Moving Picture Age (Nov-Dec 1919)

MOVING PICTURE AGE 25 Nature Pictures in Colors Prizma Natural Color Pictures in their release, "The Roof of America," distributed by World Pictures, gives to the patrons of picture theaters a wonderful scenic in all the glorious hues of nature. They have pictured the Continental Divide from which mountain streams flow west to the Pacific and east and south to the Gulf. This American watershed located in northern Montana, with its valleys half a mile deep carved between mountains reaching an elevation of 10,000 feet, and its numerous lakes reflecting the wonders of nature has but recently become accessible to tourists. American enterprise is responsible for the establishment of a number of unique hotels and chalets as resting points in these gardens of the sky. Although modern improvements have been installed to insure the comforts of those traveling through this picturesque region, there are millions of Americans who will be unable to enjoy these pleasures in person. Prizma, with its remarkable process of recreating nature in all its colors, will bring to the public faithful reproductions of this masterpiece of God's creation. "The Roof of America" is full of rare offerings of natural beauty formed among the clouds of the Continental Divide. This picture shows the lakes forming magnificent mirrors that reflect in detail the snow-capped peaks of the Montana Rockies and the Blackfeet braves in their native costumes add a colorful touch to the picture. Y. M. C. A. Work With Motion Pictures Mr. George J. Zehrung, director of motion pictures and exhibits of the Young Men's Christian Association, states that "since January 1 our bureau of motion pictures and exhibits have provided 3,070 free programs to 1,050,000 industrial workers and their families. Our service to Y. M. C. A.'s especially in industry is a little different from other exchanges, owing to the fact that we provide these programs without cost other than transportation for the length of time desired by the secretary. If they were required to buy their programs from the regular commercial exchanges, the cost would make this service prohibitive. During July 20 associations were conducting 82 outdoor shows each week. August was our banner month in which we furnished 443 programs which were enjoyed by 335,000 people. With these shows the association usually runs a comedy or short drama, which are secured from a commercial exchange. What a School Principal Thinks About It Mildred, Minn. Moving Picture Age, 418 S. Market St., Chicago, 111. I have been an interested reader of your magazine but a very short time. Now I am enclosing my year's subscription so I will be sure to get it all the time. I do not see how any wideawake person of either secular or religious education can be without it. [We concur. — Editor.] I hope the supply of "Showing Movies for Profit in School and Church" is not exhausted. Jas. F. Lichtenberger, Prin. Dist. 14, Cass Co., Minn. Motion Pictures of the Future In talking of films of the future I believe that books and plays are due for a long sojourn on the shelf. If I start out to get a new suit of clothes, do I go down to the second-hand store and ask the tailor to make for me a new suit out of an old one? Not that anyone can notice it. In the future we shall be looking around for original stories— stories from new cloth — instead of making them over for the screen from books or stage plays. Plot, in my opinion, will be incidental in connection with the story. The play will be built up about a theme — whether constructive or destructive, tragic or humorous — because the advancement of screen art has arrived at the point where we must be able to drive home a great truth, teach a lesson and become even more important than being a mere entertainment. — Douglas Fairbanks. How would you like to have the job of examining bombs and infernal machines? Trade places with Inspector Eagan of the New York Fire Department, whose job it is to examine queer-looking objects that are suspected of being infornal machines. Inspector Eagan once came across a very innocent-looking violin box, which might be an infernal machine. His suspicion was correct. He spent seven months in the hospital after opening it. The camera caught the inspector at work on his toys, and he is shown in "The New Screen Magazine" taking the "might" out of "dynamite." Growth of the Slide Making Industry Shown on a Little Journey to "Slide-Land" By Thomas B. Bedding (Formerly Editor British Almanac of Photography). ( This is the second of a series of articles by Thomas Bedding announced in the September issue of Moving Picture Age [Reel and Slide Magazine]. Mr. Bedding is president of the Professional Photographers' Association and his treatment of the subject is with full knozviedge of its many interesting angles.) In paying a visit to Slide-Land we are ushered into the reception room where conspicuously placed is a display case inviting inspection of mats and many other articles useful in stereopticon projection. A few steps bring us to the city sales counter, where all the activities of the Standard Slide Corporation may be said to converge at some time or other. And the more easily to give a prospective customer an idea of the variety of slides from which he may make choice, there is placed, nearby, a revolving rack device, illuminated with electric lights, consisting of two circular frames, each holding about one hundred slides. This device revolves slowly enough to allow close inspection of the slides, yet quickly enough to give a change of view every few seconds. The illumination from within imparts a pleasing color scheme and affords some idea of the stereoscopic effect. Herein we viewed slides of most prominent national advertisers ; slides for every line of business ; for feature productions and natural life-like glass transparencies of views from all over the world. This revolving displav is intended to give the onlooker some idea of the vast scope of the slide industry by presenting a selection of slides for all purposes. In another corner of this room we observed the operation of an automatic stereopticon mechanically exhibiting and charging fifty-two different slides, projection being made on a 16-inch by 16-inch transparent rubber curtain in the direct view of all visitors. This machine is being successfully employed for store window displays where it is attracting considerable attention ; also for educational work in schoolrooms, hospitals and industrial plants as well as for advertising purposes in theater lobbies and in public halls. The device requires no attention ; is foolproof and so constructed that it is turned on or off like an ordinary electric light. Quite a number of installations have been made at seaside resorts during the past summer. Herman A. Rosenberg, Sales and Service Manager. City sales counter. Slides are sold here to the visitors are shown the line. ical trade From the city counter to the sales department is a natural step. Here slide campaigns for trademarked articles are planned and submitted ; screen advertising problems are discussed and new methods of helping the advertiser to get the utmost from his screen publicity are evolved. This sales force consists of some of the ablest slidemen in the world ; men whose daily task it is to conceive plans for the distribution and successful exhibition of lantern slides on thousands of screens. It was largely through (Continued on page 30)