Motography (Jan-Jun 1917)

March 17, 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 563 E. O. Weinberg, manager of the Elmwood Theater, at Elmwood, New York, put some money into circulation recently and did a little advertising for a picture at his theater. Inside the program folder he placed sealed envelopes bearing the question, "Where is the money coming from ?" and the instructions in small type, "Open the envelope and find out." The money was in the envelopes, but it was stage money, advertising Vitagraph's production, "The Dollar and the Law." What will probably be America's largest film theater is to be erected at Eighth and Market Streets, San Francisco, by Turner and Dahnken, who have leased the property, which was formerly known as Central Park. The lease runs for fifteen years at a total rental of $1,000,000. Cunningham and Politeo, architects, are preparing plans for the theater, which will have a seating capacity of 6,000 on its single floor. There will be no balcony or gallery. The deal was handled by Hugh M. Webster, broker. It is said to be the largest real estate transaction since the fire of 1907. The Rialto Theater, New York, presents Rex Beach, the novelist, during the week of March 5, in the pictures of wild game hunting which were taken by Dr. Edward A. Salisbury's scientific expedition to Central and South America and the islands of the Caribbean Sea. The series will extend over a number of weeks at The Rialto, with explanatory lectures afternoon and evening by Dr. Willis E. Peck, of the University of California, or by Dr. Salisbury himself. Mary Roberts Rinehart, the short story writer, figures in many of the pictures. "Mutiny," a Bluebird play, comprises the dramatic portion of the program. The Strand Theater, of New York, is advertising a special children's showing of the new Mary Pickford subject, "The Poor Little Rich Girl," an Artcraft release. Manager Edel arranged the performance for Saturday morning, March 10. The feature will continue at the Strand for a week. The new Prizma pictures in natural colors and Victor Moore in a comedy entitled "Flivvering" are on the weekly program also. Other pictures to be presented during the month of March at the Strand are : Pauline Frederick in "Sapho," Jack Pickford in "The Dummy," Sessue Hayakawa in "The Bottle Imp" and George M. Cohan in "Broadway Jones." R. P. Green, proprietor of the Palace Theater, Dawson, Georgia, differs with some exhibitors in his views on the place and need of children's matinees on his program. Three primary considerations have guided him in arriving at his conclusions. Children no longer come in as large numbers as they did years ago, he observes, and they do not seem to derive as much enjoyment from the average picture. He considers children's programs necessary as a part of the regular weekly program. He tells of his practice at the Palace as follows : My plan has been to bring back the old conditions, at least one day a week. That is put on a real good high type program of general appeal, and cater to the children that day. I discussed the matter with the W. C. T. U. ladies, the principals of the schools, teachers and mothers, and they were in hearty accord. I decided to make Tuesday afternoon "Children's Day." At night I run the same program. The enthusiasm so far has surpassed my anticipations. with a total seating capacity of about 13,000, and in the three leading houses the cost of screening one slide every night for one month is $3.70. Bangkok has electric street car lines, and space for advertising is provided in the eighty-two cars which run on these lines. The cost of inside advertisements on two boards, eighteen inches by twelve inches, is $92 for one year, $48 for six months, and $28 for three months per car. Bangkok has no special billboards, but bills may be placed on any convenient fence or wall without objection, and the cost for such posting is $2.22 for twenty-five single pieces, $3.70 for fifty, and $6.66 for one hundred bills. The Better Movies committee of the Albany Drama Society, Albany, New York, has presented a second historical film for the entertainment and edification of the members. The showing of the "Joan the Woman" film, with Geraldine Farrar, was so successful at the State Education Auditorium recently that William N. Selig offered his new feature, "The Crisis," for the benefit of the Drama Society. The picture made a strong impression and was enjoyed by a packed house. The presentation of this film was in line with the Better Movies committee's campaign of endorsing the motion pictures that are of serious and historical interest. James Brennan, manager of Freber and Shea's Bayonne Opera House, Bayonne, New Jersey, wishing to do a charitable act for the city's poor people, used the "potato matinee" idea cleverly. The picture show was advertised especially for children and every one who passed into the house had to drop two potatoes into the ticket chopper's box. In a few seconds the box was filled and soon a stack of spuds was growing off to one side of the lobby. Mr. Brennan estimated that there were seventy bushels of tubers in all. At $3.50 a bushel this would bring the afternoon's receipts to about $245. Later the gate receipts were distributed among the city's needy by Poormaster William Wright. T. L. Tally, Tally's Broadway Theater, in Los Angeles, spent a few days visiting Seattle recently. He has in mind the erection of another theater for the City of Angels and came to inspect Seattle picture palaces with the idea of combining their good features with his own plans. Mr. Tally was the first person in the United States to open a theater devoted exclusively to motion pictures. This was in 1897. It was a very modest affair, seating but a few hundred persons. His business has grown until he is now one of the foremost exhibitors of California. He was entertained while in Seattle by G. A. Faris of the Vitagraph Company and James Q. Clemmer of the Clemmer Theater. Commerce Reports, the bulletin issued by the bureau of foreign and domestic relations, states that seven motion picture houses are operating in Bangkok, Siam, A suit for $120,000 has been brought by L. H. Griffith against the Liberty Theater, one of the Greater Theaters Company's finest Seattle houses. Mr. Griffith in an amended complaint filed in the superior court claims that he built the theater and leased it to John H. von Herberg and Claude S. Jensen with an agreement that he was to receive one-tenth of the net profits. These profits he alleges to be $10,000 per month. There is now due him, he claims, $30,000 from the profits of the theater since November, 1914, when the lessees took possession. He asks judgment for $120,000, which includes the $30,000 now alleged to be due and $90,000 which is expected as one-tenth of the profits during the term of the lease.