Moving Picture World (April 1912 - June 1912)

124 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD London Letter. London, March 16th, 1912. THE picture theater business in Great Britain is flourishing. In those specific cases where it is otherwise it will be found that local conditions and backward ideas on the part of the picture theater manager are the causes. The day of the little moving picture here has passed. The shop or similar sized small building hastily converted into a "theater" is passing away, no matter how low the prices of admission are. The money is being made in the specially built, comfortable, roomy buildings with handsome entrance lobbies where queues can wait in comfort. Simplicity is the note of the internal decorations, and such little incidental comforts as free tea and coffee are not neglected. In the handsomely arranged picture theaters in the West End of London, showing the best films, admission prices are sixpence (12 cents), one shilling (24 cents), eighteen pence (36 cents) and sometimes two shillings (48 cents), the latter price being very rare. Seats cannot be booked ahead like they can in a theater or a music hall. The visitor takes them as they come. Performances on the whole run from three o'clock' in the afternoon to eleven o'clock at night. Sunday opening is pretty universal despite strong Sabbatarian protests. On that day the moving picture theaters open at six, and the net proceeds are usually in aid of a charitable institution in order to comply with the law of Sunday opening, which is very stringent in this country. Topical Pictures Favored. The class of show favored by the British public has tended to change along with the class of theater. Cinematograph news in the form of the "Pathe Gazette," "Gaumont Graphic," the "Warwick Gazette," and the "Topical Budget" are features in practically every theater and are looked forward to with extreme interest. If any criticism is leveled at the class of news given, it is perhaps that too much attention is paid to certain unimportant ceremonies such as the laying of foundation stones, small military reviews, and the lesser movements of royalty or public personages. This is perhaps somewhat of a national characteristic as, on the other hand, pictures showing the launching of big new battleships are special attractions that draw the audiences here. Long films are growing to be the star features of both the West End and the suburban picture theaters. I refer to films running to quite 3.000 feet and playing an hour. These are certainly increasingly popular and their production evidently warrants considerable expenditure on local advertising both in the newspapers of the district and by posters (pictorial and otherwise) on the hoardings. A very popular line all 'round the suburban and provincial theaters, but not so much in the West End, is the Asta Nielsen series featuring that striking Danish actress and always in pictures about the above length. Nature and travel subjects are always safe lines, as are also the leading American, French, and Italian dramatic pictures. There are signs, however, that the public is being over well fed with "comic chase" and "magic" pictures. Hand-colored films are gradually coming into use and are regarded with high favor as a welcome contrast to the black and white picture. Cinematography in natural colors is not much seen here yet, the principal home of this being the Scala Theater, London, featuring Kinemacolor pictures and giving two shows a day at three o'clock in the afternoon and eight in the evening, higher prices than ordinary being charged. This theater is most successful and one rarely sees many vacant seats there. Reverting to the ordinary picture theaters, programs are usually changed twice weekly and on rare occasions three times a week. The number of items upon the program will vary, of course, according to whether or not there is a 3,000ft. film showing. The average number of pictures shown, including the news collection as one item, is seven or eight. This is reduced to five usually should there be a one-hour drama on the bill. The total time for a complete round of pictures varies from i1/, hours to 2% hours. On Sundays and Saturday afternoons, in order to accommodate the extra big crowds that frequent the shows on those more or less holiday occasions, a picture or two is usually cut out in order to change the audience as frequently as possible and provide seats for the people who will be found waiting in the queues outside. Few Prominent Actors in Pictures. English actors of rank have not yet figured upon the cinematograph films so well and so frequently as have those of other countries. This is being gradually changed, however, and there is no reason why such distinguished members of the British stage as Arthur Bouchier, Sir George Alexander. Martin Harvey, Forbes Robertson, Fred Terry, Robert Loraine, Violet Vanburgh. Ellen Terry, Lena Ashwell and Julia Neilson should not become as popular with cinematograph audiences as they are with those who visit the ordinary theaters. I hear in this connection that Sir Herbert Tree's production of "Macbeth" is about to be "filmed" for the cinematograph and that the fee to be paid is $20,000. Sir Herbert's "Henry VIII" has been on the cinematograph for some time. The fee seems enormous, but it must be remembered that all the scenery and fittings have to be transported to a daylight theater specially built for this business. Pictures Aid Army Recruiting. The use of cinematograph pictures for helping army recruiting in this country is beginning to attract attention. Enterprising commanding officers are turning their attention to the cinematograph for recruiting purposes, and inquiry shows that moving pictures are likely to be somewhat ex SCENE OF FESTIVITIES AT THE HOME OF EBERHARD SCHNEIDER, COMMEMORATING APIA BAY DISASTER (SAMOA), HELD MARCH 16, 1912. From left to right— Misses Ella and Margaret Schneider, H. Loeschmsnn. Charles Luft, C. Rebhan. Frau Schneider. Herr Schneider, Eberhard Schneider. Jr.. James L. Hoff. "Papa" Carl Timm, H. Edmunds, F. Gudat. Mr. Schneider is one of three sailors of the German warship Adler who survived the storm.