Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1914)

f THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1541 menl to ihc policy of the management to exhibit only lirst-olass pictures. It has been de(.'idi'tl on account of the constantly large houses attending to keep the second balcony open roKularly hereafter in order to take care of everybody. Five and ten cents are the prices charged, the lower floor seats being held at the higher (Igure. of course, while children are admitted for five cents, and adults also, to the balconies. An idea which has also proved popular at the Lyric is the distribution of souvenir pictures of popular photoplay stars. Mayor Fred A. Hartensteln, of Youngstown. O.. announces that he has been notitied by the Ohio board of motion picture censors, as have, presumably, other municipal executives, that after September 1 no film may be shown in Ohio unless It complies fully with the statutes under which the board is acting. This action. It Is said, has been under consideration for some time. Youngstown exhibitors are not worrying much over this apparently important and far-reaching announcement, however, as they are almost without exception careful In their selection of films, and expect for this reason to be hampered very little by the censorship. CASEY. IN THE SOUTHWEST. A XOTHER theater— the Garden at Cleburne, -'^ Tex. — has found that the public would rather see good pictures than vaudeville. Miss Clements, the owner and manager, discontinued the variety attractions and suffered no loss in patronage. On the contrary, the first three nights after the change was made there was an increase in attendance. The Broadway theater at Muskogee, Okla., has started a policy of one act of vaudeville and from three to five reels of pictures which will run until the regular fall vaudeville season opens. A petition signed by a hundred women of Muskogee. Okla., was filed with W. N. Patterson, safety commissioner of that city, protesting against the showing of moving pictures oi the life of Al Jennings, the former bandid, who is a candidate for governor. The protest declared that .the films would incite imaginative boys to acts of crime. Hereafter the Majestic theater at Tulsa, Okla., will be known as "The House of Features." The program of regular releases will give way to multiple reel subjects, including a number of the George Kleine features. A moving picture advertising scheme patterned after the Booklovers' and Song Lovers' contests conducted by large newspapers, has been exploited in the southwest. Major L. P. Berry and Gen. Will Surrige of Little Rock. Ark., appeared before the Business Men's League of Hot Springs, Ark., and asked the co-operation ot that organization, inasmuch as trips to Hot Springs were to be included in the prizes. The plan is to publish a series of scenes illustrating various moving picture titles in some St. Louis papers, and the person guessing the most of them to be awarded the capital prize. Books containing the names of l.SOO titles would be sold to the contestants at 7.5 cents each. The plan met with the approval of the league, which was asked to guarantee the expense to amount of $5,000. A special musical program was given at the Empress theater in Oklahoma City. Okla., when the American "The End of a Perfect Day" was shown. The story was written by Rev. Clarence J. Harris of Oklahoma City, who entertained a small party of friends. The song. "The Perfect Day," by Carrie Jacobs Bond, gave the idea for the photoplay and with this as a basis E. Chouteu. organist, made up an appropriate accompaniment. The film showing the breaking of the ground for the Oklahoma building at the San Francisco Exposition was also shown at the Empress under the auspices of the Oklahoma Panama-Pacific Exposition Commission, The Queen theater at Dallas, Tex., is featuring its ticket books in its "Queen Theater News." which is published on half-pages of local papers. These books of fifty tickets are sold for S-4 and are good for the best seats at any time — even when the admission is twenty cents. A soap company in Palestine, Tex., offered $100 in gold to the person, church, or society turning in to the Best theater the most wrappers from its brand of soaps. Construction of Callum's adobe theater at Alpine, Tex., has been rapid, it will seat GOO persons. The pictures of the world tour of the Giants and White Sox was almost a local feature at the Best theater in Honham. Tex., because it showed the events of the day the teams spent in Bonham. Patrons of the Queen theater at Bonham, Tex., were furnished with a card something like a meal ticket. When S5 worth of admissions were punched out on this a free pass for a week was issued. The first card which was punched out entitled the holder to a brass and copper jardinier. The Lyric theater at Sherman, Tex., was closed a portion of the week during the old settler's picnic, but opened for the Saturday mati nee. The King theater was open from 9.30 a. m. to 11 p. m. during the festivities. The Gem theater went after busines from the visitors with special programs. The now Lyric, the $30,000 theater at Brownwood. Tex., has been taken over by J. M. Robb & Son of Big Spring. W. J. Lytle and others have leased the Brady theater at San Antonio, Tex., for fifteen year.