Motography (Jul-Dec 1913)

28 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. X, No. 1 Butte Has Ideal Theater An interior view of Butte, Montana's,' latest and best motion picture theater, the American, is shown herewith. This house, which cost over $90,000 to erect and which rose from the foundation, complete in every detail, in exactly eighty-five days, thereby breaking all building records of Butte, is indeed a modern temple of the silent drama of which the Montana Amusement Company, its owners, have a right to feel justly proud. Nothing but a visit to the new theater can emphasize its many splendors, the lavish equipment and scientific construction. It was built with an eye to the safety and convenience of patrons, as well as to beauty. From the Mexican onyx front with its mirrored canopy to the velour draped stage with hangings costing more than $1,000 no expense has been spared either in the construction of the theater or its equipment. Seats have been provided for 1,000 persons, although the size of the theater would have permitted installation of 300 more. The idea was to make the house as comfortable as possible and to arrange the seats so that no one's view would be obstructed. The theater is all of steel and concrete construction. There are eight hundred and twenty-five electric lights in the building, the greater number of which are in use while the picture is on the screen. One visit is not sufficient to appreciate all of the splendors, comforts and conveniences of the new theater. For instance, on the first visit one is not apt to discover that just to the right of the foyer there is a pretty little room where baby carriages may be checked, with a matron in charge to look after the babies. The officers of the Montana Amusement Company are Frank T. Bailey, president; George Grombacher, secretary-treasurer; and William Cutts, general manager. State Rights "Withdrawn The demand for "One Hundred Years of Mormonism" from leading theaters, has decided 11. M. Russell, to suspend sales of state rights, and continue the exploitation of this picture in the East, upon the same basis thai is cleaning up big money in the West. Offices have been opened at 220 West 42nd street. New York Cit) and Ernest Shipman, well known to theatrical managers throughoul the country, placed in charge of the bookings. Mr. Shipman has deferred his trip abroad for a few weeks and will arrange the routes of the various companies, remain for third annual convention, the week of July 7, and then go to London in the interests of his other enterprises. No time will be lost in hooking the various routes for the Mormon picture, and managers with desirable open time should communicate at once. The manager and the operator were having an argument about the age of electricity and the operator clinched the decision by saying, "Why, man, electricity is as old as the hills ! Didn't Noah make the ark light on Mount Ararat? Of course he did." The engine shaft of a picture theater in the Midlands suddenly snapped the other evening, says The Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly, and consequently the performance had, for the time being, to be suspended. Incidentally it is worth noting that one of the films in the program was "It's Never Too Late to Mend." Bert Ennis, of the New York Motion Picture Company, has a stenog. who in the latest press sheet re "The Battle of Gettysburg," placidly asserts that "The silent audience broke into cheering and tumultuous applause." Funny, isn't it, the way things disappeared from the Universal offices during the recent rumpus. Perhaps not so surprising, after all, however, when we recall that one of those present was Howard Thurston, the famous magician. We don't mean to insinuate anything, but don't magicians generally make stuff disappear? Some of these millionaire exhibitors will probably be interested in noting that this new income tax they are talking about sticking on us provides for a fair-sized exemption for each baby. Have you any little exemptions in your home? IT MUST BE A FUNNY ONE. An exhibitor down in Princeton, Indiana, advertises the film. "Frau Van Wrinkle's Crullers" as "A comical comedy, full of laughing." We judge from a recent communication of Prexie Neff that the coming convention and exposition is going to be some regular show. And at that, we guess it is. OUR BURG. Stan Twist, Don Meany and Omer Doud have been awful busy the past week about something. We don't know just what's doing, but feel safe in saying that the boys are getting ready to pull something big. At Greenland has got himself a new job and expects to see a lot of new scenery during the next few months. Good luck Al. Phil. Solomon, who put the feat in Warner's Features has invited Ye Ed. to a private Xibition of "Theodora" next wk. Thanks, Phil, we'll be there. Chas. VerHalen is also working for a new boss. Here's how. Chas. Gosh, but it was hot last wk. Ye Ed. lost bout six pounds and don't believe the well known Hades can be much worse than Our Village was. Even The Goat had his collar off and kept on the shady side of his pasture. SCENARIOS THAT ANYONE CAN WRITE. We had thought about outlining a plot for a feature film this week, but the Itala company has copped our stuff. Clymer sends in a press sheet telling how the hero of his latest feature rolls himself up in a big snowball and then dashes down an Alpine mountain side at express speed. The lnll rolls into a creek and dissolves. The hero then grabs hold of a pulley running between two mountain peaks and makes a slide for life that makes your hair stand on end. In the finish he arrives at the church in time to spoil the wedding and win the girl for himself. Gee. we couldn't thing of a better one than that if we tried a week. Ain't it a corker" WHAT'S Till' USE? Sir: — You may, if you care to. pull a whir r over the fact that an exhibitor in our neighborhood announces three films with the following titles: "Two Little Kittens," "The Yarn of the Nancy Belle," "An Infernal Tangle." We're L:oine. to establish a side track for time-worn mossjyrown phrases which have been worked overtime and need a rest. The first one being run off the main line is "The motion picture industry is still in its infancy." The switch is still open, so if any of you have phrases to put on The Side Track, come on with 'em now. "Why in Three Parts?" reads a banner over a local theater. We'll bite. Why' Maybe two would have In nough, N. G. C.