The Film Index (Jul-Dec 1910)

26 THE FILM INDEX CHICAGO LETTER (Continued from page 7.) MELIES KIDS IN "OUT FOR MISCHIEF" that when the capacity is more than 300, the theatre must have an 8 foot alley on each side of the structure and running through the entire depth, this being the law governing legitimate theatres. This, of course, would make the building too expensive. Fifth street, between Walnut and Plum streets, can boast of several of the finest houses in the city. There can be found the Gaiety, with Harry Hart, manager, who also conducts the American on Walnut street; the Bijou, I. Lisbon, manager; the Lubin, the first important picture theatre erected in Cincinnati; the Colonial, Ed. Bernardi, manager; the Sun, George Nixon, manager, and the Victoria, I. Frankel, manager. The Royal theatre on Vine street, an illustration of which appeared in The Film Index of Sept. 2 4, is the newest first class picture house constructed. Mr. Dresner, speaking of the licensed exhibitors of Cincinnati, stated that they demand a high class service, regardless of price. Most of the leading exhibitors have full confidence in pictures as a strong drawing entertainment by themselves, and they are opposed to the use of cheap vaudeville. "The straight picture houses are the ones that are best satisfied with the box office receipts," said Mr. Dresner emphatically. Cincinnati has an Exhibitors and Renters' Association, meetings being held the second and last Wednesday of each month. Both licensed and "isdependent" exhibitors are members of the association. At these meetings there are discussions and suggestions for the betterment of the picture business. All suggestions are taken in order as made, and the meeting passes on them. The association has been productive of some very good results. In the first place the moving picture license was reduced from $300 per year to $150 per year, a big saving for the exhibitor. The exhibitors work in harmony and do not resort to unfair competition. At the present time they are engaged in working out a plan whereby a circuit can be formed for illustrated song singers, so that each house will have a change of singers each week. Furthermore, the association recently rented an office in the Royal Theatre building, 7th and Vine streets, where the secretary is busily engaged from 1 p. m. to 9 p. m. in assisting exhibitors to secure musicians, vocalists, picture machine operators, etc., on short notice. The exhibitor simply calls up the secretary, states his wants and is immediately provided with the required help. The Magnetic Film Service Co. is enjoying a profitable business at present, Manager Dresner assured me. It attends to the wants of the greater number of Cincinnati exhibitors, the Pittsburgh Calcium Light & Film Co. also having a branch office there. Last year, about this time, the Magnetic was buying only 7 reels of the licensed product; now the exchange is purchasing 70 per cent, of the entire licensed output. Manager Dresner does not consider the "independents" as competitors; in fact he stated that, so far as his exchange is concerned, he did not know there was an "independent" exchange in existence, in Cincinnati. Mr. Dresner informed me that his exchange had taken on quite a number of new customers within the last three months, and that a comparison of the number of customers now on the books, with that of the same date last .year, shows an increase of 200 per cent., or three times as many. Mr. Dresner prides himself on the introduction of the herald system of publicity among his customers. At a small cost, the exhibitor is furnished (well in advance of the release of a film) with a herald, on which is printed the name of his theatre, the date of presentation, and a full synopsis of the film subject. A careful distribution of these heralds in the homes, in the vicinity of the theatre, is followed by good results. Film manufacturers furnish the Magnetic with cuts to illustrate these heralds. Posters are used very liberally by Cincinnati exhibitors and everyone insists on getting them. The Magnetic Film Service Co. never closes its offices. Day and night forces are always on hand to attend to customers, who can thus get what they want any hour they call. Just kids — two ordinary, every-day, healthy, American kids — are the principal actors in Melies coming comedy "Out For Mischief." They are not particularly bad youngsters, nor are they what are ordinarily termed model children, but they have the attribute so characteristic of the American child — pent up energy that expends itself in the perpetration of mischievous pranks. At the home of their parents there are visit the success of their first trick, try the next one on their parents' guests. These estimable gentlemen spend an afternoon in the