Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1912)

382 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD the weather conditions may be, you will be sure of comfort, amusement and an entertainment that will well repay your visit. Playing Up the Picture. Making the most of the ordinary subject is a matter that is too seldom looked after. The Pathe reel was not a particularly attractive subject in contrast with the more ambitious work, but the inexpensive efforts of four colored gentlemen made it a headliner and it became worth more to the management than more pretentious films. Under existing booking conditions it is not always practical to work up a subject that comes into town on the eleven o'clock train and must be sent back the next morning, but when you read the stories of the films in The Moving Picture World make a mental note of those that will lend themselves to special treatment and when the film does make its unexpected appearance be ready for it. Plan ahead to frame the effects quickly when you get the reel, get your audience looking for novelty and pretty soon you'll find that people come to the house to see if you're springing any surprise. Do not announce the effect ahead, even when you know that it is coming, but aim to be original and the "surprise" will be a standing drawing card with a lot of patrons. Some Suggestions. Suppose, for example, that you have "East Lynne." In the scene where the mother discloses herself to the dying child, cut out the piano orchestra and from behind the screen have a good violinist play Braga's "Angel's Serenade" or the Bach prelude to Gounod's "Ave Maria." The jingling piano is not in accord with the death chamber, but the plaintive notes of the violin, coming unexpectedly, will startle the spectators into absolute quiet. There are times when the thin tones of the violin are much superior to the piano or even the oigan for heightening the effect, but don't break the music tlie instant the scene changes. Keep it going unless there is an absolute demand for livelier music. It is not always well to change the selection every thirty feet of film. Suppose that you have a factory scene. Don't let the trap drummer ban'g the iron plate a few times. Do like Mr. Melody did and "get all the junk you'd expect to hear from in a shop." Don't make so much noise that your patrons get headaches, but work in some special effects. A toy foot-saw with a small buzz-saw fastened where the emery wheel usually goes and a bit of metal lightly touched to the slowly revolving teeth now and then will help the illusion of a machine shop with its planing mill and lathes, a real anvil is better than an iron plate and a card pressed against the wings of a small electric fan will give the hum of shafting and belts. You'll have to experiment to get things just right, but it will be worth while taking the trouble to have the effects ready, to spring in an emergency. Make the Audience Work. The £ong revue, in which the audience is coaxed to join in the choru--= of popular songs, is something of a craze, but why not improve on the idea by unexpectedly mounting the stage some night at the last show and offering $5 to the person in the audience who sings the chorus best. Let the audience pick the winner as at amateur nights by giving the prize to the contestant receiving the most applause. You'll more than get the prize money back subsequent nights when all the good singers in town — and those who merely think they can sing — crov/d the house in the hope that there will be another contest. Do not announce the feature in advance, but let the effect be retroactive. The audience always enjoys what it does itself more than what is done for them, so get them busy. Have your singer, if you use one, encourage them to come in on the choruses by coaxing them along. Your Announcement Slides. The other day in a theater in downtown New York an advance notice of the Pathe weekly was thrown on the screen. The announcement featured the funeral of -Mmiral Evans, a railroad accident in which two were killed, "and other interesting ei-ents." It is possible that this is the sort of stuff making the strongest appeal 10 the clientele of the house, but it would seem that the second incident might have been replaced with a more cheerful item with decidedly good effect. The Pathe Weekly is not confined to death and while both items had interest, something showing the diversity of the weekly budget could have been used more advantageously. Your screen talk is your personal talk to the audience. Make it striking and effective. When you speak say something to the point and get away from brag, bluster and bromides. "Wc show only good reels here," may impress a few. but you could reach more people with. "All the good films as soon as they're out." Don't leave the lines to the operator to think up just as he starts to write them. Give some of your odd moments to thinking up snappy sentences and keep them on hand where vou can make a quick and proper selection. If it pays to throw the slide it pays to make it effective. THE MASSACHUSETTS CENSORSHIP. By Henry. Under the direction of Chief of Police General Whitney, all pictures entering the State are censored for use on Sundays, the week-day shows being exempt from this. The exhibitors