Motography (Jan-Jun 1917)

.364 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XVII, No. 11. The city of Syracuse, Kansas, will hold a motion picture festival, May 10. The business men and the public schools of Syracuse, Kansas, have sent out invitations to every tOwn and school district within a radius of one hundred miles to attend a free performance at the Syracuse School motion picture theater, one of the three of its kind in Kansas. Every district school teacher in Hamilton county, of which Syracuse is the county seat, is taking up the study of '"'Snow White," with the children. A luncheon will be served free to all school children coming from outside of Syracuse, and the film "Snow White" will be run the entire day at the school theater. The Syracuse School Theater has been running for about five months and has already paid for the machine and booth out of the profits. NEW THEATER IN DETROIT John H. Kunsky Opens the Madison with Vitagraph's Eight-Reeler, "The Girl Philippa," and Artcraft's Pickford Release John H. Kunsky's new theater in Detroit, Michigan, the New Madison, throws pictures upon its screen for the first time on March 12. However, the possibility exists that the contractors will be delayed slightly in finishing the construction work on schedule time. The New Madison has booked for its opening program the Anita Stewart picture, "The Girl Philippa," Vitagraph's eight-reel presentation of Robert W. Chambers' novel of that name, which will share honors with the current Artcraft release, "A Poor Little Rich Girl," the new Mary Pickford production. In connection with the opening and the exhibition of "The Girl Philippa," Mr. Kunsky has arranged to put up not less than 75 twenty-four sheet stands. In addition 2,500 special programs, 500 window cards, liberal newspaper space, and ample display of one, three, and six-sheet posters on "The Girl Philippa" complete the advertising campaign planned by the New Madison. "The Girl Philippa" Sets Record New box-office and attendance records are still being established wherever "The Girl Philippa" makes her bow. Tally's Theater in Los Angeles, which it is said never before has played any motion picture produced outside of California for longer than seven days, began showing "The Girl Philippa," February 19. That day marked the opening of a two weeks' run, which is unusual in the Tally program. Eugene Roth, proprietor of the magnificent Portola Theater in San Francisco, also departed from his usual custom, booked the Anita Stewart film in the Portola for at least two weeks, beginning March 18. L. A. DeHoff, of the New Theater, Baltimore, wired that his house never had had such a money-making attraction as "The Girl Philippa." The new Rialto Theater, in Amsterdam, N. Y., which seats 1,800 people -and will be opened the early part of April, will use "The Girl Philippa" as its first attraction. New New York Screen Theater At a cost of $225,000 and modeled along the latest approved lines of similar theaters on Broadway, the New Houston Street Theater, on East Houston street, New York, is now in course of construction, with a seating capacity of 1,600. Charles Steiner, who operates the New Fourteenth Street Theater, will operate the new house, which will be open on or around May first. The new house will be devoted to photoplays exclusively, embellished with an imported pipe organ of the latest design, as well as an augmented orchestra of superior musicians. Illinois Exhibitors to Elect The exhibitors who are members of the Illinois State Branch of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America, will hold their annual election on April 6. At the same gathering, the coming National exhibitors' convention to be held in Chicago in July, will be boomed. President G. M. Luttrell of Jacksonville, and Treasurer W. W. Watts of Springfield, were in Chicago the past week arranging affairs with the officers of the Chicago Local League, and the call for the April sixth meeting will be sent to every theater man in Illinois very soon. This meeting will be held in Chicago in connection with a meeting of the Chicago Branch, and at the same time, delegates to the National Convention will be elected. Exhibitor Becomes Salesman Frank W. Burke, one of the foremost young exhibitors of the middle west, and who established a noteworthy reputation as a publicity man while employed as manager of the Strand at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has entered into the salesman end of the game with Fox Film Corporation. Mr. Burke will work out of the Minneapolis branch under the supervision of Manager Robinson. Friends predict a successful career for "the publicity wizard" in the selling end of the game. Theater Club Opposes Censorship The New York Theater Club, Inc., has given its first official recognition to motion pictures with a statement that it believes the women of the country and not the law should censor the motion pictures. The statement followed a huge theater party at the Lyric Theater, New York, to see a special performance of "The Honor System," the William Fox production. The guests of honor in addition to the members of the Theater Club, were the presidents of all the allied clubs of the Woman's Federation, and all expressed themselves as favoring a plan to make their sex the custodian of the fates of the films. There were 1,500 present. 'The Blue Streak" "The Blue Streak," a vigorous and compelling screen drama with a most picturesque hero, William Nigh, author-director, and co-star of the film, will be Fox Film Corporation's release for March 19. Violet Palmer plays opposite Mr. Nigh in his initial production for William Fox. Mr. Nigh has the name part; Miss Palmer portrays "The Fledgling." The other principals in the unusually large cast include Danny Sullivan, Ned Finley, Martin Faust, Edward Roseman, Ruth Thorp, Ed Kennedy and Tom Cameron. Larry McLean, the famous National League baseball player, also appears in the picture. The story tells of the reformation of a millionaire's son, who later develops such consistent speed on the "draw" and on a horse that it wins for him the title of "The Blue Streak." Driven from home, the "Streak" changes his mode of living entirely.