The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1910)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 53 OPEN AIR THEATRICALS. Some Scenes in the Making of Moving Pictures That Never Come Before the Public — How the Citizens of Historic Fort Lee Often Enjoy Impromptu Performances. The fields and woods about historic Fort Lee, just across the Hudson, are the scene nowadays of a continuous performance of extremely animated open-air theatricals. On almost any fine day one may enjoy historic pageants, sham battles, tragedies, comedies, and the bill is changed daily. A few motorists are attracted to this region and they, with the native population, form the only audience. The manager of all these one-night, or, rather, one-day, stands is the moving picture man. Here one may see the premier performance of scores of dramas which later will be repeated in thousands of darkened halls all over the country The delights of a first night at the theater are nothing, however, to those of a real, living, moving picture show. To watch the staging and rehearsals of one of these open-air dramas is to go behind the scenes with a vengeance. A wide assortment of properties is kept on hand in a nearby barn. The stage is shifted from place to place to take advantage of the natural setting. The actors and actresses dress and make up in tents which are pitched near the stage selected for the day's performance. The native population has become accustomed to bands of Indians yelling and dashing about the roads and by-paths, to troops landing on the river bank, to dancing villagers, and every variety of battle, murder, and sudden death at their very doors. It sometimes happens, however, that a stranger chances upon the shows, to his unbounded astonishment, and complications follow. The moving picture impresario has not alone all the troubles of his craft to encounter, but he must guard against interference as well. The performances rarely go off smoothly, despite every precaution. Within a few days an animated scene from the French Revolution was enacted, for instance, beside the River Road. A guillotine had been erected and a howling mob assembled about it. The "execution" was going forward in the most lifelike manner. The long film was speeding smoothly through the camera. The dramatic moment arrived. The condemned man, with the priest beside him, ascended the scaffold. The chorus waved their arms, swaying to and fro. Just at this most inopportune moment an automobile swept around the curve of the road, and several ladies it carried suddenly found themselves face to face with this exceedingly realisticpicture. They broke into wild, piercing screams. The automobile stopped. The excitement was too much for the chorus. It stopped its performance then and there, and turned, even to the condemned man and the priest, to look at the automobile. The motorists saw their mistake in a moment and sped away. But the film v<as ruined. Another day the entire company met at the picturesque stone church, which crowns the Palisades, for an old-fashioned wedding ceremony. Some one connected with the church had agreed to allow the procession to form in the church and leave it in full costume to the rattle of the moving-picture machine. After many rehearsals the final performance was commenced. Everything was moving finely. The bride, in all the loveliness of her property bridal veil and paper orange blossoms, was walking with becoming timidity down the steps. Suddenly, without an instant's warning, several excited figures rushed into the picture. A wild scene of confusion followed. The groomsmen tried to eject the strangers. An unseeming struggle ensued. All this was recorded with pitiless exactness by the moving-picture machine. Another film was ruined past hope. When the confused crowd of bride and groom, bridesmaids and groomsmen, in eighteenth century costume were separated from the strangers, it was found that they were trustees of the church, who had their own ideas of moving picture shows. Arguments were useless. They pointed out that the stage clergyman, for all his white wig and sanctimonious expression, was of no sect permitted in their church. Many remarkable films are made from time to time by these chance interruptions, which, needless to say, the public is not allowed to enjoy. PICTURES TO BE WAFTED ACROSS OCEAN. Lecturing before the Royal Society of Arts in London, Eng., recently, Thorne Baker, a noted photo telegraphy expert, said he had obtained results with experimental apparatus which show that it is possible to send photographs across the Atlantic by means of wireless telegraphy. He is now making arrangements for a long-distance test, which will occur at an early date. A BRIGHT OUTLOOK. Excellent Business Looked for in the Bicycle and Motorcycle Industry — A Summary of Conditions by One in a Position to Know. "The outlook for the bicycle and motorcycle industry for the year 1910 could not be much brighter," a few days since remarked a man in the trade to a representative of The Bicycling World. "Since the year previous to the financial panic of 1907 manufacturers have not been so busy, or have orders for name-plate machines been so plantiful; in fact, I believe it is a conservative estimate to place the prospective 1910 increase at approximately 100 per cent, over the business of 1908. "This may sound tall, but there is no reason why it should not be the case, as a glance at conditions throughout the country generally indicates a prosperous season in all lines of industry. In New England, for instance, which is a great manufacturing center, and where there are large producers of all kinds of machinery, of copper and brass goods and of shoes, woolens, silks and kindred lines, we find everywhere sufficient business to warrant all plants running on full time, and with every prospect of doing so until well into spring. The same is true of the entire Eastern and Middle West sections of the country, and buyers from the South and from the Pacific Coast are placing orders sufficiently large to keep the factories from whom they obtain their shipments busy making deliveries, all of which means that all classes of workers are earning money and are circulating it. "Dealers who have not correctly sized up the situation and placed their orders with specific dates for delivery early in 1910 are sure to. come to grief later on. This is especially true in the motorcycle industry, where the manufacturers depend largely on automobile parts factories to supply them with such parts as castings, forgings, machine parts, magnetos, coils, spark plugs, etc. Most of these factories are full up with work — so full that the automobile makers are making life miserable by their demands for quick deliveries. "As an illustration of the conditions that prevail and of their effect, I can name a prominent parts manufacturer who recently told me that he had that very day received a long distance telephone call from a well-known motorcycle concern, some 500 miles distant, urging the delivery of certain parts which were on order, the motorcycle manufacturer stating that he was being pressed by his customers for immediate shipments. "The present demand for goods from the Pacific Coast precludes any possibility of an accumulation of stock for spring delivery. "There has been a gradual stiffening of prices of bicycles for some time past, and the manufacturer who does not make a reasonable profit and do a satisfactory business during the coming season will have only himself to blame for his discontent." KEEP YOUR GRIT. Hang on! Cling on! No matter what they say; Push on! Sing on! Things will come your way. Sitting down and whining never helps a bit; Best way to get there is by keeping up your grit. Don't give up hoping when the ship goes down, Grasp a spar or something — just refuse to drown. Don't think you're dying just because you're hit; Smile in face of danger and hang to your grit. Folks die too easy — they sort of fade away; Make a little error, and give up in dismay. 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