Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

6i6 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Racing the Film. World Man Observes Horrible Example at Boston Theater, Chicago — "Crusaders" in 27 Minutes. By C. Young. Friday and Saturday, August 18th and 19th, the World's Besl Film Company's release, "The Crusaders, or Jerusalem Delivered,'' was shown at the Boston Theater on Madison Strict. I saw it projected twice in succession, and once the following afternoon, and I am free to confess that never in my life In-fore have I seen such a magnificent film so utterly ruined in its projection. Reel after reel of it was jerked through the machines, and the picture on the curtain was a fluttering series of jumps, exits and entrances, for the films gol no chance to explain their meaning either by sub-titles, <>r through the acting. Fast, faster, faster, seemed to be the cry of the manager to the operators, and the operators responded ignobly. Here are the actual times of running of the reels (the entire film is about 3,600 feet long): Series I. 7:52 to 8:04 12 minutes Series II, 8:04 to 8:15 11 minutes Series III, 8:15 to 8:23 8 minutes Total for the 3,600 feet 31 minutes This was followed by a violinist, whose act may be passed over except for the fact that it was not hastened or curtailed, and then by a slide, "Three Minutes Intermission." As usual, the intermission was about 6 minutes, and then, after a spot song of no great merit, the Crusaders commenced to race again. They made somewhat better time at this show, as the following figures indicate: Series I, 8:40 to 8:50 10 minutes Series II, 8:50 to 8:58 8 minutes Series III, 8:58 to 9:07 9 minutes Total 27 minutes Isn't this a grand showing? The operators must have been trained for a sausage factory; if they were not, then their training here would eminently fit them for such work as grinding up "Poor Fido." The people realized that the pictures were not at fault, but the theater manager and operators, and on all sides were heard such remarks as: "The pictures are good, but they run them too fast"; "They ought not to go so fast"; "Speed 'em up, old man!" etc. One man did cry out, in no subdued tones, after commenting on the speed to his companions, "Faster!" At this, the speed dropped a trifle, the operator possibly having heard it, or the manager having realized a little of the discontent among the audience. But the high speed was soon resumed, and was kept up until I came away. The operators seemed to seize upon each opportunity they could to increase the speed, even above the furious rate the film was traveling, and when the scene of the "Saracens" retreat and the Crusaders' pursuit flashed on it was a farce, every figure fairly whizzing across the screen. Two machines were used to project the films, and one of them was so poorly anchored to the floor that at every turn of the crank the picture, frame and all, would execute a jig about the screen. The machines used are Standard Automatics, and it is a high compliment to them that they will project any kind of picture at all at such speed. Saturday afternoon, I saw the same film, and the same sort of performance went on again, though not quite so fast, as follows: Series I. 2:07 to 2:20 13 minutes Series II, 2:20 to 2.29 9 minutes Series III, 2:29 to 2:41 12 minutes Total 34 minutes Evidently the operators' arms were tiring from the terrific strain of turning a crank and pulling a film and takeup for so many hours daily. If they should take a vacation, I would suggest for their diversion some such light exercise as turning a hand windlass on a portable derrick for a change. Seriously, though, this thing of excessive speed is an outrage to the motion picture business as a whole, and to the independent faction of it in particular. It is a disgrace to the independents that the only theater showing their films in the "Loop" is such a one as this, whose manager's only thought is to entice the people in and to chase them out. This policy is just as short-sighted as it possibly can be, and it doesn't always get them out. Many people who stav for a second show no doubt do so in the faint, too often vain, hope that at the next show the film will be run at a proper rate of speed. When they do go away, they go with a pretty well formed impression in their minds as to the length of the manager's ears and the determination never to go to that place again. It will be noticed above that the time between the ending of the film at one show and the flashing of the title at the next was about 17 minutes — more than half the time given to showing the film altogether. Is this the sort of thing to make people patronize a theater? Most decidedly it is not. People go to a picture theater to see pictures, and not to listen to mawkish love songs and fourth-rate vaudeville acts, and when their enjoyment of the pictures, for which they paid their admission, is lessened by rapid running and other things on the program, it seems that they are really cheated out of their money, and given something for which they did not pay. There is a way to check this fast running, and it is very simple. The operators' union in Chicago is pretty strong, and if its officials were to say to the theater manager, "You shall not force our men to run over the normal speed," the managers could not say, "Speed her up, Bill; there's a crowd waiting" every time ten people are held at the door. Such an action on the part of the union would not work to anyone's harm; it would give the Chicago operators as good a reputation as those of the Pacific Coast and San Francisco, and the standard of projection generally would be raised thereby. The displaying of the operators' union slide on the screen would also be a guaranty to the audience that the show was run right, and the patron could go to such a show with the assurance of seeing: what he paid to see. A striking example of what good projection will do was going on almost next door, at the Alcazar Theater, at the same time. This house, though it has a larger seating capacity than the Boston, was holding out a crowd larger than the one next door. Nevertheless the show was not rushed or curtailed. Two songs and two reels constituted the program offered, the Vitagraph Monthly, first run, and a second run Pathe. Not a long program, it might be said. Those who went to the Alcazar got their money's worth, because the films were properly projected. They were not hurried, not even hastened a bit, and were clear, steady, brilliant and satisfying. Also they were really new film — first and second run. The films of the Crusaders at the Boston were by no means in first-class condition. The entire length of the first title and sub-title of the first reel was very rainy, and the rest of the film showed rain all the way through, not to mention the misframe patches, of which there were several. Some exchanges will furnish a commercial service with films in better condition than this really great feature film was. This policy of keeping the film booked for every possible day will prove a boomerang to the owners of the State rights, for exhibitors will not pay the high price asked for this to get a rainy film. PALMYRA'S PARK PICTURE SHOW. Hon. Pliny T. Sexton, a regent of the State of New York and one of the oldest citizens of Palmyra, N. Y., has established a very practical public amusement in that city, of which motion pictures form a prominent part. A few years ago Mr. Sexton improved and beautified a large property in the heart of the city which he threw open to the public under the name of Union Club Park. The Palmyra Band was engaged to give a concert every Saturday evening; swings were installed for the little children and comfortable chairs and seats for the older ones. Fountains and plants added to the beauty of the place. On Sunday afternoons a union church service was held in the park, organ and song books being furnished by Mr. Sexton. Recently Mr. Sexton decided to open a picture show for the children in the park and, after consulting with the manager of the opera house, Harry L. Averill, who was running a successful picture theater in Palmyra, the necessary equipment was purchased and a free exhibition is given every Tuesday and Thursday evenings under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Averill. A piano has been installed in the band stand at which Mr. E. Twadell, the "cyclone pianist." presides. Miss Iva Davis sings the illustrated songs. The pictures are of the highest order of merit and the popularity of the venture is proved by the fact that 2,000 persons are frequently in attendance. Hugh E. Keogh, of the Chicago Tribune, avers that this scenario, as evidence of what the moving picture was doing to them, was actually offered a Chicago producer: "Woman jjiven present of a pair of earrings. She goes to brook to wash clothes. One earring drops in water. Despair! She decides to commit suicide by hanging from a limb of a tree over brook. Rope breaks. Falls in water. In clutching for support in water she grabs fish. Shock of water brings her to her senses. She decides to cook and eat lish. When she cuts it open she finds earring. Toy."