Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

Septeml-er M). 1916 ACCESSORY NEWS SECTION 2093 Building and Furnishings lilM|iMIBj'l'''!ll!lll!ii''P'i' faww'"'"""™™"" Circle Is Indianapolis' Finest Picture Theatre Though Recently Opened, It Has Become a Factor in the Life of the City — Continuous Shows Are Run from Eleven Thirty in the Morning Until Eleven Thirty at Night — There Are 2,000 Ten Cent Seats in the Afternoon — Prices in the Evening Are Ten and Twenty-five Cents THE Circle theatre, the newest, largest and finest photoplay theatre in Indiana, has become a prominent factor in the social life in Indianapolis since its opening. Wednesday evening, August 30. Music is to be a big feature of the program. There is a twenty piece orchestra, composed of the best musicians in Indianapolis, clad in Bohemian uniforms. H. L. Spitalny, of Cleveland, is the director. William S. O'Brien is the organist. The theatre runs continuous shows from 11.30 A. M. until 11.30 P. M., with a special noon hour performance from 11.30 A. M. to 1.30 P. M. There are 2.000 ten cent seats in the afternoon, with mezzanine floor seats at ten cents. At night the prices are twenty-five cents for reserved mezzanine floor seats: 1,500 seats at ten cents and 1,000 seats at fifteen cents. Balcony. Circle Theatre, Indianapolis The members of the executive staff include Mark M. Gates, manager, who was treasurer of the Murat theatre. Indianapolis, last year ; Harry Bolton, stage manager, who was connected with English's theatre, Indianapolis, for more than fifteen years; and Theodore Stempfel, Jr., publicity, connected with General Film Service Company, Indianapolis, for several years. Earl Slater is the chief operator. The Circle was built by Indianapolis contractors, with material provided by Indianapolis manufacturers and stores as far as possible, and financed by Indianapolis business men. The architecture of the theatre harmonizes with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which it faces. Seats 3,000 People Tile theatre occupies the southeast segment of Monument Place, and represents an investment of approximately half a million dollars and has a seating capacity of 3,000 persons. The new theatre is novel in several details and the builders have given much thought to eliminating all the defects of previously theatres. There are broad aisles, an unobstructed view of the stage from any seat in the house and plenty of room between the rows of seats for persons to sit comfortable without being crowded. There are exits opening into three streets. The basic construction materials are steel and concrete. The theatre has a frontage of eighty feet in Monument Place and runs back to Court and Scioto streets, a distance of 154 feet. The general width of the house is 110 feet. The front has an entrance lobby forty feet wide, with one storeroom on each side of the lobby. The entire facade is of white terra cotta, ornamented at the crest with two friezes of allegorical figures in Rookwood pottery with a pediment in the centre, which spans the space over the entrance. Clifton A. Wheeler, an Indianapolis artist, has painted an outdoor Grecian scene in the pediment with Grecian dancing girls and musicians, harmonizing with the two friezes of symbolic Grecian figures, representing music, the drama and festivity. There are eight figures in each frieze, one frieze being on each ^ide of the pediment. The picture in the pediment is the most pretentious picture shown on the exterior of any Indianapolis building. The friezes are in glazed terra cotta. Over the entrance is a large canopy. Over the top of the entrance, above, the friezes and pediment, are four large fire pots which serve for electrical illumination. This makes a novel electrical feature. Electricity, shining through stained glass, with steam soaring upward, illuminates the front. There is also a large clock over the center of the entrance, studded with about 2,000 green and white lights with " The Circle Theatre Photoplays " in a circle around the outside of the clock. The minute hand of the clock is about ten feet long. It is controlled by a master clock in the office, which was put in by Betts and Betts, New York. Over the door, also, as well as in various other parts of the theatre, may be seen a monogram combining the letters "C" and " T." , In the lobby of the Circle there are no lurid, wild-^ed lithographs depicting impossibly big-eyed heroines and impossibly licndish-looking villians and impossibly Adonis-like heroes. Instead, there are attractive and lifelike oil paintings of striking scenes from the plays and of the players to be seen therein. Handsomly lettered posters, inserted in gilt frames draped in green, at intervals along the wall, tell of present and future attractions. Theatre Is Decorated in Adam Style The color schemes of the lobby is ivory and gold, the ceiling is decorated in the Adam style, showing groups of graceful Grecian figures and conventional designs. The wainscoting is of white marble and the floor is covered with battle-ship linoleum in squares of gray and white. A box office for general admission is located in the center of the lobby, with a box office at the side of the lobby for reservations. The ticket machine was furnished by the Automatic Ticket Selling and Cash Register Company of New York. The main promenade swings in a semi-circle behind the main floor, covered with heavy carpet of deep rose. Six broad aisles on the main floor open off of the main promenade. The walls are of Caen stone in Ashlar clocks, with the ceiling of ivory. Along the walls are hung mirrors in quaint gilt frames, and handsome paintings. The furniture is of mahogany, with upholstery of deep rose to match the carpets. Sanitary drinking fountains, and a compact little room equipped with telephones are features of the promenade. A glass wall, hung with rose colored curtains separates the back row of seats and the promenade and persons sitting in the last few rows are protected from any draught.