Moving Picture World (Nov - Dec 1918)

572 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 2, 1918 tifying of the Stanley, where the large lobby is undergoing extensive alterations. At the Family Theatre, Joseph Murphy, the manager, has been personally supervising many improvements. Owing to the scarcity of labor and the high cost of materials. Mr. Murphy put his entire staff of employees at work painting and overhauling the entire theatre. A four-foot base running along both sides of the theatre has been painted a pretty light green, while the iron frame work of the chairs and the radiators have all been regilded. The women's retiring room has been given special attention, and all electric light globes have been carefully looked over. In the meanwhile repairmen also overhauled the large organ, of which Alexander Boyd is very proud, and all the draperies have been cleaned and reining. The loyal employees of the various exchanges are being well cared for. Although some managers have been compelled to lay off some of their help a great many will be given half pay, although very little work can be done. Only in very few instances have exchange managers decided to close entirely until the epidemic passes. No Time Has Been Set for Baltimore's Opening THE influenza epidemic is still raging in Baltimore, and at the present writing there has been no definite time set for the reopening of the theatres. L. A. De Hoff, manager of the New Theatre, and secretary of the Maryland Exhibitors' League, is keeping in close touch with the situation, and daily is in communication with all the Washington exchanges, as well as the theatrical people of Baltimore, to let Washington know as soon as word from the health department comes to reopen. Several of the Baltimore theatres are taking the opportunity while the closing order is in effect to give their theatres a complete renovation. All the churches in Baltimore were ordered closed on Sunday, October 13, and two prominent members of the clergy have disagreed with the mandate, but abided by it. The stores and saloons have been ordered to open only at 9:30 a. m. and close at 4:30 p. m. It was the first time, as far as is known in the history of Baltimore, when the churches have all been closed. According to statistics there were 533 deaths from influenza in Baltimore during the week of October 7. The Fourth Liberty Loan has suffered greatly through the theatres being closed. During the first eight days of the campaign the report from R. McKean Barry, chairman of the speakers' committee for theatres and moving picture houses, showed $1,098,650 had been subscribed through their efforts. St. Louis Suffering Loss of Over $200,000 a Week ST. LOUIS picturedom has passed through its first week of closed business. The result of the influenza closing order has thrown hundreds OUt of work and spelled a loss in dollars and tents that already reaches well into the $150,000 mark, independent of a sum of perhaps half that size, representing the loss of the exchanges. How far the actual damage goes cannot be estimated, and there is at present no indication as to how long the ban will run. For the benefit of readers of The World the St. Louis correspondent has gathered figures which represent what the film exchanges will have to lay out approximately and for which they will get no return. They are based on the first week's closing order, which went into effect on Tuesday, October 8. They do not represent lost business, but the approximate cost in "overhead" to the exchanges, all things figured in. Joseph Mogler, president of the Exhibitors' League, and Frank Tate, who represents the Cella interests in a string of the largest houses of the city, say that the loss each week to the exhibitors will be about $150,000. The theatres are closed tight, and therefore with nothing coming in there is naturally a let-up in wages for every one connected with the trade. St. Louis District Badly Affected. In the district served by St. Louis also I have been able to estimate that of the 2,000 theatres there are 75 per cent., or 1,500, now closed. This district includes Southern Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Iowa. Of course, only parts of each of the states are included and not the larger cities ; but the result of the epidemic may be estimated from the figures given. In St. Louis alone there are eighty theatres with closed doors. This number of theatres will lose $150,000, as I have pointed out. The reader can figure for himself what the total loss to the district with its 1,500 closed theatres will be. As to men out of employment as a result of the closing order, it might be pointed out that there are idle 2,400 ushers, 2,400 ticket sellers, 2,500 piano players, ISO other musicians and more than 115 operators. . In the exchanges a "stagger" plan of management has been initiated to help cut down expenses. The managers are being paid one week in some instances, while the assistants take a vacation. The next week the managers "vacate," while the assistants draw pay, and so on down the line. With the patriotic motive back of the closing spirit, however, both the exchanges and the exhibitors are trying to keep a stiff upper lip and a hope for the better. It is expected also that the rush for films after the closing order will to some extent make up for the lost time and money. MOORE. Closed Atlanta Houses Are Being Renovated Atlanta, Ga., October 15. EVERY theatre in Atlanta and an overwhelming majority of houses ' in the Southeast remained closed throughout the past week under emergency orders issued to prevent the spread of influenza. In Atlanta there was a rumor that the councilmanic ban on theatre operation might be lifted at the close of the present week, but any action seems predicated on a marked improvement in the local situation. While the grip of the disease in this city is not considered as pronounced as in other localities the epidemic is still in force. On Monday officials of the Atlanta Theatre Managers' Association appeared before City Health Officer Kennedy and protested against what they considered discriniination, evidenced by the authorities in allowing all shows connected with a carnival company to operate without restriction at the Southeastern Fair, which opened for a ten-day period last Saturday. On Tuesday a committee representing the managerial association appeared before the public safety committee of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and requested that body to transmit the theatrical men's protest to the city council. The managers pointed out that local exhibitors had offered no opposition whatever to the drastic order shutting down their amusement enterprises and had accepted the subsequent losses without a murmur as a patriotic duty. They had expressed no objection to the conducting of the Southeastern Fair, although public gatherings of every nature had been prohibited, as the fair itself is an open-air proposition, given under the auspices of local civic bodies. The managers, however, strenuously resented the unfairness displayed in permitting tent shows and various other attractions under a roof to operate when existing conditions conducive to the spread of influenza prevailed to a far greater extent than in a modern theatre equipped with an efficient ventilating system. As yet no formal action has followed the protest of the theatre managers' association, but in any case the practical value of an alert, co-operative organization among local showmen has been emphatically demonstrated. Hugh L. Cardoza, president of the association; Willard C. Patterson, vicepresident; John G. Evins and Ed Schiller, of the executive board, have been especially active among others in advancing the interests of Atlanta exhibitors. A practical cessation in the business of local exchanges has followed the general closing orders effective throughout the territory. The "flu" itself has played havoc with the various film organization staffs, and would have made operation difficult in any case. A majority of Atlanta exhibitors have taken advantage of the enforced period of idleness to inaugurate renovating, repair and remodeling work at their houses. STARR. Louisville Shuts Down Everything but Saloons Louisville, Ky. LOUISVILLE is indeed a dead place since all the theatres were closed and, in fact, all amusements stopped. The saloons are still open, and the thirsty are still able to secure liquid refreshment. They represent about the only thing that is open, antl has driven home to many what prohibition will be during epidemic periods. The prominent hotels have moved every chair from their lobbies, so that chairwarmers will have to stand up or hunt new fields for loitering. However, the crest of the epidemic appears to have been reached. The death list is still heavy, but it is reported that the trouble is checked, although there are several thousand cases at Camp Taylor and a large number in the city. Some of the hospitals have been so short of nurses