Views and Film Index (1910)

THE FILM INDEX. 3 the exact legal status of stereopticon exhibitions in churches on Sundays and also of other entertainments which can hardly by the utmost stretch of Imagina¬ tion be termed religious services. However this may be, it is certain that the task of keeping Sunday as a day of rest and religion is rendered very difficult by the example of churches and other religious insti¬ tutions. If because people will not attend church or any kind of religious service unless secular attractions are offered them, it Is necessary to provide them with Sunday lectures, Sunday novel reading, Sunday dra¬ matic entertainments and Sunday concerts, there seems to be no particular reason why outsiders should not be permitted the same liberty. What is wrong in a theatre or a moving picture show, is not sancti¬ fied by taking place in a church, and the law assuredly makes no distinction between clerics and laymen. It is to be hoped our Hartford friends who seem to be hard pressed by a sudden revival of Puritanism will have the courage and public spirit to test this matter in the courts. Rightly or wrongly, the assumption that a church may do with impunity on Sunday the things which any other assemblage of persons is for¬ bidden to attempt gives rise to an immense amount of bitter feeling. If the churches desire the first day of the week to be observed with the old New England strictness, they will do well to live up to their own tenets. If such rigid Sabbatarianism is indeed neces¬ sary for mankind, their own failure to observe it does injury to the cause. If the Sabbatarianism aforesaid is too severe a regimen for the churches, it seems de¬ sirable to accord outsiders who have no special con¬ victions in the matter a reasonable amount of free¬ dom. It is pleasing to find a tolerant expression amid the columns of violent abuse that has been directed against the purveyors of a most inno¬ cent, not to say instructive pastime as motion pictures. We reproduce in another column a bit of verse that is right to the point and em¬ phasizes a phase of the Sunday amusement ques¬ tion which should be pondered well by the fan¬ atics who worship form and tradition so blindly. ANOTHER GREAT BIBLICAL PICTURE. With two great productions of the Passion Play as well as the numerous recent releases of excellent biblical subjects to choose from, the Sunday program has come to be considerably less of a prolem than it was a year ago. This week a future release was shown in the Chicago offices of George Kleine, which, with ' the Biblical settings and accurate history couples i several of the most dramatic and artistic surj prises that have been produced during the entire j past year of great successes. “The Fall of Babylon’’ was dramatized from 1: the 5th chapter of Daniel, and was pronounced ! by the auditors “an absolutely perfect produc|i tion.” ji The statuary, bas-reliefs, draperies, huge ; vases, arms and armor, canopies, rugs, and other ' properties, are so perfectly chosen with studied : attention to historical truth that we virtually went back through the centuries to 53 8 years before the birth of Christ. We saw in perfect sequence of events the en; tire thrilling story of “Belshazzars Feast” and ; the “Handwriting on the Wall.” I Leonce Perret of the Odeon Theatre, Paris, ■ interpreted the role of Belshazzar in his master¬ ful way. As the prophet Daniel we were again per¬ mitted to see the inimitable French imperson¬ ator, Georges Wagne. While in the gorgeous feast scene. Mademoi¬ selle Napierkowska, of the Opera Comique, in¬ troduced one of her famous dances. The burning of Babylon and Triumph of Cy1 rus are among the greatest spectacular effects ! ever staged. I The film will make a most valuable addition i to the repertoire of Biblical dramas so much I demanded in many localities at present. ] FOR PENNSYLVANIA EXHIBITORS. Having established an enviable reputation for flrstI class lantern slides and song slide service throughout Pennsylvania, the Novelty Slide Company, of New : York City, have found it necessary to open a branch office in Scranton, Pa., so as to be in a better posi¬ tion to handle the rapidly increasing trade from that f section. . The Scranton office is located in the Real Estate Exchange Building, and is under the capable manage¬ ment of Chas. V. Meinzer, an energetic, experienced moving picture man, who has made many friends by his honest, straightforward way of doing business. This office is well stocked with a large selection of late popular songs, also travelogues, lecturettes and Novelty Puzzlettes are on hand for rental. In addi¬ tion, a complete line of all the Novelty Slide Com¬ pany’s lantern slide products and moving picture specialties are carried in stock. Exhibitors will find Mr. Meinzer always ready and anxious to solve their Slide troubles, and all inquiries and orders will re¬ ceive prompt attention. THE PRINCESS OF MANISTIQUE Manager McKerring Has Earned Popular Favor Through Careful Management The Pioneer-Tribune, an enterprising news¬ paper published at Manistique, Mich., comments