Variety (November 1908)

12 VARIETY ASSCKIATION VOTES BY MAIL. Since the admission of a dozen or more branch exchanges under the control of charter Film Service Association mem- bers, applications from other members for additional branch offices have poured in. These applications were permitted to accumulate until the first of this week, when it was decided to dispose of them through a popular vote of the Associa- tion. No meeting was called, but the entire membership list was canvassed by a mail vote. The members were returning ballots by mail all week and by to-night it will probably be known what action is to be taken. Each individual application is voted on separately. Most of the branches asked for were by the larger renters who needed offices in ■mailer points tlirough the Far West and Pacific Coast territory. Among the appli- cants were Swanson (Chicago), and the ^Ionian* Film Exchange. I INCORPORATES FOR PICTURES. Chicago, Not. 6. The Arcade Amusement Co., Washing- ton, W. Va., has incorporated with capital of $100,000 to operate moving picture the- atres in different parts of the State. NEW WESTERN PICTURE HOUSES. Chicago, Nov. 6. The following new moving picture the- atres are being opened in the West and Middle West: Moberly, Mo. (Orville Reece, mgr.); Gem, Cherryville, Kas. (E. K. Kuder, mgr.); Columbus, Kas. (Frank Lee, mgr.); Chandler, Okla. (J. J. Egbert, mgr.); Maryrille, Mo. (L. M. Vandervoort, mgr.); Newton, Kas. (Mrs. O. H. Hender- son, mgr.); Shelbina, Mo. (F. M. Hall and J. R. Blaney, mgr.); Idle Hour, Aberdeen, S. D. (A. C. Fossum, mgr.); Washburn, Wis. (A. Lotts and Paul Geoltz, mgrs.); Star, Kankakee, 111.; Auburn, HI. (Horton, White ft Co., mgrs.); Boone, la. (F. G. Ball, mgr.); Ogden, Utah, (R. A. Grant, mgr.); Waukon, Okla. (Dr. B. Tanner, mgr.); Highmore, S. D., and Sleepy Eye, Minn. (J. O'Brien, mgr.); Blackduck, Minn. (E. T. F. Douglas, mgr.); McPherson, Kas. (Geo. Bowen and Nets Lorenson, mgrs.); Yankton, S. D. (Jack Beyers, mgr.); Fairmont, Minn. (Leo Barregong and C. A. Maynard, mgrs.); Laporte, la. (G. G. Tracy, mgr.); Jacksonville, HI. (A. T. Brooks, mgr.); Star, Muncie, Ind., and Elgin, 111. (Pricket ft Therlan, mgrs.); Spokane, Wash. (Metropolitan Amuse- ment Co. mgrs.); Majestic, Rochester, Minn., and Hammond, Ind. (Englehart ft Riley, mgrs.); Rock Island, HI. (Tailor Bros., mgrs.); Huron, S. D. (Costain Bros., mgrs.); Oconto, Wis. (Frank A. Knapp, mgr.); Minneapolis, Minn. (Sodini Bros., mgrs.). ANOTHER FRENCH PLACE BURNS. Paris, Oct. 26. Ignited by a spark from a lamp, the film of a moving picture show at Lille caused a panic yesterday. More than 260 children were in the hall at the time, and many were severely hurt in the crush, though fortunately none fatally. It ap- pears that after the first film caught fire it caused other films, which were lying in an open case, to burn. The lamp and operator's cabin were destroyed, and some of the staff badly burned about the hands. The building was saved. MOVING PICTURE NEWS 'I PICTURES FOR IOWA. Chicago, Nov. 5. The Comet Amusement Co., a new cor- poration of Red Oak, la., have leased or will build vaudeville and moving picture theatres at the following Iowa towns: Hamburg, Clarinda, Cheriton, Shenandoah and others. PICTURES IN AUSTRALIA. Sydney, Sept. 20. For $5,000 Messrs. Geach, McMahon ft Carroll secured sole rights to the films of the Burns-Squires fight, held in Sydney on Fleet Monday. The bout lasted thir- teen rounds and the day being an ideal one, splendid results were obtained. The pictures were simultaneously shown in the larger centres and big business fol- lowed. In Melbourne last week seventeen performances were given at which the estimated attendance was 40,000. It is probably the finest picture taken in Aus- tralia, being almost free from flickerings. At Sydney Lyceum, Charles Spencer, moving with the times, is showing an up- to-date series of local happenings in addi- tion to the regular features. Several new records are heard on the Chronomega- phone, prominent English vaudeville art- ists providing the brief bill. West's pictures have closed down at the Palace. They will be shifted to the Town ^Hall, where the show will be held on Saturday evenings only. Whether the management can show a profit from this one-night stand is a mooted question. The rent is excessive and all auxiliary work must be performed by the City Council's employees. MOVING PICTURE REVIEWS "VanderWlt Cup Race." American. /'The Vanderbilt Cup Race," shown this week on the sheet at the American, is similar to the other automobile races seen through the camera. This one, however, has not many of the exciting incidents of the others, such as "spills," etc., although several sharp turns are in the picture.. There is sufficient life, however, to thor- oughly satisfy. Sime. "Motor Races at Monaco." Lincoln Square. The Pathe film of the motor races at Monaco was taken under difficulties, it t»eing obviously a task to secure photos with motor boats racing through the water at express speed. It seems as though the views were taken from several boats at different points in the journey, and joined, not giving more than an ordi- nary reel although serving to show the terrific pace attained by the water racers. Some preliminaries which lengthen out the film only are also introduced. Sime. "His Own Son." Chicago. A thrilling tale is told in action. This subject (from the work shop of the Es- Ban ay Co.) depicts an interesting btory of Bill Kenare, a cracksman and kidnap- per. The cashier of a large manufacturing concerning brings the funds of the firm to the home of the proprietor. He is watched by the cracksman's accomplice, disguised as a detective, who changes the satchel of the manufacturer while the latter's back