Motion Picture News (Oct 1913 - Jan 1914)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 37 absolutely fireproof in all parts, and is provided with sprinkler and standpipe systems, and receives the best insurance rating on the local exchange. The most minute care has been taken in all details of the house, inclusive of seating, ventilating, lighting and electrical work. Architect Nathan Myers has overcome the great drawback of the mirror screen when used for a combination vaudeville and picture house. To my knowledge, many exhibitors desirous of showing their pictures on the celebrated mirror screen, had to give up the idea because no practical device had been suggested for the raising and lowering of the said screen. The small cut, No. 3, shows the (3) OPERATING BOOTH, BELLEVUE THEATRE beautiful operating booth of the "Bellevue" Theatre. The "Bijou" is the most successful motion picture theatre of Springfield, Mass. There is not a more inviting home for motion pictures. Larger houses exist, but none more artistically complete in all details for the comfort of the patrons. The exterior is simple but dignified, with concrete walls and stained-glass windows. Perhaps a resemblance to some building in Mexico is first suggested. On either side are the steps leading to the balcony; then the enclosure on the right side of the lobby is comfortably fur. ished as a ladies' parlor, while on the left side is the ticket office and the smoking room. Six swinging doors leading directly into the foyer. As stated in "Advertising the Picture," the Bijou does not display posters or banners, but the advertising is done, as shown in the illustration, through two frames and easels; one containing a card sign of the programme, the other a few photographs of some of the actual scenes of the pictures or of actors. Cut No. 5 shows part of the interior of the said Bijou Theatre, with the private boxes. Three of these private boxes are on each side of the auditorium. The curtains and potted (5) INTERIOR VIEW, BIJOU THEATRE plants around the stage show how particular Mr. Knight is with respect to all the details that can improve the appearance of the place and please the patrons. Cut No. 6 shows the beautiful Broadway Theatre of Messrs. Goldstein Bros., of Springfield. Mass. This illustration represents the coming architecture for photoplay houses. Substantial buildings free from the ginger-bread decorations of old days, something to impress the public that motion pictures are no more a fad of a few days, but are here to stay. Real palaces to house the great artistic films produced to-day. The appearance of such a building is a better advertisement than posters and banners, and is a safe guarantee that the picture shown within can be nothing else than the refined in every respect. The men who are looking for highly sensational films to thrill their degenerate passions need not stop in front of such buildings. The Broadway Theatre is not exactly a motion picture house, as it is devoted to passing shows, but when the Goldstein Bros, show films, they are the best that can be secured. Cut No. 7 is an illustration of the arrangement of the screen at the Washington Theatre, of Boston. The curtain or screen occupies the entire opening of the proscenium arch and is painted white. The curtain is not only too long and too wide, but is out of proportion and larger than the picture. The picture, as shown in the illustration, occupies only a portion of the curtain, and as there is no border to separate the picture proper from the balance of the white curtain, the projection is dull. The white sides around the picture are hard on the eyesight. Another drawback to this arrangement is that for a curtain set on the rear of the stage, the proscenium arch is entirely too low. It is true to state that the auditorium has a rather low ceiling. Cut No. 8 gives an idea of the present floor space of the Washington Theatre: "A" too wide an auditorium, "B'' space wasted for a foyer, "C" the ticket booth, "D" the office of the manager. (6) BROADWAY THEATRE, SPRINGFIELD, MASS.