Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1914)

268 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Thanhouser in New Studio New Rochelle Company Has Abundant Facilities for Large Productions — Chat with President Hite. By George Blaisdell. THE Thanhouser Company will celebrate on January ijtli tlie first anniversary of the fire which destroyed its plant. Perhaps celebrate is not just the word to use in these circumstances, but there is going to be a shindig on that date up in New Rochelle town, and the company expects a good representation from the trade. There is no question as to the attitude of the townsfolk — they, too, will be there. Time was, in the days when Edwin Thanhouser began business in this pretty town, when things were different. Then the more conservative members of this reserved community were inclined to look askance at a motion picture concern. Now there is nothing the company desires but that the residents are only too willing to aid it in securing. When the fire that started on the thirteenth hour of the thirteenth day of the first month of 1913 had cleared away there was found one perfectly good camera minus a lens. There was a nucleus of an outfit on the Pacific Coast which contained a whole camera. A garage adjoined the ruins of the studio. Into this the company moved and immediately began the no light task of keeping up with its program of three releases a week. Practically everything in the way of equipment was constructed under the direction of W. E. Nelson, chief mechanic, and Theodore Heise, superintendent. This included all the millwrighting and the carpenter work. Mr. Nelson constructed a printer which demonstrated his mechanical skill. Mr. Heise has been in the motion picture business since its inception, and his experience was a big asset to the Thanhouser Company in those days of trial. In spite of the cleaning out of the establishment everything was in running order in ten weeks' time, and not one release was missed. The garage-studio is now used mainly for a laboratory, which is equipped with a full set of up-to-date machinery. When Mr. Hite took up the construction of a new studio, in order that he might have abundant facilities for his big productions, he located it on the opposite side of the bystreet on which sits the present laboratory. His plans have :rystallized in a glass-covered studio too by 65 in dimensions, with property rooms and work rooms adjoining that cover an area of 120 by 40. Mr. Hite pointed out that by placing the camera in the workrooms, which are separated not by a partition but by uprights, the entire studio may be thrown into one set. Toward the main street and adjoining are the executive oflSces. Charles J. Hite, the man who has supervised this rehabilitation of the Thanhouser's physical property — and he admitted the other day that it had involved in conjunction with Messrs. Heise and Nelson the labor of many nights as well as days — began life on a farm in Lancaster, Ohio. Then for a period he taught school — ■ an occupation from which many men have started a successful business career. Mr. Hite's first commercial venture was in a lyceum. Here he supplied films to the Redpath lecture bureau. Then, with S. S. Hutchinson, he opened a small film exchange in Chicago, known as the H. & H. The capital was only $1,200, but in the first year Mr. Hite cleared $5,000. This was in 1909. Harry Aitken at this time was conducting the Western Film Exchange in Milwaukee. He joined Messrs. Hite and Hutchinson in forming the American Film Manufacturing Company. Mr. Hite and Mr. Hutchinson tlien became interested in the Majestic Company. It will be remembered that opposition MR. CHARLES J. HITE President of the Thanhouser Company. on the part of the management of the old Sales Company prevented the Majestic securing a market through that group. It was this action that suggested to the two film men the idea of acquiring a number of exchanges of their own. The idea matured, and from this beginning the present ^Mutual Film Corporation has grown. Mr. Hite is the president of the Thanhouser Company, vice-president and treasurer of the Mutual, and, with Crawford Livingston and Mr. Aitken is a member of the executive committee of the Mutual. He is also treasurer of the New York Motion Picture Corporation. The writer found Mr. Hite in his office on Monday morning. 1 He said that business from his viewpoint was most satisfactory. J He had had his difficulties during tlie year past, but they hadj been surmounted. The company had not only expended many! thousands of dollars in new equipment, but in spite of these' outlays it had declared substantial dividends. The Thanhouser Company was now turning out 325,000 feet of film each week from its New Rochelle establishment. This does not touch the.) foreign market, all the printing for which is done abroad. AskedJ as to how he viewed conditions on the other side as regards his! product, Mr. Hite said matters were in fine shape, especially inj Germany and England. Mr. Hite said that he noted a reaction on exclusive films — the foreign equivalent of our states right subjects. Many buyers who had been going strong on exclusives were now returning to the standard brands, on account of the feeling among many exhibitors that there had been a deterioration in the quality of the exclusive product. The Thanhouser president expressed the belief that Englishmen are inclined to look upon pictures more as an amusement and less as a pastime, that they are more conservative than are Americans and, if possible, take pictures more seriously. Mr. Hite said he did not think the influx of feature companies would affect the product of the established brands. He said that he was interested in a theater the business and patronage of which were closely watched from an experimental standpoint. It was h i s experience that picturegoing is a habit. The factor that causes a man to continue going to a picture theater may be one face or several faces he sees on the screen. Asked as to his belief in the theory e.xpounded by one manufacturer that patrons of a theater like to see new faces, Mr. Hite said he thought it absurd. Old members of a stock company become with the public old friends, and they are looked for. He said in permanently engaging a new player it was important to note the impression created by the actor among picturegoers. "An empty head and good looks mean nothing in pictures," said Mr. Hite, "for ths public is on to the combination immediately. But given brains, looks and skill, then we have a good subject for the screen." Speaking about features, Mr. Hite said there seemed to be a desire on the part of exhibitors to give their patrons something special once or twice a week. It was on account of this welldefined want that the Thanhouser Company inaugurated the policy of a big production once a month, something the exhibitor may advertise big with paper such as he would use in billing a regular attraction. "What about the future of the single reel?" said Mr. Hite in response to a question. "Why, I don't think the single reel is going to disappear, but I think we have got to make them mighty good. They are to picturegoers what the short stories are to magazine readers. We all like to read books, but we like to read the magazines, too. So also people like to see big productions, but they like to see single reels, too. In this theater of which I was speaking we charge for our regular program 5 and 10 cents admission, and for features 10 and 15 ceiUs. Do you know on our feature nights we do three times the business that comes to the box office on our every-day stuff?