The Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1913)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 259 British Trade Exhibition Moving Picture Symposium in London — Fourteen Picture Theaters in One. (Specially Reported By Our Own Representative.) SATURDAY, March 22 will be an important date in the history of the moving picture industry in Great Britain, for on that day was opened in London, under most distinguished auspices, the first industrial exhibition ever held in this country in connection with development of the kinema as an educational, scientific and entertaining factor. A good deal of misapprehension, however, has existed both in England and America respecting trade representation at the British International Kinematograph Exhibition and it is the unanimous opinion of many important men in the trade that the only deplorable circumstance of the enterprise is the aloofness of the British Film Manufacturers Association, which refuses to recognize officially the exhibition. Beyond this the organizer, Mr. Ernest Schofield, a gentleman with extensive experience here in the promotion of industrial exhibitions, has had every facility in his task from both the picture theater people and film producers and manufacturers. The admirable manner in which the larger producing syndicates have fallen in with the idea was most encouraging, and this fact was favorably commented upon at the opening ceremony, which was creditably performed by the well known educationalist Sir Albert K. Rollit. An exhaustive list of church, social and educational dignitaries appeared as patrons of the exhibition, and some of them actually participated along with prominent American and English trade representatives in its business management. For this purpose the exhibition was divided into seven or eight sections, each with its own controlling committee. These lists are much too long to print here, but as an instance of the thoroughness and efficiency of this system it might be mentioned that no less than five University professors were identified with the educational section, two notable explorers and three geographers with the travel and scenic section, while several eminent politicians, clergymen and actors rendered valuable assistance in the social, religious arid entertainment sections respectively. To follow the exhibition proper a general conference was held and this apparently constituted a valiant attempt to determine the status of the moving picture. The application of the kinema to every phase of science and learning, religion and politics, medicine and travel was discussed at length by experts, a few of the most notable participants being the Bishop of Birmingham, the Headmaster of Eton, Prof. R. A. Gregory, Prof. Lyde, Sir A. R. Rollitt, Sir F. F. Belsey and Sir John Kirk. The Exhibits. Undoubtedly the first and foremost exhibit in historic importance was that lent for the occasion by the moving picture pioneer, Mr. Friese Greene. As is well known in America it was Mr. Greene who made the first moving picture projector and showed it at the Chester Photographic Convention in 1890. Mr. Greene personally explained his apparatus at a private view and his "first machine in the world" looks very much like a combination of a magic wheel such as one finds in penny bazaars and an old lantern. A notable feature of the exhibition was the manner in which the exhibits and stands were displayed in such a fashion as to make the whole show attractive to the man in the street and not necessarily confined in interest to those in the trade. The fourteen theaters were arranged in one long avenue and the stands were in the annexes. Many novelties in the form of kinema adaptations delighted the huge London crowd which visited Olympia on Easter Monday and probably the most popular was the moving picture target. It is really a combination between the moving picture show and the shooting gallery. Pictures are projected on to the screen in the ordinary course and the patrons shoot at the moving objects with rifles. As each shot goes through the screen a small hole of light is reflected from the back and by some ordinary synchronizing device the film in the gate stops dead at the precise second that the bullet pierces the screen. This shows exactly how and where the kinema-sportsman has hit his mark. I had several shots myself and successfully bagged seven cavalrymen, two aviators, four lions, a tiger, a motor omnibus, and a flamingo in ten minutes. The attendant promised to send along the skins. I have already heard from representatives of large amusement syndicates that the living target is to be the premier attraction on the South Shore at Blackpool (England's Coney Island), this summer. Another attraction equally diverting to the multitude was the photo-acting competition, suggested no doubt by the recent offer of the Cines Co. of £1,000 for the best scenario. At one end of the hall was erected a stage fitted up like the average picture producing studio. Aspirants to photoplaying were invited to give the crowd below an exhibition of their powers in the fixed role of someone who receives a letter containing a legacy but which afterward turns out fictitious. The preliminary tests occupied the first four days and several thousands of amateur actors faced the dummy camera, including all persons from maid servants to society ladies, and even the manager of a provincial theater competed. The final will not be "played off" until next week and I hear that some arrangement is being made by British film manufacturers to give the successful players a practical opportunity to show what they can do. Other competitions included a test for operators both at spool changing and in case of the film firing, and one for pianists who were required to sit down and improvise music to a film they had not seen before. Medals were awarded to the successful competitors in both cases. Safety Films. The recently formed "Boroid" company had a most interesting stand on which their new fireproof film base was demonstrated. I asked the manager in charge to "frizzle" a piece of the film, which he did, by holding six or seven inches in the flame of a large spirit lamp. Rightly enough the film frizzled but there was no trace of flame, and this was proved beyond doubt when he placed a piece upon some red-hot tin and still it only frizzled. A few other devices were on show, but were mostly of the nature of fire preventing attachments. One consisted of a steel jar to be attached to the side of the projector containing a chemical fire-extinguishing solution and which by pressing a lever was squirted into the "gate" of the machine and surrounding parts. I am afraid, however, that this device will never prove popular to operators averse to water as the demonstration resembled something like a miniature shower-bath. There was some talk at one time of submitting these and other appliances to the Royal Commission appointed to investigate celluloid dangers, but so far nothing has been heard of the matter; but the Berlin police, after subjecting Boroid film to most rigorous tests, have decided to grant extra privileges to theaters using it. Sound Instruments. It would seem from the many mechanical musical instruments shown at Olympia that, so far as the smaller shows are concerned, the orchestra will soon be swept out of existence. A most ingenious contrivance which attracted endless attention was a violin-playing instrument. The sceptic showman will ask "How can a machine draw a bow across a fiddle with accurate musical expression." That is not the point. The violin plays the bow, the latter remaining stationary throughout. The invention consists of a threelegged frame to which is attached three violins, close together and all in line. Across the three is stretched a huge bow and when the motor is set going and the sound regulator fed with paper music rools the three play together. Pneumatic stops regulate the strings instead of fingers. The stentorian was another device which attracted endless notice. It was really an elaboration of the gramaphone except in stentorian notes which could be heard from one end of the building to the other. Combinations of pianos, organs, orchestrions and violins were exhibited by the dozen and all were under electric control, compact, and regulated on the press-the-button principle. Machines for sound effects were as common as flies on a July morning and the cacophanic catastrophes produced by some were bewildering in the extreme. One small instrument, for instance, no larger than a sewing machine and known as the "Kinesounder," almost produced a panic. The operator pressed seven of its levers down simultaneously; then immediately fire alarms rang, police whistles blew, the fire engine hooter huzzed, horses galloped and vehicles rattled, timber cracked as though burning and passable imitations of falling floors and roofs were interspersed with many other noises of a fire scene. This machine produces about fifty other different stage noises with one of the most realistic resemblances of smashing crockery I have ever heard. Trade Secrets. Both in respect to projectors, cameras, and film producing apparatus columns could be written of new and improved adaptions on view at Olympia, but a few of the most notable must suffice. The newest thing in studio cameras resembled a big naval gun more than anything. It was constructed of heavy, thick steel and laid in a foundation of steel bedplates, while on all sides were myriads of handles and levers. The new gyroscope hand camera and one worked by com