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Within the last two years quite a number of Motion Picture Theaters have sprung up in Constantinople and in the seaport cities of the Empire. There are now ten of these in Constantinople, and the price of admission averages thirteen cents to the gallery and forty-four cents to the orchestra. The films are changed every three days. There are but few regular theaters in Turkey, principally because of the varied linguistic classes of people that have to be catered to. The Photoplay speaks all languages, and even he who can speak no language may see and understand.
A reader writes me asking why I do not advocate Picture Theaters with a scale of prices so as to appeal to "the better element." While everything should be done to prevent a division of society into classes, perhaps, the time is coming when the Photoshows will be compelled to .separate the " gentleman' ' from his bootblack by charging the former a larger fee for admission. It is true that even now, in many places, ladies and gentlemen drive to the Picture Theaters in evening dress, and, if they could be assured that they would not have to sit beside people in working clothes, more of that class would become Photoplay devotees. The trouble is, that the smaller class of Picture Theaters are difficult to divide into sections, because one seat is about as good as another. Again, some prefer back seats, and some prefer front seats, and this disposes of the box plan, because boxes must be in front and at the side, ordinarily, altho it is possible to arrange them at the rear. The only plan that I can think of is to arrange a tier of about four seats on each side of the middle aisle extending from the first row to the last; these seats to be cushioned, or raised a trifle, and perhaps decorated or painted in a different color from the other seats.
If there is to be an era of higher-class Photoplays, as seems likely, why not show the name of the author of the scenario upon the screen ? Who ever heard of a first-class book or story without the author's name? And is not this publicity half the reward? If the best writers are to be attracted to the industry, they must be offered the same inducements as are offered elsewhere. Why not ask the Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott, for instance, to write a sermon in scenario form, and announce it as such? If Dr. Abbott knew the good he could thus do, he would undoubtedly consent, and so would hundreds of other preachers.
Distance lends enchantment. Now that the great Edison is far from home, his lightest word is wired around the globe. Anything that this wonderful man says has always been thought worthy of a place on the first page of the dailies, but now the world puts a double value on his observations.
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