Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

uece.nber 26, 1925 Fage * 1 Y>i\ v» : Planning a Program for a De Luxe Theatre^ Planning a program for a de luxe motion picture theatre is not a mere matter of sitting down with a pencil and a paper for an hour and picking out here and there from the available material the items that go into it. It means much advance preparation and discussion. It means night after night of looking at pictures — frequently well into the morning — and hours devoted to rehearsals. The first aim of every program, of course, is entertainment. People come to the theatre to be entertained. They want quality entertainment. They want variety. From the Eastman Theatre they expect something a bit better than they can find elsewhere. Our job is to give it to them. The largest single item in a program, of course, is the feature picture. The Eastman Theatre has its choice of practically all the screen productions that are made. We preview in our private theatre on the fourth floor, most of the pictures that are made. This gives us a wide range of selection, which sometimes only emphasizes the difficulty. Frequently a run of good pictures will come at one time. They cannot all be played nor can they be held on the shelf indefinitely for some future engagement, for in the meantime they will be played in many cities nearby and thus appear behind the times when offered here. In the interim other good pictures are coming along which would have to be pushed further along in the schedule of playing dates. From the pictures presented to us, which as I said include practically all of those produced, we select those which we believe offer the best entertainment value for audiences of the type which patronize the Eastman Theatre. In making this selection we have due regard, of course, for a proper variety. We must have a fair rotation of dramas, comedies and romances. And we must not present the same stars too frequently. Selection of the feature picture comes first because on the length of the film depends the make-up of the program built around it. An overture must be selected, an act or two arranged, a short comedy scenic or topical film selected. The Current Events is an integral part of every bill. In arranging acts we avail ourselves of both outside material and of the talent that we have in our own institution. A majority of our acts are our own creations, originated by our By ERIC CLARKE Managing Director of Eastman Theatre, Rochester, N. Y. Mr. Eric Clarke is recognized as one of the foremost minds in the industry in the planning of programs. His work with the Eastman Theatre has been nothing short of spectacular. products of creative art. They are complete artistic achievements in themselves. Now and again there comes a picture so colorful, so brilliant, so complete and comprehensive, that no prologue within the confines of the limited stage could hope to convey ' the spirit and atmosphere of the production. It would be sheer anti-climax. Such a picture is "The Big Parade," where this theory was successfully put to application. "Music is the logical medium of interpreting the mood and character of the story, and the music score to "The Big Parade" by David Mendoza and William Axt of the Capitol Theatre, was conceived as a musical counterpart of the motion picture. The picture needed no introduction ; its strength and beauty carried itself. But the scoring received as much attention as the actual making of the picture. Seventy production staff, costumed and staged by our own scenic department and presented by our own singers, dancers or instrumentalists. These acts must be arranged weeks in advance in order to provide sufficient time for rehearsals. Motion picture performances operate almost on a split second schedule. There must be no waits. The screen must never be blank. The slightest break in the continuity of the performance breaks its tempo that much. In arranging the program we have to consider not minutes — but seconds, because the whole presentation must synchronize with the musical score and the slightest break in the continuity mars the performance. In building up an Eastman program it is my task as general manager to arrange a bill which shall include the constituent parts that I have mentioned, with careful consideration of a balancing of numbers so as to appeal to the greatest possible variety of tastes. When I have set it down I call the department heads into conference for counsel and suggestions. Once the bill is decided upon, each department takes up its particular work and several days before the first performance the whole program has been rounded into shape and is ready for the Sunday morning rehearsal which precedes the week's presentation. five per cent of the score was original music — especially composed for the picture by Dr. Axt. There were 180 separate numbers. No less than 8,340 sheets of music had to be marked and cued. "No prologue could hope to convey the magnitude and scope of this production. It could at best only be a cheap aping of its spirit. Instead, we made of the score a cumulative symphonic treatment of moods and characters. The music carried the mood of every scene and followed the action of every character. Each person had his or her theme which expressed the individuality of that person and his development. "This is the special province and contribution of the exhibitor, and, in my opinion, the way he can best serve the interest of the motion picture and the motion picture public." The Prologue Passes {Continued from page 56)