Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

196 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD tures very well. The throw is very long, and a rather long focus lens is required, while the baseboard of the machine is of the right length to suit a lens of half the focal lengthresult, a ghost in the picture, which cannot be eliminated, though Operator Alfred H. Fales has succeeded in doing away with part of it by the use of very long focus condensers. The Motiograph machine is used, and the picture on the screen, aside from the slight ghost, is of very good quality. Manager Mars had a good show on the evening I called there, and the audience was kept in good humor by the Biograph Company's "Delayed Proposal." I dropped into the Premier Theater on State Street near Van Buren, and found that, although it is a ten cent vaudeville house, the projection is far superior to that of the average straight picture show in the loop. The Pathe Coronation film was being shown, and was run very well, being given full time, while the operator maintained his light as he should, not allowing ghosts or yellow corners to appear. Lyric Theater, at State and Van Buren Streets, another of the chain of Jones, Linick and Schaefer theaters, has recently been reopened, after closing down a short time to remodel. Two upper floors of the building have been removed to make room for a balcony, which seats about 150 people, making the total seating capacity of the house nearly 500. The operating room has been placed at the top of this balcony, causing a drop in the throw of something like 40 feet, but the picture scarcely shows it. The mirror screen is still in place here, and gives a very fine picture. Under the balcony three indirect lighting fixtures have been installed, lighting up the theater comfortably, while the balcony itself effectively protects the screen from the light. If the management of this theater would pay as much attention to the music as is done at the Orpheum, it will be but a short time until the Lyric is as popular a theater as the Orpheum. I saw Pathe's "Waiting" here, and the pianist simply made the picture talk, but when the drummer started to hammer out noise for the next picture, the effect was utterly destroyed. It will be noticed that the drummer at the Orpheum rarely has any occasion to make any amount of noise, but the average drummer never seems to realize that "silence is golden" and that he can often best earn his salary by keeping still and letting the piano work up the picture. Having heard that Friedman's Theater, at 1302 South Halsted Street, right in the heart of the Ghetto, was enjoying some of the best projection in the city, I went there to investigate, and found a very fine picture indeed. Selig's "It Happened in the West" was on the screen, four days old. "Pretty new," I thought, even for a first reel, but I was further surprised to see that the first reel was the same maker's "Captain Kate," only one day old. This is the more striking, as the most of the competing theaters are independent, and I noticed no other licensed theater nearby. Manager Friedman doesn't seem to think anything is too good for his patrons. THE JEFFERSON THEATER BREAKING RECORDS. The Jefferson Theater, corner 55th and Lake Streets, Chicago, is breaking all records for summer business as a neighborhood house, and Manager A. M. Gollos is one of the few Chicago managers who tell us that business is still holding up and that the prospects for fall business loom up as through a glass brightly. At no time, says Mr. Gollos, have we been without enough patrons to make things interesting, and though business did decline during the excessive hot spell, each cool night amply rewarded us and during the past few weeks we have played to as many as 2,000 people in one night, from 6:30 P. M. to 10:30 P. M. The Jefferson is a neat and attractive little house, with a capacity of about 800. It is well ventilated by open doorways on every side and enough fans to keep the air in circulation. Three reels of Licensed film, a spot and illustrated song, compose the program and Mr. Gollos makes it a point' to obtain every good feature film on the market. Good pictures, good projection, good music and good advertising, and a lively interest in the comfort and welfare of his patrons, form the foundation of his success, and Mr. Gollos is one moving picture man who realizes the necessity of spending money to make money. The five-cent policy is adhered to and satisfaction is evident on every side. TO THE MOVING PICTURE EXHIBITORS of the United States and Canada. Gentlemen: I wish to remind you that the National Exhibitors' Convention will be held at Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday, August 1st. The convention will last three days. Now, Brother Exhibitors, it is up to you to make this convention a grand success. There are many matters pertaining to our business which need to be adjusted. You cannot alone do anything, but through organization you can get results. Come to the convention. Get acquainted with the exhibitors from all over the United States and Canada. Give the men in our line of business the benefit of your knowledge of what you know about the business. If you have any grievances, Cleveland is the place to state them and it is a duty you owe the moving picture exhibitors. If you know of anything beneficial to the business, be at Cleveland and enlighten the exhibitors. If you stay at home, quit your kicking. Remember, the Lord helps those that help themselves. Don't expect to stay at home in order to save a dollar and depend upon other exhibitors to work early and late that you may receive the benefits. It is time that every exhibitor become aroused to the fact that the meeting at Cleveland is the greatest event in the history of the moving picture world and that our destiny depends upon the meeting at Cleveland being a great success. Stop and think of all the injustice imposed upon you and then remember that it is only by and through organization that you can get a fair and square deal from everybody. Wake up! Get the right focus and when the light is turned on, you will see a new picture by a National Exhibitor's League, and the motto will be "A Square Deal for All; Live and Let Live." M. A. NEFF, President. A FILM MANUFACTURER'S ENTERPRISE. Realism in moving pictures is of the greatest importance, for this is a thing which is always appreciated by the public. Some film makers go to great expense to make a scene look real. As an example, the Pathe American Company, in need of a genuine explosion at sea, contracted with the owner of an old two-masted schooner, paying him over a thousand dollars for the privilege of blowing it up with dynamite. The event occurred on July 14th, off Islip, in Great South Bay. A crowd of newspaper reporters and photographers of the daily newspapers were on hand, and as the scene was laid so far from shore, the Pathe people chartered a large yacht which was placed at their disposal. Owing to the haste of departure, provisions were overlooked, and it was a famished band that landed at Islip at 6 p. m., after eight hours at sea with nothing but water to drink and not even a sandwich to eat. This was the pathetic side of the event, the humorous was the precautions taken by the onlookers to stuff their ears with cotton to deaden the sound of the explosion, and the excuses offered by the owner of the yacht to keep at a safe distance, When the scenes had been carefully rehearsed and the explosion did occur late in the afternoon, the report and effect was somewhat disappointing, but the shattered timbers of the vessel shot into the air amid a cloud of smoke, and another sacrifice to art was recorded by the cameras. These were quite near to the ship, but placed on a substantial raft and covered with a timber shield to protect them from the falling splinters. We understand that a very satisfactory film was obtained, the release date of which will be watched with interest. It will be one of the most expensive films ever produced, other scenes besides the explosion being staged at great cost. TEMPTATIONS OF A GREAT CITY. State rights on this feature film are selling fast. All the New England States have been contracted for by Feighery and Place of New York City; Missouri and Ohio by Chas. L. Marshall, Excelsior Springs, Mo.; Pennsylvania to E. B. Clark, Dubois, Pa.; Ohio to W. C. Smith; Jos. L. Hopp, of the Standard Film Exchange, Chicago, secured Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Michigan. THE MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION OF EXHIBITORS. Mr. Dintenfass, of the Champion Films Co., and Mr. Horsley, of the Nestor Co., who were appointed to represent the Sales Co. at the State Convention of Michigan, arrived at Detroit on Wednesday, July 5th and they met the boys that day at the meeting hall, where the exhibitors were busy in conference. Mr. Dintenfass sent in his card and he was immediately interviewed and he took the opportunity of inviting the entire meeting at the expense of the Sales Co. to luncheon. The invitation was accepted with three large cheers, and it was but a short time before about thirty-five exhibitors, of which the majority were Independent, also representatives of the Patents Company's exchanges, and Mr. Hardin, representative of the Edison Co., found themselves at the festive board doing justice to hearty repast. We are informed that as a result of this meeting the exhibitors have organized for the betterment of conditions and for the elevating of the industry at large, which is highly commendable.