Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1910)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD By Graphicus. 461 "I "I Would Rather Have a Girlie Than an Automobile," is the title of a little song which I heard sung one afternoon, not so long ago, at the American .Music Hall on Forty-second street. The singer sang the song as if he meant it. The audience, too, seemed to be somewhat of his way of thinking. Myself, I was in a neutral frame of mind. So I am now. Girlies are very nice things in their way, but, as they say in the North of England, "Women are kittle cattle"; you never know what they are going to do next. But, gentle reader, I will not pursue this platitudinous vein. The first and last word about woman was really said, according to Holy Writ, some few thousand years ago, in the Euphrates Valley at the time of Adam and Eve. So, "'enough said." Of course, there are many who subscribe to the converse of the sentiment of the lilting song, named in line one. paragrah one, of this week's sermon. Many people apparently prefer automobiles to girlies. Most people, however, like both. Amongst the latter I venture to include Mr. William ("Bill") Steiner, who was my host recently in an automobile trip to a far country. "Bill" is an elusive man when you want to set him to talk, and the trap I laid for him was an automobile trip. So off we started on a bright March day; and as we whizzed through the air, Steiner became my unconscious victim and gave an interview according to my favorite formula, that is, of keeping the victim oblivious of the fact that he is talking for publication. For when he is oblivious of that fact, he, as I have pointed out over and over again, talks naturally and earnestly, and is himself, which is what we all ought to be, first, last, and all the time — namely, true to ourselves. We seldom are in the set interview previously arranged for, and handed out, cut and dry. Steiner is a power in the moving picture field. First of all on account of his personality, which is an enviable one. Steiner is popular with all the patrons of his several exchanges simply by virtue of his business ability, and the fact that he conducts his business on broad, humane principles. This much I saw for myself in the busv little Twentyeighth street office, which every morning is beset by a crowd of "bees," or operators, who come in from their hives of industry, the moving picture theaters, for fresh honey in the shape of films. Steiner is there to see that the straight game is played and to meet his customers in a Droad and intelligent fashion. This, after all, is the secret of success. The figures of the business which Mr. Steiner gave me were the best evidence of the wisdom of his policy. They made me envious, so much so, that as I read them I felt inclined to test the obvious good nature of my host by inviting him to change places. I do not know how Mr. Steiner would "pan" out in the chair of "Lux Graphicus." Whether he would write as I write, and think as I think. But I think he would make a success of it. And I also think I would make a success, on "his lines, of running the Imperial Film Exchange. I hereby invite you, dear William Steiner, to change places. You, to take the profits of "Lux Graphicus," and I to take the profits of the Imperial Film Exchange. This offer holds good for twenty-four hours after date of publication of this issue. "Been in the business long?" says I, as we bowled along in that Steiner automobile at certainly considerably more than twenty miles an hour. Before answering mv question, Mr. Steiner turned to wave a greeting to a moving: picture man standing outside his theater, which we passed in our automobile. In fact, in getting out of the city, Steiner seemed to have quite a triumphal procession in receiving the greetings of the moving picture people whom he knew and who knew him at the various theaters which we passed. ""Fourteen years," was the reply. Then I learned again that Steiner was a practical maker of moving pictures; took the pictures: sold them successfully; and had a good business before taking up the renting end of things. It was also quite a surprise for me to learn that Steiner. like many of his competitors in the renting field, knew all the ins and outs of the game, and takes an intelligent interest in it, both from the technical and the economical ends. The moving picture film to him is not merely a trade integer to be handled without reference to its intrinsic quality. No; underneath all his hustling, bustling, and strong business qualities, Steiner conceals a very considerable knowledge of the taking and making of moving pictures. I am always glad to meet this feature in the mind of anybody connected with the moving picture industry. I like to meet big people who are competent to discuss the technical end of moving picture making. And there are not very many in the game. "Like the business outlook?" said I. Then I got from my host a very clear concept of the entire moving picture business at all ends of the game. So much so, that I am bound to say, it was an agreeable surprise that the busy head of this great and popular exchange could keep himself closely in touch with the direction of things. I was congratulating myself inwardly that Steiner was giving me some really useful information, when — "I Would Rather Have a Girlie Than an Automobile"!! There was a loud report. The inner tube of one of the wheels burst; and our little party surveyed the landscape for about twenty minutes while the necessary repairs were being made. During this wait the half-dozen of us studied nature and did our best to keep ourselves warm. I learned one little peculiarity of a New York film exchange business. This car leaves the Imperial Film Exchange, on Twenty-eighth street. New York City, each night at ten o*clock; makes a round of the theaters in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx, and returns to the exchange about four o'clock in the morning, laden with reels that have been shown 'during the previous day and evening — a very curious little feature of the moving picture business. Verily, one-half the world does not knowhow the other half lives. Indeed, it was the use of the automobile for rapid communication amongst the theater customers of the Imperial Exchange that led to my having this little ride and getting William Steiner to talk. So, you see that the automobile is sometimes as unreliable as the eternal feminine. Both are good in their way, but neither can alway be relied upon to be on their best behavior; otherwise life would, indeed, be a heavenly experience. Well, on we went again, only to discover at the end of a few more miles that Imperial high speeding was the cause of running fhort of gasoline. But this little difficulty was got over with characteristic Steiner-like ingenuity, and wc eventually reached our destination, where I had other adventures that are not for this column. "And so home," as the diarist, Samuel Pepys, put it in his famous book, at the end of a delightful day, in which I had learned something about the moving picture game in the country, and added a notable figure to my private gallery of picture personalities. Mr. Steiner is young, vigorous, progressive, alert, and has the habit of success — a very nice habit to have. It swells your bank account; keeps you feeling good; and gives you an optimistic outlook. I like people with optimistic outlooks. I do not look a very optimistic person myself, but my looks belie me. There is a character in one of Nathaniel Hawthorne's books, who is somewhat of a favorite of mine. She is an old woman whose facial expression belies her real feelings. Although she may seem to be frowning, yet she feels really good and kind. That is me, at times. But there is no occasion to be in any dubiety as regards Mr. Steiner. There is no ambiguity in his face. His outlook is manifestly optimistic. He not only looks on the bright side of things, but is there himself, which is a good thing. That is why the Imperial Film Exchange is so popular, and why Steiner himself is popular with his help and his film men, and why some of his men have been working for him twelve years. William, my boy, I enjoyed my ride very much. So here's to you and your exchange.