Moving Picture World (Jun 1916)

June 17, 1916 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 2035 Look at the Bright Side Once in a While. ONE gets tired of writing and reading, week in and week out, about moving pictures with a long face and in serious vein. We take ourselves and our business too seriously. We laugh too little and are prone to look on the shady instead of the bright side of things. We need a tonic that will bring a little of the sunshine of optimism our way. To have our minds constantly filled by the bogey of censorship will make us forget that the future of the moving picture cannot be permanently injured by it or any other agency. The character of the moving picture, like our own. is purified and shaped by hard knocks, bravely borne and triumphantly overcome. Its future is closely interwoven with our own, and it will become more increasingly serviceable to mankind if our best intelligence guides it. How often do we miss observing the good that the moving picture accomplishes? A bright instance of this beneficent observation is furnished by the editor of the Brookfield (Mo.) Argus, whose discovery is preserved in print by the following editorial that recently appeared in the Chicago News, under the head, "'Movies' and Matrimony": "There be grumpy folk who allege that the cure is worse than the disease when told that the film shows are cutting into the business of the saloons and are keeping people away from cabaret performances and tango teas, but even these congenital malcontents should say a word of praise for the 'movies' when they read the latest verdict in favor of those great modern entertainers. The motion pictures encourage matrimony! "This interesting discovery has just been made by the Brookfield (Mo.) Argus, which alleges that the film drama has reduced the high cost of courtship. Courtship having been made cheaper, one may assume, without spraining a logical sequence, that matrimony will become more popular. "The Argus man recalls that in the days of his youth it cost Philander to give his best girl an evening's treat $3 for theater tickets, $2 for a carriage and a breathless sum for supper. All that is now changed. The enamored youth of today drops around in the evening, takes the girl to a picture show— 20 cents — invests a nickel in popcorn and 20 cents more in ice cream soda at the corner drug store. Then Cupid, with a full heart and a full tummy, is entirely satisfied. The frugal lover has merely to repeat this formula ad lib. until the fatal question is popped and 'they live happily ever after.' "So far so good. If the 'movies' encourage matrimony, more power to them! But one of the almost invariable results of matrimony among our best people is children, and far too many 'movie' shows hang out that dreadful placard. 'No Children Admitted.' As the sponsors of families the 'movies' must consider the most important factors in families— the little people. Not only must they encourag founding of families, but they must conserve the fai i founded." "Gloria's Romance" in the South. mitli, superintendent of George Kleine's branch throughout the country, recently made a flying trip through the South, in the interests of "Gloria's Romance" and the Kleine-Edison features. He stopped over in Dallas, Houston ami New < Orleans and reports that the picture business is very prosperous throughout that section of country "Gloria's Romance" is now being run in the Ilalscy theaters in Dallas, Waco, Houston and Galveston, and good business is reported from all of them. In New Orleans the Billie Burke novel was booked by Jake Miller in his Empire theater for a run of twenty weeks, each chapter being run for a week. The opening date was Sunday, June 4. The Empire is a high class theater and is patronized by the best people in the Crescent City, Mr. Miller lias tin exclusive showing of Ivan productions in New Orleans, and also tin state rights in Louisiana to "The Unwritten Law" (California), so that, in addition to "Gloria's Romance," his program will offer selections from these makes. The admissions at the Empire are 10 and 20 cents. Mr. Miller is a liberal advertiser, and after booking "Gloria's Romance," he immediately decided on a personal publicity campaign for that moving picture novel, in addition to the prominent publicity given it in New Orleans by George Kleine. Mr. Smith found business conditions of all kinds very good in the South, due to the largest cotton crop known in many years. Chicago Film Brevities. Kleine arrived in the city Saturday, May 27, and returned to New York by the Twentieth Century on Tuesday, May 30. He was busily occupied during his stay and, when seen, expressed himself as being gratified with the great success of "Gloria's Romance." :eived a card invitation, by mail, last week to^attend the opening of the American Theater, in Salt Lake City, on Wednesday evening, May 31. The card came from my old friend, William H. Swanson, who owns it and a circuit of theaters that stretches through Colorado, Utah and Montana. The card was gotten up especially to invite all the nobles of El Kalah Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S.. in Salt Lake City, with the assurance that after the show it would give Mr. Swanson "great pleasure to meet all the nobles of this oasis informally on the hot sands of the theater lobby." Here's to the great success of the American Theater! Harry Weiss, formerly manager of Metro's Chicago branch, has joined the forces of the Bluebird Photoplays, Inc., as associate manager of the Chicago branch. Manager I. Van Ronkle informs me that during the two weeks that Mr. Weiss has been in the office he has increased the business in a way that is highly satisfactory. Judge Wm. Fenimore Cooper, who is up for re-election as judge of the Superior Court in this city, on June 5. has filed two suits in the Circuit Court, each for $200,000 damages, against Wm. Randolph Hearst and his publications for certain charges published against him. Judge Cooper has been a big friend of moving pictures, and has the hearty support of the entire trade in the city. In addition to slides recommending his re-election, the exhibitors and the trade have flooded the city with one-sheet posters, which bear the following request to voters: "The 'movies' of Chi you to re-elect William Fenimore Cooper. He sustained our legal rights denied us by powerful opposition: re-elect him and encourage judges who are fearless in administering the law." L. Wm. O'Connell, who has been actively associated in the auditing department of the Rothacker Film affg Co. for a year, left Chicago Saturday. June 3. for a special trip of investigation which will embrace the entire Pacific Coast. s intention to call upon all the film producers in that territory, and make a comprehensive report covering the situation, for his company. Mr. O'Connell will return to Chicago about October 1. Mi>s Eugenie Besserer, Matt Snyder. Cecil Holland. I.eo Piei .in.l George Fawcett return to Chicago on Monday. M.i\ _"'. alter appearing in the scenes taken tor "The Crisis" at VickBDUrg, Miss MISS I . • who bad never visited New York City, took advantage of the opportunity to pay the metropolis a brie!" \is,t, to which she proceeded direct from Vicksburg to take in the sights before returning to 1 OS Angeles. Miss Besserer and Matt Snyder, when seen by me, were enthused over the hospitality shown the Seh in Vicksburg. Several very enjoyable social functions were giyeil in their honor. Among these was one given by Harris Dickson, the famous author, whose "Ole Reliabll red such a hit in the Saturdav Evening Post M, Dickson threw open the doors ^i his mansion and entertained Director Colin Campbell and the Selig pi southern dinner He also conducted the Sellg pi the National Park in Vicksburg, pointing out all the points of interest and making them memorable by bis explanations. Matt Snyder now 82 vears of age, and veteran •■! the Con