The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry (1914)

Page scan 000486 from The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry

Record Details:

Title:
The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry
Date:
1914
Publisher:
New York, London [etc.] Broadway publishing company
Volume:
The theatre of science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry
Leaf #:
000486
Language:
English
Collection:
Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Cornell University Library
Sponsor:
MSN
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
"Edition of 3000 copies ... Autographed edition."
Date Added:
July 19, 2022
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0 f ^ c i e n c e 293 Time has been flying, and the motion picture business has kept pace. Nevertheless it was nine years ago that Montgomery opened his first moving picture theatre, and a search for information fails to reveal a record of one opened earlier. Therefore Montgomery lays claim to being "first" in the United States to operate a theatre, such as it was, devoted to the exclusive exhibition of motion pictures. Archie L. Shepard claims to have given picture shows exclusively in 1900, but Montgomery's claim is that he was first to establish a theatre on a permanent basis with moving pictures solely as the attraction. He had no fine theatre such as is seen nowadays. His was a crude affair in comparison with the modern photoplay theatres. The front was adorned with a spreading canvas sign on which appeared in foot-high letters "Edison's Family Theatre." The sign attracted the crowds and in they went to see the show. At the end of the perform.ances it was not at all unusual for the patrons to come out and hunt up Montgomery to shake his hand and say, "Mr. Edison, you sure have a great show." They, or at least many of them, thought Montgomery was Thomas A. Edison. The films shown in the Fort Worth house consisted of those Montgomery had collected from time to time for his road show, several hundred reels of varying length, but of a like quaUty of subject. An extra good film would be shown for a week, while others would be run for two or three days. But with such a limited amount of films, Montgomery soon saw the finish of his enterprise which while it lasted was a success. He tried to rent films from other traveling show-men, but this plan would not work. He tried to find some place