Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1914)

34 THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 'A' complained about business being poor, ^^"hy? D\ ERTISIXG is most essential, although by advertising I don't mean that it is necessary ' to plaster a theatre so that it resembles a billboard. That's not effective advertising. Advertise in a judicious way. Direct advertising hy means of a personal letter or card will bring business. HOWARD 0. PIERCE "I also conduct a weekly program wherein is contained reading matter pertaining to coming attractions and articles of interest to my patrons. A medium of this sort also serves to bring the management in closer touch with the audience. "By means of a suggestion card, post card size, upon which a patron may mark a choice of program most desirable to him, an excellent circular list has been established which comes in most handy at times. "Through this medium and others of like nature, a steady and substantial patronage has been created, of an excellent cast. Patrons come week after week and in such numbers that we have difficulty in caring for them." UNDER I\Ir. Kunsky's direction, his house managers are schooled in the ethics of the policies expressed and through such policies has Mr. Kunsky built up a chain of eight theatres with two more under construction. In bringing into effect his ideas he has brought the standard of the motion picture up to the highest plane of efficiency and public estimation, in his vicinity. Good Summer Business Ruined by Fires Third Blaze in Owenton House in Past Four Years — No Insurance$400,000 Damage in Jasonville, Ind., Wiping Out the Family Theatre THREE fires, two in Kentucky and one in Indiana, are responsible for the loss, in two cases resulting in serious damage, to motion picture theatres which had been enjoying excellent summer business. In one instance, the unfortunate ocurrence was the third fire in four years, none of the loss at any time having been coveied by insurance. Special to The Motion Picture News Louisville, Ky., July 30. Crossed electric wires on the piano of the Highland Motion Picture Theatre were responsible for the starting of a fire recently that did damage of more than $500. Stage and walls were badly damaged, and it was found necessary to close the house until repairs could be made. four years that this house has been put out of commission bj' fire, and, unfortunately, the loss was not covered by insurance on any of the occasions. The house was one of the best motion picture houses in this section of the state and the loss has proved a heavy one. Mr. Wolff will rebuild at once, but he declares that he has learned a lesson, and will not hereafter attempt to carry his own insurance on any property owned by him. Owenton, Ky., July 30. The motion picture show belonging to Isaac Wolff was among the number of buildings destroyed by the blaze which swept over a part of Owenton the early part of last week. This is the third time within the last Jasonville, Ind., July 30. Fire in the Family Theatre, a motion picture house, here, spread to a score of business houses covering a radius of four blocks. Among the buildings which were leveled are the People's State Bank, the Opera House Block, a two-story building, the Bryan drug store, a three-story building containing beside the drug store several other places of business and offices, two clothing stores, a motion picture house, and a dozen smaller business establishments. Happenings in Chicago's Filmdom Joseph Hopp, Prominent in Motion Picture Circles, Made a Bank President— Don Meaney, Formerly of Essanay, with Photoplay Productions Company Special to The Motion Picture News Chicago, July 30. JOSEPH HOPP, who for a long time has figured prominently in the motion picture business and at the present time retains a big interest in the Union Film Company, of Chicago, was recently elected to the presidency of the Fort Dearborn Bark of Chicago. This is one of Chicago's oldest and strongest banking institutions. During the spring primaries Mr. Hopp was a nominee for alderman. L. A. Boening, president of the American Cinematograph Company, is listed among the nominees for the office of clerk of the Appellate Court. This is his first venture into politics. Don Meaney, who for the past year and a half held down the advertising manager's desk at the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, has lined up with the Photoplay Productions Company in the same capacity. Mr. Meaney, while in the Windy City with the Essanay, put over several novel stunts for this concern. Annette Kellermann, performing her graceful amphibious stunts in "Neptune's Daughter" for eleven con secutive weeks at the Fine Arts Theatre, has brought such a high class of patronage to the Michigan Boulevard playhouse that the new management has renewed Alfred Hamburger's lease for a long term. This new lease will make the Fine Arts a permanent photoplay theatre, and during the coming winter it will probably be the only high-class theatre downtown in Chicago devoted exclusively to feature pictures. Edward Abeles, performing that inimitable comedy, "Brewster's Millions" on the screen at the Ziegfeld Picture Playhouse, is now entering his third week in combination with Cecelia Loftus. PICTURE FILMED AT CANAL The Picture Playhouse Film Company's producing company has just returned from Panama, where they made a splendid three-reel picture called "Desperado of Panama." The officials on the canal gave the company every opportunity to make use of the natural advantages of the zone, and the military forces helped on the picture. The companj' expects to release this picture shortly.