of races ever seen in motion pictures. FILM MEN WIN SECOND PRIZE. Gne of the msny special attractions given in conjunction witb the Ohio TaHey Exposition was the antomobile parade last Wednesday. Amongst the numerous contestants who deco- rated their cars was seen that of McMaban JackscHi, proprietors of the Queen City FDm Exchange, Cincinnati. Not a yfmi had been intimated to their friends of their Intention of .enterlllg the contest;' tint; nevertheless, th^ were easily recognised in fiielr Immaculate cos- tumes, and were forced to bow and greet the : salutations offered them. Their car was deco- rated in a floral design of white and purple. With such taste that the second prize of $150 was awarded them. Inddentdly, It must be xemarked that Mac and *Vack" always come in '; a|t tbe top. no matter-what tbey- do. HEW USE FOR MOV ING PICTURES. //'Balttmore. Hd., Sept. 17.—The motiia pletnre .VfllB-~has been. recQgmzed as a commercial me- r^Inm'lB. the Industrial world by mannfaetnrera, !I3ie Equitable Asphalt Maintenance Company of Kansas City, Mo., gave an exhibition at the Cteand Theatre at Honiday and Baltimore f streets, September 8, to show the city officials ■omethlng of their methods of laying aaplialt pavements. A number of city officials accepted the Invltatloi to attend the exhibition. This ipany has a patented machine for laying as- lit on all surfaces. TWO BILLS PICTURES. Bids are being received rapidly for the state lights to tile 3,000 feet of pictures showing the complete BofTalo Bni Wild West and Pawnee Bill Far East. The film shows all the teatnres of the "big show" Inst as presented on tbe road by Cuonel Cody and Major; Ullle and flieir robgb rldersL From the tact that BnOtlo BID and Pamee Bin are perhaps tte last remaining lepcesenta- tlves of that' period wlien the west wag an unbroken wilderness, and tlut the history of tbelr lives wni be tbe bistoxy of the west, make the pictnres of edncatlonal and bistortcal yaloe. PREPARATION FOR CURTAINS. Boldine Is the name of a preparation pnt on the market by tbe Washington Scenic Studio, of 109 East Joseph street, Mishawaka, Ind., tot making a picture more bold, clear and dis- tinct. Boldine. when applied to tbe curtain, brings out every minor detail reproduced by the camera, the colors are brought ont sharper, every movement on the actor's part, and every expression STB: brpogbt ont with great vivacity MOVING PIC TURE THEATRES. 7.' H. Henl^ has pnrdtased^ the Palace Mov- ing Picture Theatre at Haylield. Ky., and will opemte it: under the :name of the E.yrlc. Pic- tures.; songs and vandevUIe will be the attrac- tlons, ■ . ■ Znekerman and WOlf^ who have eondneled the Wonderland .Tbeatre.-. Newark, 0„ nave dis- solved partnership,- Mr. Znekerman buying bis partner's interest in the business. The Elite Theatre. Anniston. Ala., has adoptied tbe policy of using only motion pictures. The Elite is menaged by Geo, 6, Wood, Ewing Brothers are proprietors, and J. H. Swing, manager, of the Lyric Theatre, Burling- ton, Iowa. AL Cochran, of Omaha, Neb., has leased the opera house at Douglas, Wyo., from J. 3. Steffen. Albert Aichele has sold his motion picture theatre at Stoughton. Wis., to Archie Skibtek. Percy Folk has sold the Tolk Theatorlum, Bellefontalne, O., to Frank B. Butter. Carroll Brothers are now the owners of tbe Dreamland Theatre, Beardstown, HI. William Straban has opened a new motion pic- ture, theatre in McPherson, Kan. B. Boods, of Tiffin. O., has opened a new mo- tion picture theatre in Kenton, O. Ubor Day wa* iibserved at the '0, S. Federal Priaon, Leavenworth, Kan,, by giving the 1,052 prisoners a day of rest and a vaudeville enter- tainment In the chapel. Tbe following asaocla- tion acts from the Orphenm .Theatre, appeued and "cleaned np:" Walter and CaUa Gray, Nonm Gregg. The Dmmmas and Clever Cohkey. HAMBU RG, GERMANY Description of Conditions in the Motion Picture Field in One of the Principal Cities of the Kaiser's Domain—Domestic and Imports Although the American raw (unexposed) film Is conaldered by those consulted in Ham- burg as of superior quality. It is not believed that It can be Imported