Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin NEW YORK OFFICE, 729 Seventh Avenue lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll CHICAGO REPRESENTATIVE, 220 So. State Street iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin Theatres Welcome Gasless Sundays WHATEVER the gasless Sunday may have done to the picture houses in other cities, it has at least done no injury to the business in Fond du Lac. Manager Wm. E. Ainsworth, of the Orpheum, declares it has resulted in boosting the patronage at his theatre. Manager Smith, of the Bijou, and Manager Vollert, of the Henry Boyle and the Idea, are of the opinion that it has about "broke even." Mr. Vollert puts it this way: "Formerly we had a large country patronage on Sundays. The restriction on the use of cars has cut this down to almost nothing, but this loss has been fully offset by the patronage of city people." Manager Ainsworth, of the Orpheum, who is always more or less of an optimist, sees a real benefit for the picture houses in the Garfield order. "On fine Sundays, before this order became effective," said Mr. Ainsworth, "the city people made a break for the country. Now they can't do it. As a result, the Orpheum Sunday patronage has improved ever since the gasless order went into effect." Theatres to Start Fourth Liberty Loan Drive THE CHICAGO THEATRES have received recognition for their splendid work in the Third Liberty Loan drive, by having a special division set aside for them for the next drive, which opened September 28. The loop theatres will be captained by the manager of each individual house, who will be held responsible forthe activity of his own theatre. The outlying districts will be divided into thirty-one zones, with ten or fifteen theatres to each zone. Peter J. Schaefer has been appointed chairman for the Theatrical Division of the Fourth Liberty Loan, and secured the first sale. Dick Green, International Vice-President of the Stage Employees' and Operators' Union, was the hero. He purchased $10,QD0 worth of bonds. All Night Theatres in Chicago Must Close at One o'Clock ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE ALCOCK has sent out a special order instructing the men in his department to close all Chicago theatres at 1 o'clock. The moving picture houses come under the ordinance prohibiting all forms of entertainment after that hour. Some of the captains overlooked this when they closed the "dry" cabarets and permitted the theatres to continue, which is the reason for issuing the special order. The theatres running all night have been confined to the loop houses in Chicago, the residential district theatres closing at 11 o'clock p. m. mil Rialto Theatre in Racine Opens THE opening of new Rialto theatre on September 21 marked a new epoch in the motion picture history of Racine. It is the step from the provincial type of photoplay houses to the metropolitan idea of maximum comfort for the people and the best class of pictures. The motion picture business in this city up to the present time has been based on the idea of getting the money regardless of the people's desires and wishes. Now with the advent of Rialto all the photoplays of the city are picking up their program of giving the public their wishes in return for their money. Features in the new playhouse have come from the genius mind of Manager W. C. Lamoreaux. The knitting circle is an innovation — the product of war times — that met the approval of the women upon the opening night. Easy chairs, tables, yarn holders and everything necessary to the knitter has been provided in the special section in the balcony. A switchboard, purchased at a price of $2,000, gives the best possible light for the pictures, the switchboard being equipped with a dimmer. The opening night the Rialto was packed and the approval the management received fully repays them for the great effort they expended in putting the new theatre into operation. Exclamations of surprise at the various features, the wonderful coloring and tone shades, and the service showed that the people appreciate the new factor of courtesy and service that now is characterizing all the picture houses of the city. Dubuque Fans Flock to Marguerite Clark MANAGER FRED YOUNT, of the Family Theatre, in Dubuque, Iowa, had a big night Saturday, August 14, when Marguerite Clark appeared in "The Amazons." He had no trouble getting people to come in, but he was for a time driven to his wits end trying to get them out, for a large number showed a tendency to stay and see the show a second time. It was only by flashing a sign telling people who had seen the show to leave the theatre so as to make room for the waiting crowds that he managed to clear the place. Fond du Lac Managers Hatch Bright Idea MANAGER AINSWORTH, of the Orpheum, and Manager Smith, of the Bijou, in Fond du Lac, Wis., have adopted a new policy this year. Last season, when the weather grew cold and the crowds had a tendency to remain at home, they let down a bit on their programs. They won't do it that way this year. They propose to put on the big stuff and coax the picture fans out even on the cold and stormy nights. WISCONSIN ILLINOIS MICHIGAN INDIANA IOWA S'^'i' 'i'-'i '"i.-. n-Mii , ■.,H:M,riiii.:iii!iM in:,,:!:;1:! iihi'ti'iiii iii.r nil! -ii.:. ; li. i: :n ■ . is : .-Liriiii. 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