Motion Picture News (Apr - Jun 1914)

g6 THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS DANCE FOR RETURNING HONEYMOONERS Dallas, Tex., June 1. A "Sympathy Trot" was given on May 20 by Albert Russell, manager of the Texas Film Corporation, and James B. Kelly, of the Consolidated Film and Supply Company, and their respective wives, in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Ned Depinet and Mr. and Mrs. Harry T. Peebles, who have just returned from their honeymoon. Mr. Depinet is manager of the Consolidated Film and Supply Company, of Dallas, Texas. His bride was Miss Alida Gammack of that city. Mr. Peebles is the Dallas manager of Warner's Features and married Miss May McGaffey, of Oak Clifif, Texas. Among the guests present were the following well known in the film industry of Texas: Clyde and George Slater, Raise Buchannon, Hamburger and Goss, of the Souther Feature Film Company; O. F. Whittle and Mrs. Whittle, of the Wurlitzer Company; Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Thrash, of the R. D. Thrash Film Company; Messrs. Underwood and Scott, of the U. S. Amusement Company; Earl St. John, of the Mutual Film Company; H. T. Peeble and John Botto, of the Warner Film Company; Joseph Block, of the Tiche Goettinger Company; W. A. Bishop and Mrs. Bishop, of the Dallas Seating Company. Examine Sixty-Five Rochester Operators First Held Under New Enforcement of Law — Second Will Be Held June 10 — Those Who Failed Can Take Examinations Agjun ANOTHER HANDSOME TRENTON THEATRE Trenton, N. J., June 2. Charles H. Hildinger, who several years ago introduced motion pictures to this city and who has a string of several film playhouses with Peter E. Hurley, formerly superintendent of the Trenton & Mercer County Traction Corporation, the local street railway, is having a large motion picture theatre erected at North Clinton and Mead streets, in a section of Trenton that formerly was without this kind of amusement. The theatre is being constructed of brick and will have a seating capacity of about 800. Stores will be built on either side of the entrance, and a hall for neighborhood meetings will constitute a large second floor. The theatre, according to its plans, will be modern in every particular and handsomely appointed. EDISON TO FILM FAMOUS NOVEL A film adaptation from the novel, "The Master Mummer," by E. Phillips Oppcnheim, will be produced by the Edison Company, and Mary Fuller, will appear in the triple role of Princess Tsobel, her daughter and cousin. The production will be given five reels, and in all probability be released through the Masterpiece service of the General Film Company. Rochester, N. Y., June 4. THE examination of motion picture operators, under the recently adopted provisions of the state law which requires that all be licensed, has been started in this city. One examination has already been held, and two more are to take place within the next ten days. The state law, while requiring that all operators be licensed, left the matter of prescribing the requirements up to the local administration in each case. The requirements in Rochester, adopted recently by Mayor Edgerton and his cabinet, are strict, and are so devised as to assure the officials that a man who passes the examination really knows his business. Sixty-five candidates appeared for the first examination. First the candidates were taken to the top floor of the Municipal Building, which contains the laboratories of the city engineer's department, where Fire Marshal Edward Wheeler, presiding at a table on a platform, handed out a list of questions to which written answers were required. Candidates were then taken, one at a time, into a room equipped as a motion picture machine booth. In this room Roy J. Fisher, Harmon Smith, City Electrician Joseph E. Putnam and Emil Schmidt, superin tendent of the police and hre telegraph bureaus, were in charge. The two first named members of the board are the past masters of the motion picture operators of the city. Candidates were taken in hand by them and required to demonstrate, at the machine, their knowledge of the construction and operation of the machine. Another day was required to complete the practical test and the succeeding day those who had not been examined as to their practical knowledge were put through their paces. A report of those who were successful in passing the examination will be filed with the mayor shortly and the licenses issued. The men are all at work now, but later those who failed will be required to desist from operating machines, or else qualify to earn a license. On June 10, it is announced, there will be an examination at the fire marshal's office for Italian operators, ?nd on the following morning at 9 o'clock there will be another test for those who did not take the examination at first, or those who took it and failed to pass it. For a second exam'nation no application need be filed by candidates who failed on the first test, aside from the original application. Arthur R. Tucker. National Board Tightens Rules Will Ban Vice and Drug Traffic Pictures — Race Prejudice Scenes Condemned— Acid Test or Underworld Films NEW and restricted standards have been formulated by the Board of Censorship of Motion Pictures, which will probably result in sweeping changes in the character of the films shown in every motion picture house in the United States. The new rules, announced by Dr. Orrin G. Cocks, advisory secretary of the board, are intended to answer the criticisms that have been lodged against films dealing with vice and crime. It declares itself against films which feature sectional, national or race prejudices. It will not pass pictures glorifying or excusing the evil-doer or otherwise affecting public opinion on a matter before the courts. The portrayal of insanity will not be tolerated where it appeals purely to "the morbid, harrowing or gruesome." Drug traffic films will be confined to those scenes which are "dramati cally necessar} to point the moral." The board will "critically scan any suggestions of easy methods of obtaining drugs." Scenes which "tend to weaken the religious spirit or to profane sacred things" will be condemned, and barrooms, drinking and drunkenness will be discouraged. Scantily dressed persons are under the ban, as are "pictures of women almost wholly dressed but yet displaying a lavish amount of lingerie." Women's smoking is to be discouraged. Opium joints, gambling scenes, dance halls, vulgar flirtations and other underworld scenes, if produced merely for entertainment, will be condemned. "Unwritten law'' themes and "frontier justice" will be frowned on. Crimes that will be barred are trainwrecking and arson on account of the principle of suggestion involved. Suicide also is under the ban.