Motography (Apr-Dec 1911)

November, 1911. MOTOGRAPHY 211 choice seats in the rear portion of the lower floor bring twenty cents, while the loge seats are reserved at twentyfive cents. The People's Theater seats fourteen hundred people, and was built at a cost of $100,000, of solid steel and concrete construction throughout. It is, of course, absolutely fireproof. It will be used as headquarters for the People's Amusement Company, as it is the best theater so far constructed by the company. The plan of the company, however, is to duplicate the People's in every large city of the Northwest. The company uses regular licensed service, and is also the holder of Oregon state rights on the Milano version of Dante's Inferno, with which it is having pronounced success. Pictures for China Consul C. L. L. Williams of Swatow, China, gives some very interesting facts in regard to moving pictures among the Celestials. Of recent years moving pictures have made great strides in public favor until now, especially along the coast, they are very well known, almost every port boasting at least one theater, while many of them have five or six. Swatow is one of the smaller ports as regards population, and yet it has two theaters in operation, while four or five traveling shows work the nearby territory. Peking, Tientsin, Shanghai, Hankow, Hongkong, and Canton each support several theaters and there are numerous traveling shows in the neighboring country districts. ' Naturally there is a great demand for films, and to a lesser extent for apparatus. A well-known French company has a practical monopoly of the market so far as southern China is concerned, and it is said that the same state of affairs exists in northern China. The usual practice is for the theater or traveling show to rent such films as it may require, and to supply this demand the French firm has an agency in Hongkong. This firm's monthly charges and conditions for the hire of films are as follows : Length Two Changes a Week One Change a Week Series A Series B Series C Series A SeriesB Series C 1640 feet 211.50 338.40 507.60 634.50 169.20 275.00 401.S5 465.30 1 26.90 211.50 317.25 380.70 '26.90 211.50 296.10 338.40 84.60 169.20 232.65 275.00 3280 feet 126.90 5920 feet 169.20 6560 feet 211.50 In this table, series A comprises a program of films never before seen in the locality ; series B, a program seen in one theater in the locality; series C, a program seen in various shows. Series B film may be rented for one performance at the rate of 60 cents a hundred feet per day; series C film at 30 cents a hundred feet per day. The rent for films is payable in advance, and the rentee must make a guaranty deposit, which is refunded without interest on return of the last lot of films. The foregoing prices are, of course, for ordinary "dramatic" films, and for "historic" films after their first novelty has worn off. Much higher prices are charged for films depicting special events. Second-hand films find a ready market in China, although the prices naturally vary considerably, according to condition and subject matter, etc. One operator here states that he has recently purchased second-hand English film, in good condition, for half a cent a foot, f. o. b. London, which worked out at about $0,006 a foot landed in Swatow. The same man stated that he had tried to buy second-hand films in the United States, but that as a rule the prices asked were higher than English or French prices. In treaty ports and the larger cities electricity is usually available, but the traveling shows generally depend on some other artificial lighting system. The only agency for the sale or rent of American films in the Far East, so far as can be learned, is located in Manilla. If the American manufacturers can meet the French prices, there should be a good market for their films in China. There should be at least two depost — one in Shanghai for the Yangtze Valley and North China, and one in Hongkong for the southern coast ports and West River Valley. It is useless to attempt to conduct this business from the United States, as these theaters are usually concerns commanding but little capital. They require a few films at a time but at least weekly changes. The import tariff on films and apparatus is five per cent ad valorem. The New Kinemacolor Theater In the last number of Motography, it was mentioned that the Kinemacolor people were planning to erect a theater in New York to show the colored pictures exclusively. Since that time, a leasehas been taken on Mendelssohn Hall, and it is now being operated as the Kinemacolor theater. On the opening night the house was taxed to its capacity and since then the crowds have been very satisfactory. It is being demonstrated that people are willing to pay from 25 cents to $1 a seat to see nothing but mov ing pictures. Of course curiosity to see colored pictures prompts some to attend, but the directors of the enterprise prefer to think that the merit of the performance has more to do with it. The interior of the house has been newly decorated and rendered more attractive. Music is furnished by an orchestra of ten or twelve pieces, also by an organ. An excellent chorus is also provided. Previous to the regular program of pictures, an organ prelude is given, lasting some seven or eight minutes, while the people are being seated : then follows the overture and the introductory march, and from here on the evening is filled with one continuous chain of moving pictures in natural colors, accompanied at appropriate moments by the choir singers, organ or orchestra. The Kinemacolor theater is open every night, including Sundays, at 8 :30 o'clock, and for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday matinees at 2 :30. It is understood that the coronation program will be adhered to for some time yet — or as long -as the interest is maintained. Foreign Opportunity An American consulate in a foreign country reports there is a good field in his district for making many beautiful and interesting moving picture films. He writes that there is a young artist who speaks the native language, as well as English, and who has recently completed a course in moving picture film making. If any American companies are interested in entering this field he will be glad to hear from them and to co-operate with them in every possible way. He is already in correspondence with French and English companies, but before accepting their offers he will await possible proposals from the United States. An inquiry addressed to the Bureau of Manufactures, Washington, D. C, No. 7513, will bring full particulars.