^ for ?:i00.000. A local educational and scenic picture In the nature of a trip through Arizona with Governor Hunt was featured by the Starland theater at Douglas, Ariz. It showed the state prison and the work done on the roads of that state. John Secord of the Majestic theater at San .Antonio. Tex., recently furnished a four-reel program for a private show in the lodge room of the local Elks. Well-selected programs, given in this manner ought to create business for the theater. J. C. Sims, former manager of the Star theater, is operating the new moving picture theater which has been opened at Yukon. Okla. Jud Ryan has opened a moving picture show at Bowie. Ariz. The Cozy theater at Houston. Tex., has reopened under new management feautring moving pictures, vaudeville and musical comedy. Middle-aged women are proposed for membership on the board of moving picture censors which is urged upon the city ocffiials at Enid, Okla. A committee of attorneys was named to draft an ordinance providing for a board of not less than three nor more than five members. .-\n unusual feature of this movement is that it suggests that the candidates for this board be compelled to pass an examination as to their fitness. The city has no funds for paying salaries, and it is probable that exhibitors will fight any attempt to have the cost of the inspection paid by the moving picture houses. The Colonial and Savoy theaters at Greenvill, Tex., have booked the entire output of the General Film Company to be used in the two houses. The Panther City Amusement Company of Fort Worth. Tex., has reduced the admission to its moving picture show at the Airdome, Seventh and Throckmorton streets, to five cents. A stock company has been formed, it is reported, to erect a moving picture theater on the site of the Alamo Plaza at San Antonio, Tex., which has been leased by Carb, Parker & Carb, real estate men of Fort Worth. F. J. Huff has sold the Queen theater at Soper. Okla.. to E. A. Ingle. The Bijou and Amuseu theaters at Wagoner, Okla., are now under the same management, the Bijou having been sold to Humphrey & Son. W. T. Cutter has closed the Amuzu theater at Hinton. Okla. The .Toie theater at Fort Gibson. Okla., has been sold to W. P. Stockton of Van B'uren, who will operate it as a moving picture house. MIDWEST SPECIAL SERVICE. MICHIGAN. All i\l UXICIPAL officials of Sault Ste Marie went in a body to attend the opening of the Temple theater in that city. Cook & Beardsley did a first night business of 2,200 admissions and had to turn awav people. I'he initial program featured the Vitagraph "Love, Luck and Gasoline" ; local pictures of the Fourth of Julv parade and the interesting Ford's Weekly. The Gem theater which has opened for the fall and winter season at St. John will be operated this year as a five-cent instead of a tencent house. Gilligham & Smith of Grand Rapids have let the contract to C. Hoertz & Son of that city for the erection of the new Vaudette theater on Monroe avenue to cost about SIO.OOO. Construction commenced Sept. 1 and is expected to be completed early in October. Phillip Lynch, owner and Fitzpatrick. McElroy & Pelley, lessees of the Bijou theater on East Main street at Benton Harbor, have made arrangements to remodel the house at an expenditure of S2.5.0O0. The building will be lengthened twenty feet, increasing the seating capacity to l.OOf) persons. Walls and floors will be fireproof. The operating room will be enlarged and improved and two new Simplex machines installed. Construction will begin in the middle of September and the house will be closed from that time until about the first of November. "There are many pictures that could well be presented on Sunday, too, pictures that would be good for the mind and assist in the progress of civilization," says the Ishpeming Iron Ore. The Northern Michigan Forest Protective Association began at the Lyric theater in Houghton its campaign of educating the -^eonle of the copper country in the prevention of forest fires. A thousand feet of films showing the big blazes and how they could be avoided were taken by the forest rangers. Lou Delane has moved his moving picture show into the Mary Green building at Oxford. W. F. Pump has purchased the moving picture show at Utica from H. S. Dusenbury. He has moved it to a new location. MIDWEST SPECIAL SERVICE. WASHINGTON, D. C. A WEEK or two of rainy woathur has caused ■^*' many of the moving picture exhibitors Id the District of Columbia to complain and to believe that theirs \s the only business against which nature owes a grudge. They seem to lose sight of the fact