Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1916)

698 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 13. No. 5. II:'*::.!,,,.:.,-.„,l.li, ,»,::,., Film News From Foreign Parts ::!'!!!!;!:; Iltiil . Paris, Never Downcast, Sees Pictures as Usual Special to Motion Picture News Paris, Jan. 10. ft TV 7 HAT do you think of Paris; how do you find our gay city after two years' absence?" I enquired from my friend Mr. Kogan, who has just returned from the States. "Before I left New York for Paris," he said, "I was strongly advised by a friend who had been there not long ago, not to bring more luggage than I could carry comfortably from the station to an hotel. "I was told that there are few railway porters or taxis in Paris. He was right about the porters. I had to join a syndicate of chance acquaintances of the compartment in exploiting the services of a man caught red-handed in the act of looking for work. "He justified his position with honor, and put each of us with our luggage inside a taxi within the space of five minutes. "Paris is alive, the story of there being a shortage of cabs belongs to prehistoric times. "I am prepared to affirm that you are even now, when crossing a street, taking an even-money chance that a tax bowls you over. What struck me mostly is the disappearance of Paris into those high, white houses, at eight o'clock. "The dinner-hour, I found, is now much earlier and it is surprising to see, that although the authorities permit the restaurants to keep open until eleven o'clock, all the diners are leaving a good half-hour before that time. Old Animation on Boulevards "Along the main boulevards, which of course look rather dark, the old animaation is going on, especially when the theatres and kinemas, which I see are doing splendid business, turn out their audiences. Paris is again what it was before the war. "Paris of course is at its best from noon to six. The streets are alive with people. The overwhelming majority are women. I have seen very few young men. The men I have seen in the streets are either too old or too young to be at the firing lines. "But what really make a big difference on the boulevards is the large number of officers and soldiers one meets. I have already seen English, Russian, Italian and even Servian officers. "Paris has not changed for the worse, Its streets are quieter now. The note of color has changed. Nature helps but little with color in January, and the loss of tens of thousands of men is being mourned. I noticed that there is not one orchestra at any of the restaurants. This is a great improvement. You can talk to a friend and hear what he says. This is my impression of Paris. Am I right or wrong?" "What about the kinemas?" I enquired "Well, it just reminds me that on my arrival one of them was offered to me. I went to have a look and bought the place. I invited my friend Mr. Kogan, who had only just arrived and had already bought a kinema, to go round to see some of the shows. We started with the kinemas on the main boulevards. "At the Pathe Palace, the big film was 'Mysteres de New York,' at the Aubert Palace, 'L'Heure de Reve,' an artistic film of Gaumont, one of the very best seen for a long time, and two good Vitagraph comedies. "The vaudeville is still running 'Cabiria,' and doing big business. The Gaumont Palace, Aimer, Pleurer and Mourir, were using good films. "The Omnia Pathe, Kinerama, Tivoli, Cinema and Cine Palace, were running 'Mysteres de New York.' "Mysteres de New York" Big Drawing Card "We could have kept on visiting twenty more kinemans showing 'Mysteres de New York,' but we thought that we had seen quite enough of 'Mysteres de New York,' and so my friend Kogan decided to open his kinema with 'Mysteres de New York,' as it is the only film to draw all Paris to the Kinemas just now." Edna May has completed her first, and it is said, her last engagement as a picture actress, for which she has received 500,000 francs. She is by no means enamored of the work of a picture actress, and only the offer of such a large sum, which she is giving to Red Cross and other charities, tempted her. This week at the general show-rooms a few good American films were shown to the exhibitors : Vitagraph, "Tempete bienfaitrice" ; Keystone, "Exposition de San Francisco, Polyte assure toi and Do-re-mi Bourn," and Lubin, "Bibi Policier." I have had the. pleasure of meeting Sergeant-Major W. F. Martin, who told me how a kinema show is run by two "Tommies" for "Tommies." He was asked if he knew anything about kinema work, and as he did he went with another man to a firm in Paris, where they got a complete outfit and opened seven miles behind the lines. Theatre Near Zone of Fire "Several times we heard the shells whistle over our heads during the performance," he told me. "If it got particularly hot, I would go on the stage and say, 'Well, boys, the shells are coming nearer. Are you going out?' and th^re would be a unanimous shout of 'No.' "We got big houses. Our hall, which was formerly a grain warehouse, is fitted up like any picture palace at home. We even have afternoon tea served by two Belgian girls. We charge half a franc for admission, and this, together with the proceeds of the cafe, goes to the French Comfort Fund or whatever other object is decided upon by the officers. "All the picture agencies in France are lending us their best films. We specialize, of course, in comics, particularly Chariots. "They like anything but the war. We have five-hour shows every day but Monday. I often get so many films offered me that I don't know what to do with them. My assistant, Corporal H. Cook, is an electrician and takes charge of that department of the work. Madame Sarah Bernhardt has this week made her first appearance at the London Coliseum, and was granted a most cordial reception by the audience. G. Kaczka. PATHE'S "HUMAN MOVEMENTS ANALYZED" MAKE HIT "Human Movements Analyzed" and its sequel "Animal Movements Analyzed," two single reel educational subjects, have received larger bookings than any Pathe one reel pictures in years. The newspapers everywhere have united in declaring them to be as interesting and instructive as any films that have ever come under their observation. At the Strand theatre in New York every audience greeted them with long continued applause, a remarkable tribute. AUTHORS FILM CO., INC. New York City | William A. Johnston, | President, Motion Picture News, New York City. | My dear Mr. Johnston: | I have noted with ever-increasing | I admiration the growth of Motion Pic 1 | ture News, but of this week's issue | | (Jan. 29) I have but one comment — 1 § it's incomparable. | As a volume for reference purposes | | it is without equal in its kind, and in | | saying so I am doubtless but reiterat 1 | ing the sentiments which your sub 1 | scribers everywhere are expressing. § j Wishing you the success that you so | § richly deserve, I am, Very faithfully yours, I AUTHORS FILM CO., INC. Gerald F. Bacon, Treas. I