Moving Picture World (Jan-Jun 1910)

THE MOVING PICTURK WORLD The Construction and Conduct of the Theater "Man L an cvolutionarj being," as our sage and elo quent friend, Win. II. Swanson, remarked the othei during an interview in which be discn sed with us the efforts being made bj the Independent faction to el< their position. But "thai is another story" the evolution of which we are still watching with unabated interest. It is an axiom of life, however, that as man progresses, mentalh and socially, his ambitions and hi- handiwork reach a higher plane. Evolution has transformed the rude abodes of the aboriginal Americans into artistic pala of brick, stone and marble; so, in the march of progress it is reasonable to infer that the stucco and gingerbread decorations of the pristine moving picture domicile will make way for something more substantial. After repeated requests, which convince us that all persons interested in cinematography look to the Moving Picturi World as their official guide and as the only recognized organ entirely devoted to moving picture interests at large, we have decided to devote some -pace to the construction proper of the moving picture theater. 'The pictures of to-day are good. They arc produced with much care and the improvements in projecting apparatus have kept pace with the improvements in the pictures. In the beginning, with poor pictures, any old store room was considered good enough to -how them in : but with the advance of intellectual and technical quality in the pictures the cheap places are disappearing, to make room for more expensive and adequate houses. This is as it should be, for, "a good picture must have a good frame." This transformation has even extended to the chairs. Exhibitors realize that the comfort of the patron has much to do with his attendance and comfortable opera chairs are now in use in almost every moving picture theater. Appearance is also being considered, although many tine lobbies are still disfigured by flaring posters. Not that we object to the poster. They are a necessity, provided that they are well made and neatly hung or framed: hut sensational posters, tacked or pasted on the walls of the lobby, or on the ticket office, give a vulgar appearance to any place and deter the better classes from entering. Lobhies decorated in white or cream plaster have been, and still are. in great favor, though this kind of decoration soon loses it attractiveness unless the painter is called in. Some cities, like Baltimore, for instance, have this ornamentation painted in dark colors to represent hardwood or metals, while, in other instance-, the plastei front is replaced by marble, hardwood or rustic work. There seems to he a lack of originality on the part of the exhibitors, and T doubt if a bright and glaring facade is the best thing for a patron to see just before he passes into the gloomy interior. "The Rustic Man." of Michigan, advertised in last week' Moving Picture World some suggestions for a novel front. We show a photo grapl ntional I built in ni and tl vith subj< i our ob ■ that a we a; My in touch with theal ughout the whole United States, we feel that n a position to give some advice ami point to certain improvements. Tin. Moving I'm njre World ha done it -hare in placing cinematograph) on a more s< lid basis. We have encouraged the progressive exhibitor, the < change and the intelligent manufacturer. Now, at a verj important epoch of the business we deem it ii to review the progress that has been made and will b< with T:n I i rtj< i ION 01 i 111. Tin , ir.K. From the very -tart, a certain type of construction has been adopted and ha hem followed by nearly everyone. A Ion dark hall with no light, no ventilation and no gallery. A waste of -pace for a lobby, open to the wind-, decorated with a profusion of planter relief-, white and gold paint. Tin absence i f a gallery force the builder to make the most of the floor space to accommodate enough 5< In the majority of the narrow hi uses we find ti' t over [2 chairs in a r<>w and. to seat 300 persons, we must have 25 row-, or a hall not less than 100 feet long. If a gallery was provided to -eat -^ i r 100 persi 11-. we would gain a -pace in the hall of about 25 feet. The open lobby could he reduced and the space gained from the lobb) and the hall could provide a very comfortable and wating room. The gallery could he so arranged a have the operating booth on the edge and. by thi arrangement, have a shorter throw and better picturi A waiting room offers many advantages that have been overlooked. For instance: In too many of the theater-, the spectators are treated t. currentair falling on their shoulders and making them so uncomfortable a to discourage them 1 f ever returning. A waiting room or ante room, if you wish to call it would break thi cold wave. A waiting room ha another advantage which should he seriously considered by the exhibitor. With the : cut system of continuous performance and of allowing am one to enter or leave the auditorium while a picture 1 on the screen, we discourage many de pictures, who. deeply interested in a scene, have either to move to allow some one to pa- in front of them or to have some new coiner masking the view while ing for a -eat. or a lady removing her hat ly as sible, and thi at the most pathetic moment. More than one spectator ha expressed hi disgust when 1 ing a sub-title to have in front of him and -hut off the view: and the moment he cannot read the sub-title on the screen he loses the thread of the picture and becomes dissatisfied with the show. A waiting or ante room would he a genuine remedy to this drawback, as the u-her would allow no one to either enter or leave the auditorium while a picture is on the screen. Man\ exhibitors have lost money by the lack of a proper Waiting room. When the auditorium is crowded some rustic lamp would he a novelty — and a novelty will always draw the crowd. The manufac tured article known as "Art hat would b and more durable than the pla-ter decorati