Moving Picture News (Jul-Oct 1913)

8 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS THE KINEMACOLOR OF AMERICA Manager Sawyer Explains the Patents Company License, and Talks Interestingly of Kinemacolor Matters All Along the Line You know about the smiling young lady of Niger who took a ride on the back of a tiger. You know also what the result was on their return — the smile was on the face of the tiger. Well, that's not exactly what happened in the moving picture arena recently.. To be sure the Kinemacolor Company of America has been gathered into the fold of the Motion Picture Patents Company, but there's a smile all along the line. In the course of a chat with Arthur H. Sawyer, manager of the Kinemacolor Company of America, the cause of the "smile that won't come oflf'' was duly set forth. "Yes," said Mr. Sawyer, "we have entered into a contract, according to which the Kinemacolor Company is duly licensed by the Motion Picture Patents Company to manufacture and exhibit Kinemacolor moving pictures in the United States. This contract straightens out a condition of afifairs that was very unsatisfactory to all concerned, and is of considerable importance to the whole moving picture trade. Hitherto there were many exhib-itors who wished to run Kinemacolor pictures, but were afraid of losing licenses. Some of the larger exhibitors, like. Proctor, Fox, and others, defied the consequences and continued to run our natural color motion pictures as features or vaudeville acts, but many other exhibitors dared not take the risk of displeasing the Patents Company for fear of losing their licensed pictures. Thus exhibitors, generally, will be pleased with the new arrangement, which enables them to run Kinemacolor and licensed pictures on the same program. Kinemacolor pictures may now be shown in any licensed or independent theatre." "And how about distribution?" was asked by the News representative?" "There is no change in our method of distribution. The general management of the business in this country will be conducted in New York, as formerly, at the executive ©ffices in the Mecca Building. The distributing offices for New England are at Providence, R. L, and those for the Middle West are in Chicago. The distributing offices for Ohio, Eastern Pennsylvania and some of the Southern States are at Cincinnati. That the demand for colored motion pictures is constantly growing is evidenced by an important contract we have just closed with Jake Wells, who has become a confirmed convert to the box-office prosperity that is brought about by the exhibition of feature films. He is now a most enthusiastic picture fan." "What is the nature of his contract with your company?" "His contract practically gives him the exclusive handling of Kinemacolor in the cities and states in the South in which he has theatres or affiliations. It is part of Mr. Wells' plans to handle the Kinemacolor productions for the entire Southern section of the country. The Kinemacolor pictures are to be used in connection with the special features in black and while that Mr. Wells and his associates are buying from time to time. The first installations of the Kinemacolor machines begin the week of August 25th and the Southern states will be supplied as rapidly as machines can be supplied to the different points. "On August 35th a new form of entertainment consisting of about thirty minutes of Kinemacolor as the headliner and about one hour of a black-and-white feature and miscellaneous subjects, will be introduced in Wells' theatres at Atlanta, Birmingham, Savannah, Norfolk and Richmond. Starting from Richmond, the films will play through the different towns on the circuit, being booked and advertised the same as a road production." "Will there be vaudeville acts in connection with the entertainment?" "No; the entertainment which will last from an hour and a half to an hour and three-quarters, will be devoted entirely to moving pictures, with three changes of program each week. Tliere will be one, two and three-reel features in black and white, and also one, two and three reel Kinemacolor features. The colored pictures will cornprise, in addition to dramatic and comedy features, various scenic, industrial and educational subjects of popular interest. Think of the possibilities of a travelingshow of this character, which will only have to carry an operator and a musician. It will take in towns that come under the head of one and two-night stands, and the entertainment will be given in such towns once in every four or eight weeks, according to the patronage and size of the population. Thus Jake Wells may be said to be the pioneer of the traveling moving picture show." "How long have you been exhibiting Kinemacolor pictures in this country?" "America had its first public view of this wonderful invention in the summer of 1910, when the Kinemacolor pictures of the funeral of King Edward VII were shown. Successive exhibitions of the coronation of King George y and Queen Mary in 1911, the Durbar in 1913, the Making of the Panama Canal and the Balkan War scenes in 1913 proved the supremacy of Kinemacolor in reproducing great pageants and historic events in all their magnificent colors. "The majority of exhibitors know of these great picture pageants — the first 'feature films' to play the regular theatres — but they are not familiar with the wonderful assortment of dramatic and comedy subjects, and miscellaneous travel, educational, scientific, topical and trick pictures, now supplied in our regular Kinemacolor film service. "Kinemacolor features like 'Steam' — showing the development of this power from the tea-kettle to the modern 100-ton locomotive; 'Nathan Hale,' the life story of the heroic young martyr of the American Revolution; Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous American romance, 'The Scarlet Letter,' and Robert Louis Stevenson's thrilling story, 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,' — have been the sensations of the season wherever exhibited. The old English morality play, 'Everyman,' has been reproduced with wonderful scenic effects, while a number of big dramatic spectacles are being produced in England and France by the consolidated Kinemacolor acting companies." "Has 'Everyman' been released in this country?" "It was released recently for production in a California theatre, but it won't be released in the East till the last week in August or the first week in September." "What important features have you under way?" "Our studios in Los Angeles and in Europe are working at high pressure to turn out what is under way for picture releases. For instance, there are the films depicting the daily life at the Vatican. Charles Urban, as you know, had the honor of giving the first Kinemacolor entertainment with these films at the Vatican, and the Pope was so greatly pleased that he ordered the representation to be repeated at an early date. These films include the Pilgrimage to Lourdes, the Blessing of the Sea at Malta, and the Papal Benediction of the people. Other feature plays that we are at work on are "William Tell' and 'In the Days of Robin Hood.' " "Is your production of 'William Tell' based on Schiller's drama?" "In the main incidents it follows Schiller's dramatization of the historical or legendary incidents. The Kinemacolor pictures were taken under the expert direction of J. de Frenes, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, in accordance with our arrangement to make a permanent record of the pastoral version of 'William Tell' as it is presented annually by Swiss peasants and produced by the citizens of Interlaken. Some of the scenes were cinematographed on the pastoral stage at Interlaken, while others are reproductions of actual Swis.s scenery. The Rutli scene, for instance, is the reproduction of a natural setting that was found way up in Rugen Park." "Were the 'Robin Hood' films also prepared abroad^" "Yes; they were prepared by the English Kinemacolor Company, and will be released in this country in the