is turned, leaving the prem- ises with the money. The merchant tele- phones to police headquarters. The senior robber is caught And convicted, the wit- ness against him being the owner, who adopts the only child of the culprit. Seven years elapse. The child is at the rich man's home and a contrasting view shows the father in convict garb. The convict escapes, going to his former home, which he finds deserted. His child passes him on a lonely road and later he joins a band of gypsies, planning with them to kidnap the child, not knowing it is his own. A fight for the possession of the Doy with the gypsies ensues. The manufacturer, looking for his adopted son, discovers him, and after several well-conceived situations, the convict returns the satchel with the money which he had concealed, and everything ends happily. Frank Wietberg. "The Impersonator's Joke." Chicago. An impersonator ejected from his boarding house, packs his belongings (wigs, clothes, etc.) and starts out to have a little fun. He impersonates an automobile owner and gives orders to the chauffeur, who thinks he is his employer. He disguises as a dude and mingles with the exclusive set. Next he appears at a social affair made up as a nobleman, who is showered with flattery and applause. While seated among the society leaders enjoying distinction, a letter comes to the host saying it will be impossible for the nobleman to attend. The imposter is quickly thrown out of the house, wigs and all. It is a good comedy arrangement. Frank Wie$berg. "How a Pretty Girl Sold Her Hair Re- storer." One may appreciate the power of inter- est a "picture" has when an excellent humorous subject of this nature is thrown upon the screen. It is a Lubin view, well and compactly told. Two young women, one very pretty, are conducting a hair restorer emporium. Business is dull. The shelves bulge with unsold bottles of the restorative. The pretty girl wanders forth on a warm day, ogling every bald- headed man she meets or passes by, whether having his shoes polished, asleep in a wagon, eating in a restaurant or re- gardless of how he is engaged. She per- mits them to follow only, having a string of considerable dimensions behind her. Leading all to the shop, she places one in a chair, applies the hair restorer, and an im- mediate growth of hair results, covering the bald spot. The others forget their flirta- tious instincts, purchase the bottles in abundance, taking the entire supply on hand of the remarkable remedy for the hairless, leaving the place with speed, while the female partners count up the profits. It is both amusing and interest- ing, the young woman who paraded the streets having a funny little wag of her head to induce her admirers to follow on. Sime. "Auntie Takes the Children to the Coun- try." This is an excellent comedy subject (Lubin) with just one fault, sufficient to remove the illusion of realism. It is a "Peck's Bad Boy" theme. A couple of live- ly youngsters removed from a city home to the balmy country air find it so in- vigorating they play all sorts of pranks even until midnight. The fall in the story occurs when the boy climbs into the bed : room of his uncle, ties a rope about his foot, and in the succeeding yank, the uncle is drawn through the window, fall- ing two flights to the ground below— without injury. The substitution has not been well covered up. To that point the story ran logically, full of good humor, especially when the boy threw a young pig into the bed of his sleeping auntie. At another moment in the views an old colored "mammy" peacefully washing over her tub, when shot from behind by the kid, drops to the ground, afterwards re- membering to reach up and pull down the tub over herself, evidently an omission not made at rehearsal. The picture closes by the children (boy and girl) being bundled back to the city. It should have had an- other title, "A Sleepless Night," "A Night of Terror," "The Mischievous Kids," or something similar. These comic supple- ment designations are not becoming. Sime. "The Punter's Wife." This is a Theodore Kremer melodrama, toned down somewhat as to its maudlin sentiment, but held up to the limit of im- petuous action. There is plenty doing when the story gets under way, and at the Unique last week the climax was fol- lowed by a distinct burst of applause, a rather unusual occurrence. The planter's wife becomes sick of the monotony of farm life and listens to the treacherous lovemaking of a dark, handsome villain, finally agreeing to elope with him. The wife's tomboy sister learns of the plan too late, but dressing in boy's clothes gives chase on horseback and later in a row- boat. She dons a mask as she ap- proaches the fleeing pair and forces the wife to return to her baby at the point of a pistol. The handsome villain seeks to regain possession of his victim, and there is a struggle for the pistol. The wife recovers the weapon and wounds the villain, who thereupon departs, while the planter returns to embrace her, never sus- pecting how nearly his home was ruined. Ruth. "Time to Get Married. This subject could scarcely be called a production. Rather it is a simple series of nosings to illustrate a song, the song being given on a phonograph in one of the best synchronized systems that has yet appeared. The idea is a first-rate one, taking as it does the place of the illus- trated song singers. In that way it is a novelty. The Unique audience enjoyed the film very much. "Time to Get Mar- ried" was a mate to another song illustra- tion called "Big Chief Smoke," an Indian number, which was spoiled by the poor acting of the principals. Besides, the song was not adapted to picture illustration. With a good descriptive ballad the scheme should work out splendidly. Ruth.