The Nickelodeon (Feb-Sep 1909)

24 THE NICKELODEON. Vol. II, No. 1. 923,489. Amusement Apparatus. A riding device _ having wheeled cars upon a platform which may be tilted in various directions. Frank S. Chance, Indianapolis, Ind. 923,511. Apparatus for Talking Pictures. The illustration shown herewith shows apparently a clock with two hands. Each of these clock hands is run by an electromagnet, one_ of the electromagnets being controlled from the picture projecting machine, and the other being controlled from the phonograph. It is necessary that the phonograph run at a regular speed, but the speed of 923,511. projection may be changed to keep the pictures in pace with the talk. This is done by watching the two hands of the dial and turning the picture machine more slowly if the picture hand gets ahead, or more rapidly if it gets behind. Thus the two hands may be kept together on the dial, and as long as they travel together the pictures and the talk will be in unison. Jules Greenbaum, Berlin, Germany. Maude Adams Again The alleged offer of a fortune to Maude Adams by a film manufacturer has brought out some very interesting press articles and editorials. The following, from the Evansville, Indiana, News, is typical and illustrates the changing attitude of the press toward the moving picture industry : Maude Adams has declined an offer of $50,000 to give a performance of her Joan of Arc for a moving picture firm, to be exhibited all over the country. She does it because she thinks more of her art than of money making. Artistically, she may be right, so far as her own feelings are concerned, but so far as the general public is concerned, and particularly so far as elevating and instructive influences are concerned, she is wrong. It can safely fee said that Miss Adams would do more for the education of the masses and to elevate the sum total of appreciation of clean and wholesome dramatic art by one performance before the vitascope than by a thousand on the stage. She would reach millions who would otherwise never see either her or her production. She would be contributing much of educational value to the masses. The musicians at first took the same attitude toward the phonograph and condemned it as a desecration^ of the divine art of music, but many of them have come to view it in a far different light, and some of the world's greatest musicians are now willing to contribute their voices and instruments to make the records that go to the ends of the earth and penetrate into the artistic wilderness where good music and the works of the world's masters were never heard before. There is coming a knowledge of, and appreciation for, the higher music of the world through the phonograph, that is bound to be felt in the general raising of the musical standards of the masses. Just so with the moving pictures. Miss Adams and others can contribute something instructive, elevating, refining and intellectually developing, or they can leave the eager millions to witness simulated train robberies and the fatal sixth round of prize fights. There is today no single educating factor in our daily life equal to the moving picture. Every child in the land sees it and drinks it in with eager intelligence. Would it lower the art of Miss Adams or be other than a glorious opportunity for her to do good work far beyond the capacity or the possibility of the great majority to contribute something good to this tremendous educating force? Picture Xent Sno-vi^s Legal The proposed ordinance to prohibit moving picture shows in tents in St. Louis, Missouri, was defeated in the House of Delegates on an unfavorable report from the committee, which gave a public hearing on the question. Chairman Hilkerbaumer and his associates of the committee objected to the abolition of tent shows, on the ground that their elimination would deprive many people of employment. They also were opposed to putting such great authority into the hands of the building commissioner as the section of the bill giving him the authority to revoke permits for shows. Delegate Jacobs, of the Tenth ward, advocated the passage of the bill from a civic standpoint, declaring that several shows were being established in his ward, one across the street from his house. Delegate Igoe, who introduced the measure, at the request of Building Commissioner Smith, pleaded for the amendment of the bill to eliminate any objectionable clauses which it might contain. Delegate Hilkerbaumer declared the whole bill was objectionable and declined to agree to an amendment. Building Commissioner Smith contended that tent shows were more dangerous than shows in brick buildings and that he had no power to control tent shows. Picture Xneater Burglarized The chief of police of Lansing, Michigan, has issued the following bulletin : Lansing, Mich., June 8, 1909. Some time between 12 o'clock (midnight), Saturday, and 8 a. m., Monday, June 7, "The Vaudette," a five-cent picture show, was burglarized and several hundred feet of picture film stolen. The names of the pictures are as follows : 950 feet of "Hunting Big Game in Africa," made by Selig Manufacturing Company. 485 feet of "Grin and Win," made by Vitagraph. 480 feet of "Plain Mame," made by Vitagraph. 625 feet of "Cigarette Making," made by Vitagraph. 355 feet of "Old Sweetheart of Mine," made by Vitagraph. 345 feet of "Alphonse Gets in Wrong," made by Pathe. 623 feet of "Miss Faust," made by Pathe. A reward of $25.00 will be paid for evidence to convict and return of property. Notify by wire. Henry Behrendt, Chief of Police. Moving Pictures of tlie Blue Mouse After the play "The Blue Mouse" had been shown at the Teck theater in Buffalo a short time ago the first scenes were set over again and the actors changed back to the costumes of the first act. The electrics in the house were blazing and extra arcs made the theater as light as day. All this was done to get a moving picture film of the most important scenes in the play. The advance agent, the management says, does not intend to make public use of the moving pictures. He wants them to prove to dramatic critics in cities where "The Blue Mouse" has not yet been seen that the play is not an immoral performance. He will read the lines that have been questioned in some quarters as the moving pictures are shown. Buffalo has taken the farce as a farce, but in some cities the management has met with trouble.