Into Germany. Two very large American moving picture film con- cerns have established their own factories on the Continent. The Kodak Company, in Berlin, and the American Titagraph in Paris, It Is understood that these supply the demands of the trade as far as raw materials are concerned. Machines and parts thereof, being in so lit- tle demands, only one machine being needed by any producer of pictures, the trade in these artlclea reaches no considerable figures, Exposed films rarely. If ever, come direct to Hamburg from the Cnlted States, and very few films of American origin are shown In tills dty. liie two firms above mentioned and Oie 'Vttaacope Company, are xepreaented all over Europe -and nraeUcaUy control what UtOe de- mand there la (or American pictures. The cri- ticism Is offered* that the subjects most com- monly seen la pictures from the United State a, those of Wild west life, or Indlsn pictnres, have become tiresome to the pnblie on this side, and further, tbe pictures are alleged to be not as well produced today as they were a number ot years ago, falling short In clear- ness and in adequacy of staging. In sub- jects of bnmor, the German pobiic frankly ad- mits ite inability to understand or appreciate it, the. points being at too wide a variance from those mich are nnderstood and enjoyed on this side. Kecently a very amusing Apierlcsn pic- ture was exhibited in Hamburg, which faUed to draw forth even a smile. The subject dealt vrith was the typical American noonday segmait of pie but nobody knew what pie was. nobody knew the American habit, very few understood the various signs exhibited In the pictnres, SlI in English, and the humor of a chase across the city for a piece of fresh pie failed to touch anyone, . , , It is customary with dealers in moving pic- tures to equip their traveling agents wIUi pr^ grammes ^ pietnrcs which are to be «hibited two or three vreeks hence, and to supply them also with a sample copy of each picture, for exlilbitlon to managers of moving picture shows. At the time' the agent sends In his report, he transmits the several orders he may have received from hla customers, and the Importer orders these pictures from the makers, moat desirable length of picture averagea 60O feet. American pictures Invariably szeead 650 feet, and frequently It Is only their eze«*- slve length whldi prevents sales. A good picture interestingly, or amusingly, portrayed la often mined by being too long-drawn-out. There is, assuredly, an equal chance tor the sal* of American pictures in Germany, provided they are dear, the films not too long, and the snblects good. The Germans do not make their own comic pictures, an art In which the French, the Americans and the English appear to ezceL The German arm In Blberteld. manufactur- ing non-infiammable picture films still has Its product in an experimental stsge, and liaa not yet placed It on the market for sale. Tha ax- perience of many dealers with th« p g aa aafe product of this type is that while It reallF H nw-lnflammable, tbe pictures are abeted bj the quality of the material.: and ■ are - nan- ally fallores. One dealer, oomplmllls oC m loa* Of over 50 per cent in Us; pnrdMiea of pic- tures made on this material. Moving picture films enter Germany under the tarlir classification ot cellnlold. and pay m duty ot 200 marka (H7.00) per 100 kilogram* (200 lbs.) and coat on an average o( one mark (g0.238> a meter. There are no central agencies In Bambntg. A number of Berlin s addresses weiv: snppUcd In an earlier repvt/snd ara sopplementad be- low: ■ Agents In Hamburg handling Americas fllns: Herm, Snmmelliaaek, Johnaallee Sit, Ham- burg, ■■ ■■„. ..^ ,,'.■ Henri Adolpta Mnller. Fuhlentwlete 63, Ham- burg, Central agencies in Berlin: Continental FUm Co., vonn als B. Glom- beck and Co., Berlin. Film Zentrale Monopol, BIrke and Nadolny> Lebnserstr. 1. Berlin, M. O, 18. Manufacturers of non-imflammable dime: Kodak Gea. m^ b. b.. .Uarkgrafenstr. 