Moving Picture World (Mar 1919)

March 15, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1481 PROTEST ERECTION OF NEW THEATRE Building of $500,000. Picture House Next to Phillips Church Opposed by Boston Ministers could succeed if its congregations move away." Mayor Peters took the petition under advisement. EIGHT protestant churches of the South Boston district joined with St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in a protest to Mayor Peters against the erection of a $500,000 picture theatre on the property adjacent to Phillips Congregational Church. The Rev. Clarence W. Dunham, pastor of Phillips Church, admitted the possible gain in real estate values. He laid stress, however, on the danger of commercializing the Sabbath, especially objecting to Sunday night picture shows. Mgr. George J. Paterson of St. Vincent de Paul Church said: "You see, your honor, that we get together although of different religions." He pleaded especially for the 800 children under his spiritual care. "If any man has got $500,000 to spend in South Boston building," he said, "let him spend it on homes for our people." Dr. Frances E. Clark opposed the petition. Congregation Registers Protest The Rev. Ralph M. Davis of the Fourth Presbyterian Church said his congregation of 600 had twice, by unanimous votes, registered its opposition to any new theatre nearbv. The Rev. Frank M. Rathbone of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church declared another theatre in South Boston would tempt the people to spend more money on amusements when they already spend too much. The Rev. Dr. Charles Tilton of Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church said it is good philosophy that anything which may be good but displaces a higher good is really a detriment. Pastor Dunham of Phillips Church closed the case of the opponents by presenting the remonstrances of the Baptist, Unitarian and other Protestant Churches of the District. Attorney Ford called several South Boston business men to testify to the business stagnation of the neighborhood and the great benefit which would result from a fine new theatre building. Would Increase Property Values In closing the case for the petitioners Attorney Sullivan said : "This is the voice of the reincarnated Puritanism of 1630. I do not include Monsignor Patterson in my reference, for the Catholic Church as an organization does not object to such amusements, so long as the pictures are not improper. But the Protestant churches are objecting as organizations. They refuse to change their sentiments, although they see all around them the great influx of people from Europe of different modes of thought from those of 1630. Gradually the laws have been changed until now we can have milk and bread delivered on the Sabbath and can smoke on the street and are not fined for kissing our wives. Our petitioners have behind them the unanimous sentiment of the business men of the district, and the ninety names on the paper represent property values of $5,000,000. The law does not regard the theatre as an evil. The remonstrants are seeking to deprive property owners of the full enjoyment of their property. The weight of the objections rather than the personalities should be considered. Spir itual advice for spiritual matters; business advice for business matters. This section is a business section, but according to the testimony long-suffering from stagnation. The new playhouse would tend to keep South Boston people from moving away, would increase its population, and by that very fact build up the churches, for no church New Theatres for Illinois The owners of the Family Theatre, Marion, 111., and the Hippodrome at Herrin, 111., are arranging to build a large theatre at Marion to be known as the Hippodrome. They will also build a 1,500 seat house at Murphysboro, 111., giving them three large houses in a compact circuit. a romantic record of the growth of the Canadian West from pioneer days. This was to be practically a story of the Royal North West Mounted Police. The featre will be completed by September. Making Government Pictures Pathescope of Canada, Limited, with headquarters at Toronto, Ontario, is continuing quietly with its production of educational and industrial pictures for the archives of the Ontario Government. This company has made hundreds of reels for the Ontario Government library and the greater portion of the subjects are of direct interest to the agricultural interests of the community. Many of these pictures are being shown regularly to rural residents by representatives of the Department of Agriculture. CANADIANS IMPORTING BRITISH FILMS Agitation Against Too Many American Subjects Results in Securing English and French Pictures CONSIDERABLE progress has been made by two of Canada's film renting companies in the matter of securing British and French pictures following the agitation on the part of J. W. McGarry, provincial treasurer of Ontario against the presentation of so many American-made pictures in the Dominion. One immediate result of the agitation was the formation of British Films, Limited, by Messrs. Jule and J. J. Allen of Toronto, and the firsc release of this company has now been seen in a number of Canadian cities. This is the Pearson production, "The Kiddies in the Ruins." Immediate releases by British Films, through the agency of the Monarch Film Company, Limited, Toronto and other cities, include "God Bless the Red, White and Blue," and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor," as well as "Comradeship." These are made-inEngland productions. The Aliens also imported "Britain Awake" and have also been making a specialty of the Allen All-British News Weekly in their many theatres, this being composed of selections from English topical reels. Another company that has been making a special effort to release English and French pictures is the Specialty Film Import, Limited, of Montreal, the Pathe representative in Canada. This company brought in prints of "Canada at Mons," a picture showing the end of the war and a photodrama, "The Chance of a Lifetime." The Specialty company has a personal representative on the ground in London in the person of J. A. Davidson. He is scouting for both English and French pictures which would be suitable for Canadian requirements. The company has also been doing nicely with a new venture in the shape of the British-Canadian News Weekly. This is being released twice each week in the important centres of the Dominion. Gets Rights to "Seeing Canada." The Canadian Universal Film Company, Limited, has acquired the releasing rights in the Dominion of "Seeing Canada," a series of one reel Made-inCanada scenics, prepared by the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau of the Department of Trade and Commerce at Ottawa. These reels are being released every other week. Another development was seen recently in the announcement that a super-picture would be produced in Regina, Sask., for the purpose of giving Tom Ince Enlarges Staff At His Culver City Studio LLOYD HUGHES has been signed by Thomas H. Ince on a long contract to work in Paramount pictures produced by Mr. Ince at his new Culver City studio. Mr. Hughes is only 21, comes from Bisbee, Ariz., and has been attending Polytechnic in Los Angeles. Mr. Ince saw him doing a bit of atmosphere in a picture and was so impressed by his work that he makes his debut in Paramount pictures shortly as leading man for Enid Bennett. William Conklin, who has appeared in many motion pictures in leading and character parts, has also been signed by Mr. Ince and among others under contract to appear in Ince pictures for Paramount are Douglas MacLean, Doris Lee and Otto Hoffman. W. G. Gilmour has been made Studio Superintendent at the Thomas H. Ince plant. He is well known in this line of endeavor and was the first Universal manager and built the first studio for that company on the Coast. Select Film Appeals to the President. Not all of President Wilson's time on his home-coming trip on the George Washington was spent preparing the speech which he gave on the day of his arrival in Boston. He devoted some of his time to watching moving pictures, and according to the report of the operator on the George Washington, he liked one of them so much — Constance Talmadge in her Select Picture, "Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots" — that he asked to see it twice.