Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1916)

Have You a Little Movie in Your Home? IT'S a far cry from the old red-plush covered family album that showed mother and father in all the fuss and pride of their wedding finery — father seated with head very erect, thanks to the photographer's concealed head gear, mother standing by with right hand on shoulder of spous'e — to the home projection machine showing little Archibald romping on the lawn with lifelike animation. Yet, like scores of other inventions that have made the last two decades the most remarkable of history, it is here, and will soon be as much a part of the home life, if not more so, than the singing machine, the horseless wagon, or the electric washlady. It marks the beginning of a greater and wider utility of the moving picture. Does it require a great imagination to realize that the photoplay theatre is only the beginning? Isn't it a logical development that the projection machine will, in the near future, take its place in almost every schoolhouse a n d Sunday school as an indispensable aid in the teaching o f geography, history, botany, bible study, surgery, in fact almost every branch of learning? This branch of animated photography is now at the creeping stage of its development. Its possibilities are so great, and its adaptations so numerous that the farseeing man vdio considers them is fairly bewildered. There seems to be no end. There are possibly ten cameras and projection machines for amateur use now being sold or ready to be placed on the market. Thousands of them are already in use in American homes, and numerous patents are being granted every year to inventors who are seeking one goal — simplicity in construction and operation and production at a "popular" price. There are 140 millions in it according to the inventors. Just recently a patent was granted for a machine that will operate on the principle of the camera with the film roll, with daylight loading facilities, so simple that the man who can take ordinary camera pictures can operate the moving picture camera with almost equal ease. Several companies are now selling projection machines that are simply smaller models of the regular motion picture camera, operated in the same manner. and using a film of proportionate size. What has done more than anything else to make it possible for the home, however, is the invention of a film which will not burn, and so it is not necessarv to get a fire department permit, or build a projection booth in the living room, or a storage vault for the film in the garage. This film is more expensive than the celluloid and not quite so durable, which accounts for it not being adopted for commercial purposes, but for the home and amateur use the difference in cost is slight, in the quantities used. Nor is the amateur confined to his own scenarios or homeologues for his exhibitions. Already this infant industry has its own exchanges and lists of features. Travel pictures, dramas, and educational subjects are turned" out in quantity, photographed upon the small 61m from the standard reels. 'Whereas the commercial motion picture exhibitor pays from $10 a reel per performance for first releases, down to $2 a reel, the amateur can get his supply for from 30 cents a night to 60 cents a week, depending upon the extent of his demands. And herein is provided another reply to those pessimists who declare from time to time that "Movies are only a fad."