82-98. Berlin, , Fatbenthbrlken, vorm.. Friedr.. Bayer, BIberr feld. cdlit. —• BOBBBX p. SKIKNEB. . Hamburg, Genniny, Jnly 23, ino. RELIAN CE RE LEASES.. The ilrst reel of "Bellance" film wUl be Issued on Saturday. October 22. by the Carlton Motion Picture laboratories, and a reel 'wlu be released each Saturday thereafter. As soon as the exhibitors become familiar with the quality of this film two reels will be released weekly. The "Keliance" stock company numbera among its members some of the leading motion pictare stars in tbe world, many ot whom ate famUlar to audiences throughout the world, Indnding Marlon Xeonsrd, lames Kirkwood. Arthur John- son, Henry Walthall, PhlUips SmaU^. An- thony O. SUUlvan, Frankie Bums, Gertrude Bobinaon, Edward Morrlsey and Eugene Sanger, the latter acting as director. ' i K. SOME MORSE HITS. The well-known English comedienne. Miss Alva Xork, opened on tbe Morris Clrcnlt Sept. 18. Her songs are all of the English comedy type with the exception of one entitled Yon re Mine. All Mine, composed and published by Theodore Morse. . , , ^ Her state room on the linBltama, on board of which she returned to America, was nearly opposite to the orchestra stand, and after a heavy number at each concert" the leader would play an encore, the melody of which appealed to ber like a breath of air from dear old ten- don Itself, She sent a request, asking the name of the favorite number. The leader sent a vlcAln part back and also a professional copy which he had gotten among others while in New York. Bliss York determined tben to learn the song, and, with the help of tbe orcbestra playing it at dlffereiit times, she soon bad It mastered. You're Mine, All Mine la the "big" song of her act, Leon Finch (The Boy With the Smile), who Is assisted by Roscoc Slater, writes from 'Vln- cennes, Ind.. that If This Bose Told Yon All That It Knows and Phoebe Jane, from Theo. Horse Co., are both enormous bits for him and are going better at every performance, . ^ Barber and Palmer are making good with Down In Sunny Honey Town. „ ^ ^ „ Eddie Panll states that Good-bye Betty Brown Is a vranderfol song for bU act. ABOUT rEIST NUMBERS. Miss Kay is making a big bit at tbe Palace Theatre, Philadelphia, Binglng AI. Plantadon's songs, entitled Tske Me With Yon Cotey and Forget to Bring Me Back. Sweet Italian Waltz and There'll Be Excitement in Ireland if Kelly Bhoidd be Found. ■■'.■■■♦ ■■■ Sam Doty, who has been singing Italian Rag for tbe last five or six months, is going to put on Feist's new Italian song, entitled, Busty- Can-No Bag at Hammeratein's, Mew York, this week.' ■ The Four Melody Monarcbs are making a big hit at Utlca—Sbubert Theatre—this week, sing- ing Bnsty Can-No Bag, Feist's new Italian song—snd also the Funny Bag and Kissing '4 ' The Avon Comedy Four have been singing Felst'a new march song. Think It Over, Mary, and have been taking fonr and five encores every nigbt Thej aKs at the Colonial, New Xork, this week. Sharkey, Gessler and Lewis are making a big bit singing Feist's new march sang, entitled rm Going Back' to My Old Girt. They will be at Proctor's, Newark, mxt week. Billy Farnnm and the Olark Sbitera are sing- ing Feist's new conversation song, entitled Tak* Me With Yon Cutey and Forget to Bring M* Back. They are at KeUh'a, Boston, this week. Bene Qrooseman Is making a big bit with the Bolfeman'a act, singing Feist's new Spanlsb vralts song. My Cavalier. '■ This Is Joe Nsthsn'* new snccessor to Senota.. HARRIS' NEW BABY SONG. Charles K. Harris reports enormous demami for his new baby song, I Want to Buy a Littls Bit ot Love, the requests for it being in larger nombers than for the prevlona Harrla baby song. Always In the Way, Mr. Harris hss had spe- einal slides posed for this iong. Mlsa Margaret Mudge has been especislly engaged to sing for the aeason with Manrlee Levy's orchestra at Churchill's. Miss Mndge la using several ot Charles K, Harrla' song hits. Harry A, Chick, who has been for three sea- sons at the Plaza Theatre, Washington, D, 'C,. writes Mr, Harrla that bis singing It's Always June When You're In Love and Was I a FoolT has been tbe means of popularising these aonga in Washington, He also says that he intro- duced I Want to Buy a Little Bit of Love. MARION LEONARD, Leading woman, Bellance Stock Company.