park during which time they lay aside their hats. When they return home and again remove their hats, great is the consternation to find black bands on their foreheads — a la Grecian. The mysterious black paint has been placed as mysteriously on their sweatbands. ors. Naturally this is the time the youngsters get busy, for it is. the. time they are least liable to be reprimanded. The first of their pranks is the "getting away" with a can of black paint with which they paint a moustache and goatee on the portrait of their grandmother, making her look more like a feudal baron than anything we can think of. The sudden growth of the beard dumfounds and puzzles the family, much to the delight of the kids, who, emboldened by At the supper table comes the climax and with it the exposure, for in the soup is found mice and frogs. There is no longer any doubt as to the identity of the mischief makers, who both receive severe spankings from both parents and guests. But after all they had boards underneath their clothing and father never spoke truer than when he said "this hurts me more than it does you, my children." "Out For Mischief" will be released Oct. 13. Hardship of Proposed New Theatre Law. Seventy-five owners and managers of family vaudeville theatres, in Chicago, met at the Great Northern Hotel Friday, Sept. 23, and formed the Chicago Family Theatre Managers' association. This organization is a plan of defense against a new building ordinance which threatens to wipe out the present type of family vaudeville houses in this city. The ordinance which, at the very prospect of passage, has frightened the small theatre managers to a point of terror, provides that theatres of Class 4, which includes ninety per cent, of the houses now playing vaudeville at 10 and 2 0 cents, must each employ a policeman and a fireman at their own expense, itself a serious matter, but inconsequential as compared with the provision that prohibits movable scenery. Without changes of scenery the smaller houses will find it impossible to present the grade of vaudeville now being shown. Scenery Must Be Stationary. The specifications of the proposed law, which goes before the Council Committee on Buildings October 3, bars any scenery except two asbestos drops, three wings and four sky borders, all stationary. This would prevent 40 per cent. of the acts now playing the Chicago small time from appearing in the theatres and greatly diminish the effectiveness of all the others, except the acts that play before the olio curtain. Inquiry by members of the building committee into theatre conditions awoke the managers to a realization of their danger, and investigation on their part revealed that the promoters of the ordinance are in deadly earnest and propose to push it to success, if necessary, by creating a public sentiment through an expose of needed reforms in the small houses. The ordinance was drafted by Assistant Corporation Counsel William S. Stahl, as a revised building law to cover theatres of Class 4. In it theatrical scenery is closely defined, and includes such stringent limitations that even special "drops" for acts working on the stage aprons will be prohibited. The measure is built to run until January 1, 1915. It provides, among other innovations, that no additional Class 4 theatres shall be constructed with seating capacity of more than 300, driving new theatres larger than that into Class 5, where steel curtains and other costly paraphernalia are required; that no theatres shall be maintained in frame buildings. Stahl declares that thus far no objection has been sent to the Council against the passage of the ordinance, that none is anticipated, and that if any arises it will be fought on grounds of public policy and drastic safety requirements. The theatre managers declare that the precautions are beyond necessity, and that the ordinance is promoted with an ulterior purpose seeking their injury; that they will appeal to the aldermen of their wards, and that they represent millions in capital and will present a solid front against the legislation. NEW CORPORATIONS. Corona Amusement Co., New York City, to conduct moving picture exhibitions and theatrical performances. Capital, $2,000. Directors: Percy I. Elias, 51 Hamilton place. New York City; Morris Band, Woodhaven; Herman Robbins, Corona, L. I. Thirty-Fourth Street Amusement Co., New Yoric City, to conduct motion picture shows and theatrical, musical and vaudeville entertainments and amusement enterprises generally. Capital, $1,000. Directors: Anna O'Connor, 448 East 146th Street; Jamee Plunkett, 349 West 28th Street; Alf. T. Wilton, 309 Columbus Avenue, New York City. Motor Picture Supply Co., St. Louis, Mo.; capital, stock, $3,000. Incorporators: Isador Wagner, Fred A. Keller and Barney Rosenthal.