Moving Picture World (July-Dec 1910)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1421 r." Women had formed a strange part in the lary of the Young Soldier and none of the Bohemians whom he had erved in his intermittent labors had bothered to lo worldly wisdom. But 1 was satisfied with his silent the pretty sentiment. When that attractive | ility and naive genius of his 1 domesti 1 turning people toward him in applied ability why picture credit for it just as much ; the pbjp do wln-ii ;i filmed view of the West answers the i-called home that must be remiss in its strengthening ties. A Lubin comedj "Archie's Archery" mildly pleased us as well as tinMi while the "Romance in the Rockies" appeased tb petites of the Western st s. A violin and a piano furnished the music and there was an e ition How the picture. Not quite sure of my unbiased judgment of a tenor voice which had developed alongside me in my native city, 1 hesitate;! and in that second the crowd began its approval of an unaffected rendition of a song eming a simple and sane expression of devotion. The mirror-screen effect has put new life into this place and the projection of the pictures is high class. The house has a moderately ornate lobby and front and the interior is pretentious enough to induce a sense of comfort. Managers Karzin & .Mills of the money-making pioneer Casino, 621 East Washington Street, apparently have been battling with a peculiar problem. Upon entering the place eight is, "Don't Spit on the Floor. $10 Fine," stare at you from the walls and four times in the course of an ordinary show the warning was flashed on the screen. This theater, located at the entrance to Springfield's "Bowery" is patronized by all nationalities, yet the proprietors have not <how and deserved the extended co-operation of the Board of Health in their campaign for sanitation. The lobby is not unattractive. The interior side-walls are of green, topped by mural-painting effects above a shelf-moulding. The seating capacity, approximately 225 has at times proved none too large but big buildings are hard to get on this street. The top of the screen crowds the ceiling, but this is made up by a good large picture and would be unnoticed if the operator was able to keep them steady and save the actors' their crowns. The ticket-seller's window at the Royal, 216 South Sixth street also operated b" Karzin & Mills, is paneled with various pictures of the versatile Florence Lawrence of the Imp Company and this feature of the performance is a great drawing card for a desirable class. Springfield has a great many admirers of the be-curtained title which is leading them to acquaintance with the possibilities of the Independent producers. The capacity here is slightly larger than that of the Casino and the solid colors on the walls are conducive to a restful sensation. One would need to be hypercritical to be displeased with the way the pictures were handled, for the crowd went with Laemmle's smoothly told story of "A Sister's Sacrifice" having the wav well lighted and was carried along at a perfectly natural rate. "Keeping His Word," Imp, "The Jewel Case," Great Northern drama, and a "Fatal Picnic" by the same producer were equally well shown. The music was up to the standard, denending upon the pianist who left the pictures much to themselves. The song was the same questionable pseudo-composition previously offered at the Vaudettc but the male voice was undeniably good and no doubt in more popular offerings is better received. If those complete obliterations of the pictures had not taken place in the essentials of the story, the shadows which made a liberal percentage of the show' at the Colonial, 512 East Monroe street, might be forgotten if not forgiven. It was a hardship to be Biographically led to a point where the girl was on the point of favoring the villain with a rose to the deprivation and discomfiture of the hero and then have darkness come upon us until the indignant and active Westerner was under restraint. Interruptions of this sort were too common in "That Chink at Golden Gulch" to be condoned. "The Cowboy's Mother-in-La\v." an Essanay and a commendable accompaniment of the slides of "Keep Your Foot on the Soft. Soft Pedal." made up the rest of the program. One could not ask more in the way of distinctive interior than this syndicate house and the general appearance is inviting but the attendance is not what it might be. "Closed for the Installation of Mirror Screen" was the sign that forestalled a conscientious inspection of The Grand, East Washington street. The American Company, Incorporated, proprietors. Previous visits to this place recall a formula of hisrh-class lobby, front and interior, comfortable seats, satisfying projection of the best late licensed subjects, fairgrade music and the noveltv of the girl whistling the chorus of the illustrated song. Patrons speak of the place in the highest terms. In the Mississippi Valley. Tl III, has m ordi nance making it a puni hable in any theater or with immoral or ob 'I In I \ 1 ic, : iv I 001 r, pi . re cently mentioned in l -till handling \ olume ■ 'i busim public what it want 1 '■ W. (hi I 111., ha Sinclair building in t' and will conduct a picture show, an nouncing tin 1 daily. Tin Northern 'ting at I. a Salle, no! r education but tin visi re liberal patrons of the picture I I that city. Emil Henry, owner of tin Lyric and Edward Stadler of Peru have purchased the NTickeldome at 1 111., which has been by Miss Lucy Feurer. The place will be remodeled, Winneb nty Sunday School officers in convention at Rockford, 111., stopped after condemning the operation of picture shows "11 Sunday, and did not place a stigma upon the week-day shi I" M. Middleton and Paul Bassham of Greenfield. III., have 111., and will operate the place. Mr. Bassham acting as manager. Mr. Middleton, who is blind, is a notable figure in Illinois having, for sixteen years been director of thi eld band. He is also prominent among advocates of Esperanto in the United States and other countries. Mr. and Mrs. John Karzin of the Casino and Royal Theaters of Springfield 111., have returned from a four months' tour of Italy, France, Greece, Switzerland and other European countries. E. F. Turner of St. Louis has purchased a half interest in the Star Theater at Clinton III., and "The House of Features" will be conducted by Wilson & Turner, Joaquin Wilson retaining his interest. Technical analysis of the "moving picture eye," an affliction made popular by Sunday feature stories and poor operators, was made at the meeting of the Southern Illinois Medical Society at Centralia, Til. The physicians with becoming dignity declared it rubbish and pointed to the equally strenuous habit of motoring. The Gaiety at Jacksonville, 111., has adopted the title Gaiety Photoplay Theater. J. L. Wiley, of Wiley & Wilson, has retired from the field and Mr. Wilson is now sole owner of the Bell moving picture, at Cuba, 111. After fitting up the new home of the Nickelodeon in Chrisman, 111., Joseph Fugate has removed the show from the north to the south side of the square in that city. Illinois "press services.'' mostly scissors, have been exulting over a story telling how a moving picture show at Sherrard. 111., was using so much power that the electriclights of the city failed and, after "hours of search." the entire police force located the trouble and "the Mayor" revoked the license. Sherrard is "a city" of 800 souls. A Moline paper in telling the correct story, says two amateurs from Moline leased the Sherrard town hall for four nights and, evidently not understanding how to make connections, "burned out" the power plant, causing about half an hour's darkness. In another Illinois city of 4,000, my partner, an unusually competent installation man and superintendent of the local plant, and myself, were accused of diverting all the power to our show, notwithstanding that the lights of the aggrieved were not on our circuit. They even protested to the owners of the plant that we were parasites and that the quality of light even then was diminished when a visit to our place would have shown our machine and front not turned on. The City Council at Morris. 111., has repealed the ordinance recently passed permitting the exhibition of sacred pictures on Sunday. The Adair Country. Mo.. Fair will be financed by means of slides. Prof. W. A. Lewis of the State Xormal School at Kirksville. Mo., will visit the rural schools of the county giving illustrated lectures on the latest methods of farming and urge patrons and students to buy stock in the association. The new picture house at Lincoln. 111., will be knownas the Star Photoplay Theater and will use some specialties. Harry Percy, formerly of the Columbia Theater, Peoria, will be operator. * F. H. M.