feel, however, that, while General Whitney's supervision is absolutely impartial that it is too severe. Maybe a trifle too Puritanical. The number of pictures passed for Sunday use is becoming smaller and smaller. "Things have come to such a pass that the gentlemen nearest to the Licensed interests in this State say that unless a larger number of pictures are passed for Sunday use by the state, it will very soon become almost impossible for them to supply any sort of a good program. The leading Massachusetts exponents of the Sales Company reiterate the remarks of their Licensed competitors. During the week ending January i, 1912, the following were passed: Biograph's "The Baby and the Stork" and the "Voice of the Child." Pathe's "The DoH," Vitagraph's ", Doubly Desired Orphan," Selig's "He, She and It," Lubin' "The Oyster Industry" and Kalem's "A Presidential R( view in Washington." The Independent pictures passed fc the same week were: "The Divided Ring," a Solax ree Powers' "Life's Supreme Treasure." and Imp's '"Th Portrait." The following is the list of reels passed for Sunday uS' after the entire number of pictures released during the wee of December 2Sth. 1911, has been witnessed: Pathe's "Actor Heart," Gaumont's "From Pity to Love" and "Scenes 0 the Coast of North Africa," Lubin's "The Kiddies' Chris mas" (Parts I and II), Vitagraph's "The Old Doll" and ". Reformed Santa Claus." The Independent reels passed weri Imp's "At the Stroke of Twelve," "Niagara Falls" and "Tl Professor"; Majestic's "The Actress"; Reliance's "The Do( tor's Dilemma," "Locked in the Vaults," and a Pair ( Shoes"; Powers' "When Steel Meets Cloud" and "The Viol: Maker of Nuremburg," a Solax. When it is considered th: a large proportion of the list are less than 500 foot subject and that the entire number of photoplay theaters in tl State must draw from either one or the other of the list it is plain that the situation merits considerable thought. As things now stand, the pictures to be seen on Sunda} are very greatly restricted in scope and variety. More th: that, some pictures are almost "rainstorms," as it is impo sible to get a program without using a certain amount > "junk." Regular patrons of many theaters are complainir at the poor quality of the programs, and further state th they often see the same pictures exhibited in the same hou after an interval of a month or sometimes less. There are a number of ways to rectify this condition. Oi of them is in the hands of the different manufacturers. V need educational and scenic subjects. If the market co tained a larger number of these subjects the number "O.K.'d" reels would increase. Another method is one th the Massachusetts exhibitors must handle. An associatii of Massachusetts exhibitors which was nearly dead has cor to life during the past month. This organization shou wait upon the State police and place the case before the for consideration. It is hardly to be doubted that the Sta could be prevailed upon to become more liberal in its ce sorship, after the matter has been carefully explained. T Moving Picture World has stated on innumerable occasio that more pictures with an educational flavor are greatly demand. Massachusetts exhibitors are entirely in acco with this statement. It would seem that a great opportuni is present for the manufacturers to increase their sales, they should release a large number of educational and seer reels, it is certain that all exhibitors would quickly bo them. There is talk among exhibitors about taking up tl question direct with the State police. It is to be hoped tl this will be the case, as the performances at present offer by Massachusetts exhibitors on Sunday are far from got WARREN KERRIGAN IS "MATINEE IDOL HERC Warren Kerrigan, the leading man of the American Fii Mfg. Co. and often termed "the handsomest man in the mi ing picture business," came in for a full-page write-up in t Chicago Tribune on Sunday, December 31. Mr. Kerrigi was shown in the center of a large heart, surrounded ' zinc reproductions of love letters that he has received duri; his years as a motion picture actor. The article was head . "How It Feels to be a Motion-Picture Matinee Idol," al there followed a desertation on the annoynace of receivi; a hundred love-letters each week from young ladies he 1 I never before seen. The body of the article was taken > with extracts from many letters from among "Handso ' Jack's" conquests. It was excellent enterprise on the part of the .Emeriti and has been the cause of much speculative comment as 1 how Mr. Kerrigan may be expected to feel when some f the young women whose heart-throbs have been laid br. apprise him of their sentiments. The article did not publh the writers' names, of course, but that fact may not alter « situation materially. Mr. Warren Smith, of the firm of Smith & McNeil, p'prietors of the Itcit Theater, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, :d the Crescent Theater, Westville, N. S., was a visitor to e Moving Picture World office in New York recently. '■ Smith came to town to look over the moving picture sitition and get a line on everything that is new and up-to-(^' as applied to moving picture exhibition. Smith & Mctil are about to build a new house in New Glasgow, seating 11 Mr. Smith has been in the exhibition business five years.