Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1910)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 425. the original negative and the first positive, and fifteen cents a foot for additional positives. The positives, of course, correspond to photographic prints, and are necessary foi exhibition in moving picture machines. The film company keeps the negatives, under contract not to use. Films average about 1,000 feet — that will tell a very complete story. In addition, there are expenses of operators when it is necessary to travel to different places, assembling various parts of the film story. This price applies only to outdoor views. Where indoor pictures are taken it is necessary to install portable mercury vapor lights for illumination, and the cost in such work is so much greater than no contract for less thai) $2,500 worth of film is taken. For $5,000, roughly, it is possible to arrange a complete business story, photograph it, make sufficient positive copies, and put it out among the moving picture theaters all over the United States for seven months, reaching an audience estimated at between 15,000,00c and 25,000,000 persons. HARRY SCHWALBE. CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH. Mr. Harry Schwalbe, of the Electric Theater Supply Company, of Philadelphia, one of the best known film exchange men in the East, has just returned from an extended tour through the South. Mr. Schwalbe, who is a keen observer, speaking of conditions in the South, expressed himself freely to a representative of The Moving Picture World. "The attempt to mix cheap vaudeville with moving pictures," said Mr. Schwalbe, "has proved disastrous to the moving picture industry in the South. I doubt whether any one of the houses which still maintain vaudeville is at present a paying venture. The only really prosperous places are the "'straight' moving picture theaters. Take, for an example, the city of Augusta, Ga. About two years ago, before the vaudeville craze had struck the town, there were six prosperous moving picture houses, to-day there are only three left. Savannah, in the same State, a prosperous town, is to-day without any moving picture entertainment, while but a couple of years ago it supported several such places. The vaudeville craze has run the business there completely into the ground. Similar conditions prevail in Macon, Ga., Charlotte, N. C, Spartansburg, S. C, Atlanta, Ga. In Columbia, S. C, where not less than two years ago they had five or six prosperous moving picture houses, there is to-day but one left, the Lyric, and that from appearance may die over night. The same story — it was the blight of cheap vaudeville. This theater, with a seating capacity of over 1,000, was running the junkiest kind of punk. In Durham, N. C, vaudeville has resulted in loss of popular favor and patronage and the closing down of two places within recent time. In Wilmington, N. C, and Richmond, Va., conditions are slight!" better, but vaudeville of the frankfurter variety is losing its hold there. In Florida there is likewise a favorable reaction from hook-worm vaudeville, which there has almost run its course. In Jacksonville almost all houses charge 10 cents and one, 'The Majestic,' charges 10 and 20 cents. St. Augustine, which at this time of the vears is crowded beyond the capacity even of its numerous hotels, has the 'Jefferson' for its principal theater and conditions there are good. "Most places change at least one reel daily and some change daily with a two and three-reel program. The pictures are what we in the North would consider old for large cities. There is but little of a date newer than two weeks and by far the greatest part is older than one month." In his travels through Virginia, Mr. Schwalbe, at Norfolk, Va., met Mr. Horace S. Peed, formerly of Philadelphia, and now active in the moving picture houses South of the Mason and Dixon line. Mr. Peed agrees with Mr. Schwalbe in regard to the pernicious effect of tramp vaudeville on the moving picture entertainment. W. S. B. The Great Western Film Company, of San Francisco, have made the pictures of the Nelson-Wolgast lightweight championship, of forty rounds, some of the pictures being taken as late as 6 p. m. and all perfect. We believe this is the first prize fight that has been made by an independent manufacturer. The film will be handled by the promoters of the fight. CHICAGO NOTES. Mr. Harry F. Bryan, of the Motion Picture Screen Company, of Shelbyville, Ind., is in town and sold a Mirror Screen to the Garfield Theater, Fifty-fifth and Halstead. streets, also one to the Elite Theater, Forty-seventh street and Indiana avenue. Both screens will be in place within a few days and will be the means of many more sales, as a number of exhibitors are waiting to see a practical demonstration, before placing their orders. The Mirror Screen, associated with appropriate music and. good sound effects, will form a strong combination against cheap vaudeville and, unless the young stagestruck folks find employement with regular vaudeville houses, they will have to return home, to make a living at farming, as the motion picture theaters will be closed to them. The following fine program is an example of how a carefuh film exchange, like the American Film Service, can take care of their patrons in making up a show to please the different tastes and fancies. The program included the dramatic, the comic, the educational, one counterbalancing the other. The masterpiece was the Pathe Freres film, "The Violin Maker of Cremona." To say the truth, I was not much inclined to see the film, as a friend, who had seen it in the early afternoon, had made a rather queer report, something as follows: "It is the good photography and the clever acting of Pathe Freres, but the whole thing is not clear and too noisy." After questioning him, he told me that by "noisy" he referred to the music, which was entirely out of place and spoiled the picture. If my friend had gone to the Orpheum his report would have been a different story, as there the music was soft and appropriate. When Philippo, the poor wounded fiddler, plays a few notes to show that the violin is perfect, the orchestra stops, the violinist only plays a few sweet notes and stops as soon as the bow on the screen stops touching the violin strings. The illusion is complete, the music seems to come from the violin shown on tne screen, and the notes are such that the audience joins in praises to the ones shown on the screen. The orchestra stops again and the violinist is the only one playing, when Sandro is shown trying his violin -to the delight of his sweetheart and of her father. The notes are eloquent, they fully justify the pride of the maker and of his friends, but they are still more eloquent when they represent Philippo in the gardens, playing on his hand-made violin. The notes fully illustrate the verdict of Sandro, of his master and of his sweetheart, when they all realize that Philippo's violin is the best in tone. The music made the difference. It seems that the members of the orchestra at the Orpheum put their soul in the pictures. Essanay came next with "The Egg Trust" and "Rags, Old Iron." Well, if while "The Violin Maker" was on the screen the audience was so attentive and captivated as to hear a pin drop, they woke up at the comical features of the Essanay films. The Essanays have certainly the talent to make you laugh against your own will. The antics of the two boys, cheating the rag dealer out of his bargain, made it a very hard thing for many of the spectators to keep on their seats and the general hilarity was of the most sanguine nature and just the thing to chase away the blues. To cool down the audience we were shown the "Leather Industry," a very interesting educational film. The educational films are coming to the front, they are nomore objected to, but they rather seem to be in demand and they please. "The Industries of Southern California," of Selig, shown the other day, made a great hit and the 1,000 feet did not seem to tire but called for much appreciation on the part of the spectators. The ladies were greatly interested in the ostriches and feathers. As everything is good in small quantity, we do not want an abuse of the industrial films, as the programs would then be too monotonous. The same can be said of the dramatic and of the comic. In the above program I greatly enjoyed "The Violin Maker of Cremona," yet, if instead of having been treated to an industrial film, we had been given two dramatic productions the chances are that the second one would have destroyed the good impression of the first one. The above named program is a good composition to please everyone and at the same time not tire on one theme. The exchanges should try to follow the same line of service and by so doing they would certainly improve the business. J. B. Clinton, of the Unique Film Service, 81 Clark street, Chicago, 111., has purchased the stock of the Superior Film Supply Company, of Toledo, Ohio, and will continue to operate it in the present offices in the Colonnade Building, Toledo, Ohio, with E. Boardman in charge as manager.