Motion Picture News (Oct 1913 - Jan 1914)

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS that the best seats in a motion picture theatre are not in the front rows but in the rear of the house. The Nickel has a less pretentious front, although it has been freshly renovated and painted. The lighting under the balcony is poor and gives too much illumination of the heads of the spectators to enjoy a good picture. The five clusters of four lights each, or twenty lights, could be replaced advantageously by two indirect light fixtures. Providence needs a first-class motion picture theatre to show a first run of good pictures and less of the imported sensational supposed features, with appropriate music, etc. Notwithstanding the numerous pawn shops, Providence is a rich, prosperous town, and even if conservative, there should be enough lovers of motion pictures out of a population of over 200,000 inhabitants to support a first-class ten-cent photoplay house. New London, Conn. New London has only three motion picture theatres. To be correct, I should say two, as the Lyceum is the general playhouse for vaudeville, road shows, etc. At this writing, the Lyceum is showing vaudeville and the Universal program. Licensed pictures are shown at the Empire theatre, while the Orpheum shows the Mutual productions. The three houses average a seating capacity of one thousand chairs each. They all show vaudeville and while they each complain of the competition of the others, not one of them is willing to give up vaudeville to show straight pictures only. While the manager of the Orpheum believes that there is more money in showing straight pictures, he is afraid to try the experiment. The Orpheum is the only theatre with a front of some importance, the exterior decorations are in good taste, original, and could be make very attractive with effects of colors. Norwich, Conn. Like New London, Norwich has three houses. They all show pictures but they do not follow the same idea of their neighbors of New London. The Auditorium is the regular vaudeville and shows pictures of the Universal program. The Davis Opera House is the big theatre devoted to passing road shows and pictures of the Mutual Corporation, when no special show is booked. The Colonial is the straight photoplay house with the licensed pictures. This arrangement is far superior to the one of New London, as real lovers of motion pictures — and we have plenty of them — can go to the Colo nial where they can see a better run of pictures, well projected and accompanied with appropriate music. Those who like pictures as a side line and prefer vaudeville, can go to the Auditorium. There is no doubt that even in small towns we have enough lovers of motion pictures to support a straight photoplay house. It if was not so, Mr. Charles McNulty would not have gone to the expense of remodeling his Colonial Theatre. If Mr. McNulty spent much money in fixing the whole building, repainting A MESSAGE FROM MARS Charley Hawtrey in Motion Pictures The release of the picture entitled "A Message from Mars'' by the United Kingdom Films Co. will serve to introduce to the motion picture public of this country one of the most finished comedians on the other side of the Atlantic. This is Charles Hawtrey. Mr. Hawtrey has for many years been the acknowledged light comedian par excellence of the English stage. He is another John Drew. He will be remembered as having made a great success in the "Private Secretary" over twenty years ago. He is debonair, alert, fascinating. The play, "A Message from Mars,"' on which the film is made, is popular with the public. In the character of Horace Parker, Hawtrey made one of his greatest successes. The supporting company in this film includes many of the original performers in the play. Mr. C. Holman Clark, Mr. Hubert Willis, Miss Kate Tyndall are thoroughly well-known artists. LUNG YI-SUNG, A WEALTHY TRAVELER, VISITS KLEIN OPTICAL CO. One of the visitors at the offices of the Kleine Optical Company recently was Lung Yi-sung, a wealthy Chinese, now touring the world in search of information concerning American pictures and picture-makers which he can use to advantage in the new China. Mr. Yi-sung says that picture theatres in Shanghai do not open until nine o'clock and run until midnight, that the cheapest seats are 75 cents in American money and $1.75 for the highest. Needless to say, the motion picture show is a rare institution and patronized only by the wealthy. Mr. Yi-sung believes that a splendid opportunity exists in China for the same character of picture theatres that he finds here, and thinks that the remarkable interest in pictures evinced by his fellow-brothers on the coast can be duplicated among the five hundred millions of his native land. and refurnishing the Auditorium, it is that he has a prosperous theatre, it is that there is a class of persons in Norwich who do not care much for cheap vaudeville, and we find such classes everywhere, even in New London. Our friends of New London should take the hint and one of them at least should abandon vaudeville to his competitors and give all attention to a perfect projection of the best pictures. J. M. B. EDISON TO START NEW SERIES Edison is shortly to begin releasing a new series of detective stories under the title "The Chronicles of Cleek." They will be mystery tales, founded on the stories by Thomas W. Hanshew, which have been all the rage in England. They will be published in this country simultaneously with, the film releases by the Short Story Magazine. Each film will be released on the last Tuesday of the month, beginning November 25th. Ben Wilson will appear in the title role. MARGARITA FISCHER RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS Margarita Fischer, a popular motion picture actress and a delightful personality, has been sick, so sick that a slight operation was necessary. This little lady found out what a wonderful favorite she was with the general public, as well as with her studio companions. She received flowers and cards from people she never heard of and her stage companions, even many of the extra people, sent beautiful bouquets of flowers. One little tot gathered a bunch of field flowers and sent them up with a little note, full of real affection and bad spelling. So many flowers were received that the hearts of many sufferers in the other wards were made happy. She is around again and hopes to be in harness soon.