that last winter as a whole was the top-line period In the moving picture business, and the gains thus made more than offset the present losses. As an evidence of how poor business has been, many of the theaters that have heretofore been closed Immediately upon the arrival of warm weather will this year run the full twelve months without oven a shut down for renovation or any other reason. Regardless of the fact that In this city competition is exceptionally keen, the exhibitors en masse expect one of the best of seasons during the coming months and are preparing accordingly that they may get their share and perhaps a little bit more of the patronage. A. Dresner, who left this city the first of the month for the dual purpose of sticking his head into the matrimonial yoke and Incidentally to accept the position of manager of the Pittsburgh branch of Warner's Features, Inc., was given a great surprise when he was presented with a purse of gold by the Screen Club of Washington, D. C, of which he Is the president. It is needless to say that Mr. Dresner Is one of the most popular exchangemen that the city has ever boasted of and his golnc to a new field is a matter of deep regret. The going of Mr. Dresner does not. however, bring a stranger to fill the chair of manager of the Washington Film Exchange for H. F. Lavalle. the new "boss." was at a previous time associated with the Universal interests in this city, and is remembered by many of the exhibitors. Mr, Lavalle has had considerable experience in the moving picture business and has been connected with the Mutual and Universal companies in Wilkesbarrc and Philadelphia and was also the head of the Empire Film Exchange in the latter city. Another loss is also to be suffered by the going of "Johnny" O'Brien, who has been manager of the Electric Film Exchange since the opening of that office in the "Film Exchange" building, as assistant manager under Mr. Dresner in Pittsburgh. Mr. O'Brien is now In that city looking things over pending the arrival of his chief. Mr. O'Brien has been actively connected with the Screen Club since the forming of that organization and has been the prime mover in many stunts that have been pulled off. During his short sta here he made a host of friends by his ever present good humor. George Smiley, who has been assistant to Mr. O'Brien, now becomes chief of that office. Mr. Smiley is a young man full of ginger and Is very well known in the local field. C. 0. Morse, field man for the local district of Warner's Features, Inc., has just returned from a four weeks' trip through the Virginias and is now about to leave for an extended tour through the Carolinas. He reports business good. Warner's Features, through the Washington branch office, is distributing some very handsome posters. These are of a sort of photographic reproduction of scenes from its various features and of the actors and actresses who take a leadin" part therein. These are toned in buff and by their neatness attract widespread attention. This is something of a novelty for it gets awav from the gaudy posters which almost scare one to death and tend to give a tone of exclusiveness to the houses which use them. The daily papers have long decried the use of the flaring posters and have urged that something along this line be adopted. The World correspondent was much surprised to run into "Tom" Eastwood while stopping over in Philadelphia recently. Mr. Eastwood was on his way to Xew York to interview the different producing companies in connection with the ball which is to be held during the fall by the Exhibitors' League. He is very enthusiastic over this project and declares that it will be the biggest event ever staged in this section of the country. He states that already considerable support has been pledged. A special exhibition of the Simplex machine was last week given at the offices of the Washington Film Exchange, at 410 Ninth avenue, Xorthwest. to a number of local exhibitors and operators by George Bothwell. This exchange, the General Film Company and the Mutual Film Corporation have been designated the authorized dealers for this machine in this territory. It is reported that the Department of Agriculture is about to establish a laboratorv for the making and printing of moving pictures which are to be distributed free throughout the country. The Xavy Department and the Public Health Service have already availed themselves of the opportunities of extending their work through the medium of moving pictures and other departments are expected to follow suit. It has been found that greater publicity can thus be given than through any other method. The productions of the Department of Agriculture are to be exhibited at colleges, universities and State Agricultural Experiment stations and will be handled by the division of publications. It is also planned to release some of the educational films without charge through the motion picture theaters, LIXZ.