favorably upon motion pictures generally, in a secret issue, and takes the opportunity to say a few nice things about the local picture theatre manager, Mr. Harry McKerring. The Film In Manager Harry McKerring. dex reprints the story with engravings of Man¬ ager McKerring and a view of the interior of his Princess Theatre: Moving picture theatres are of recent origin, and the unprecedented success that has attended this method of entertaining the public and the ever grow¬ ing popularity of this form of amusement, makes it a safe prediction that its shadow won’t grow less. They afford people a cheap and instructive means of entertainment, and the public quickly grasped the situation and by its liberal patronage has made it possible for the phenomenal improvement in the busi¬ ness. From an experimental toy. as it was con¬ sidered in its inception, the business has grown by leaps and bounds, and at the present time the ma¬ chines used, the preparation of the films and the taking of the pictures has reached perfection. Every portion of the world is scoured for pictures that may interest the public, and in this manner, the resident of the smallest hamlet is enabled to get in touch with the customs, habits and every day life of other na¬ tions, and to witness the best in drama and tragedy. It is safe to say that in time geography will be taught in our public schools by means of the moving picture machine. The Princess theatre now owned and managed by Mr. Harry McKerring, was Instituted in this city on Sept. 23, 1907, by Messrs. McKerring & Rowley, who came from Owosso, where the present owner con¬ ducted a Princess theatre prior to coming here. Their business prospered and within a year they had simi¬ lar theatres at Norway, Tomahawk and Rapid River. However, during the current year, Mr. McKerring disposed of his outside interests and became the sole owner of the local theatre. The success he has had, may be attributed to his personal popularity, and the excellent service he is giving his patrons. Mr. McKerring, or Harry as everyone addresses him, is a vocalist of more than ordinary ability and has always responded to the demands made upon him by the various churches in their musical entertain¬ ments. His good nature, honesty, and manliness has impressed the community to a remarkable extent. His equipment is the best the market affords. He owns a Pathe machine, considered to be the best man¬ ufactured. He patronizes only the licensed manu¬ facturers. He censors every program so that the patrons can rest assured that the entertainment can be witnessed by the children as well as those of maturer years. The illustrated songs are always the very latest, and are sung here simultaneously with the theatres of New York City. The theatre is located in the Gorsche block, and it has all of the improvements noticeable in the city theatres. It has steel ceilings, elevated floors, opera chairs, electric fans, heated by furnace, and with its cooling and exhaust system it is the best ventilated public building in the city. It has a capacity of 208. The ticket seller is Mrs. McKerring, one of Owosso’s fairest daughters, who became a resident of Manis¬ tique during the past summer. The ticket taker is Mr. Earl Barrow. Mr. McKerring is the vocalist and this feature of the daily program always pleases. Miss Elva Baker is the pianist and her work is excellent. The traps and sound effects are in charge of Arthur Erickson. The electrician is Mr. Loy B. Hackett. He is experiened in his line having been an electrician for five years prior to engaging in the role of a picture operator in which he has been continuously employed for the past four years. Every known appliance known to the business to insure safety to the patrons is installed; and parents have no hesitancy in sending their children to the Saturday matinees for they know that they are safe, are being instructed and entertained, and that they will not witness anything of a demoralizing nature. THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF HISTORICAL FILMS. The historical drama to the theatres presenting knowledge and entertainment through pantomime, has become equally as important as the historical novel has become for years in the field of literature. Better, however, far better, than the average fiction of this type, are the finished and authentic production of the film manufacturers. Following closely upon the great historical drama. “Civil War,” George Kleine announces the release for Saturday, March 5, 1910, of a greater work, both from a dramatic and an educational standpoint. ‘‘The Poet of the Revolution” presents an acenraie artistic, and intensely dramatic, biograpbica' t’ ; cl-, of the most generous, most hopeful, n-'-st ’•ccl and most refined youth of the French Rc -tiH iiM.a War of the Seventeenth century, .Andre Cl oiw c, Enacted by stars from the theatres .■ :■ P ■ i-" staged upon the very ground mad sacr<- by . ja history, produced in a studied p tiOn ■ di ;■ it bids fair to eclipse all productions of its kind. Interior View of Princess Theatre.