Views and Film Index (1908)

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6 VIEWS AND FILMS INDEX. VIEWS AND FILMS INDEX An independent weekly publication devoted to the trade interests of moving; pictures, slot machines and allied industries. VoL.m. No. 8. FEB. 29, 1908. Whole No. 97. Published by FILMS PUBLISHING CO., 80 East 28d Street New York. Terms: Two Dollars per Year in advance. Postage free to all subscribers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Porto Rico and the Phillipines. . , Foreign : Four Dollars per Year in advance, postpaid. _ ADVERTISING RATES (Subject to discount on time contracts.) Whole Page, ll)£x9 . Half “ 594x9 . 42.00 One-Third “ S9i*9 . 28.00 Quarter 2%x9 . 21.00 Eighth “ I%x9 . 10.50 One Inch, single column . Want Department— Three cents per word, mini¬ mum 75 cents. Remittances should be made by express or postal order, check, or registered letter. Cash sent other¬ wise is at the risk of the sender. _ _ European Agents : International News Co., Breams Building, Chancery Lane, London, E.C. NOTICE.— ALL COPY AND AD¬ VERTISING INSTRUCTIONS MUST REACH US NOT LATER THAN FRIDAY OF EACH WEEK. EDITORIAL. This seems to be the time for us to set at ease many persons who are in the dark on a question which concerns us vitally. We are in receipt of a letter from a film importer who is not in¬ cluded in the combination of manufac¬ turers, asking us to state definitely whether we take one side of the question or the other — in short, to proclaim our policy in the present situation. We shall reprint part of our letter in reply to his communication : “I wish to say right here and emphati¬ cally, that we stand in favor of what¬ ever is for the best interests of the trade, and we do not agitate either one way or the other. We stand in a purely neutral position and favor neither one nor the other in the present controversy. Our conversation has always been an asset of which we are practically mind¬ ful, and we suppose that you have noted that our columns have always been ab¬ solutely open to all sides of any subject as long as it is not the kind of corre¬ spondence which will injure the interests of the trade. “Referring to the particular contro¬ versy which we suppose your letter treats of, permit me to say that anything which you may desire to publish in any shape, form or manner will receive space in our columns. In fact, it is solicited that you send along whatever you may desire to say because the declaration of your attitude is NEWS; and it is out of our duty toward our readers to give them NEWS that we are the conser¬ vative, non-partisan, neutral paper for the moving picture business.” We have had many visitors, exhibitors who came to learn what they possibly could by personal interview, and each of them asked whether we were taking one side or the other. We told them all that we know what the present situation means to them, and if there is any way in which they desired to utilize our columns, as a body or individually, they were at perfect liberty to do so, and we « Moving Picture News From Everywhere. * See that Charley Calehuff had a burn¬ out at his rental quarters. Glad it didn’t do much damage; even if it did, this Philadelphian is the kind who wouldn’t be stopped by a cyclone. Nickelodeon managers, always alert for films which will give a chance for special front display, will be interested in learning that the much talked of production of Way Down East will be out this week. The Kalem Co., New York, announce that while they have made use of the familiar story as it has been shown for years on the stage, they have been able to amplify it con¬ siderably by putting three new scenes only referred to in the stage dialogue. These are the scenes where Anna is driven from the Squire’s house and is lost in the snowdrifts on the mountain. It will be remembered that a searching party sets out and after a terrible battle with the storm find the poor girl buried in the snow. A1 this makes splendid material for the moving picture pho¬ tographer and is used in this production to advantage. There is a move under foot in New York City, fostered by William Fox, of the Greater New York Film Rental Co., which, if carried through, will mean would help them further any project which would help their interests. We know that these are troublous times for exhibitors, and we appreciate the fact that there are two sides to the current situation. But while we see one side we also see the other, and while we treated the convention as a convention, we re¬ ported impartially only the proceedings, which we think is the duty of a neutral, non-partisan paper. We tried very hard to get a statement from the importers, but only in the interests of our duty to present NEWS and not because we wanted to agitate either one way or the other. Our columns are the open forum for all who have any comment to make which may help matters along. We think that an association of exhibitors was in order two years ago, when we bent our efforts to effect it ; but, let alone making the horse drink, we couldn’t even get him to the trough; and now, when the prices are raised there is a terrible howl going up in some quarters. We do not contend that the howl is entirely unjustified but we must say that this seems to be a Judgement Day which should teach the exhibitors a lesson ; that a warning which we gave them two years ago should have been heeded and the result would have been that the op¬ pressed could work out their own salva¬ tion. Let us say to those who are now try¬ ing to organize that the hour is late; and while there is more reason for songs of prayer than of joy we hope our friends will find comfort in the old adage : “Better late than never” — and we stand ready to aid them IMMEDI¬ ATELY ! that all shows will change their prices of admission from five to ten cents. LEXINGTON, Ky. — Moving picture shows, theatoriums and penny arcades are to be taxed more heavily than has been the custom if the proposed action of Miles P. Rehorn, Revenue Agent for the State at large shall succeed in the courts. Mr. Rehorn will institute pro¬ ceedings to enforce the payment by amusement places of this character of a license of $20 per annum instead of $5, which they are at present paying. Preliminary steps were taken yester¬ day in the County Court to require the payment of additional fees by the Theatorium on Cheapside, of $15 for each year of operation, the same for the Alvin, the Gem, and Blue Grass theatres. The Dreamland will be asked to pay $15 additional to the $5, which they have already paid for this their first year. Mr. Rehorn claims that the five-dollar fee is only permissible where the per¬ formance is not in licensed halls. His action will be taken under Chapter 22 of the special act of 1906. The fees are being collected under that clause which states that any show, exhibition or other performance where a fee is charged or collected, and not devoted exclusively to religious, benevolent or educational purposes and not in a licensed hall shall pay an annual fee of five dollars. The contention of the Revenue Agent will be that the wrong section of the Chapter has been acepted in this matter and that local amusement places come under the clause which makes provision for the following fees. “In each theatre or opera house for public exhibition or performances in cities of the first class, forty dollars; in cities of the second class, twenty dollars ; in cities of the third class, fifteen dollars ; in cities of the fourth, fifth and sixth class, ten dollars.” Mr. Rehorn will push the matter to an early settlement in order to make a precendent of the matter. For the benefit of those who may desire to invade Mexican territory, “Modern Mexico” says that the Photo Materials Company, 1 San Francisco, City of Mexico, Mexico, is one of the concerns in that city doing an exten¬ sive business in all kinds of photogra¬ phic materials and supplies. The Archie L. Sheppard Amuse¬ ment Company is about to start a moving picture theatre at the corner of Westminster and Orange streets, Providence, R. I., and the property, which is now partly vacant, on the southwest corner, has been leased and a permit to build obtained. The building operations, however, will consist merely in changing, ex¬ cept that a new brick front or “mask” on Westminster street will be put up. The interior, a space about 35xgo feet, will be prepared for moving pictures, illustrated songs and the nickel va¬ riety entertainment common at pres¬ ent. Work of renovating and rear¬ ranging the interior has already beer begun, and when the place is complete it will probably accommodate from 300 to 400 people. The plans in de tail, which are being made by William R. Walker & Son, have not been| completed, but the place will not be j essentially different from other amusement houses of the same type While the property has been leased in the name of the Sheppard Amuse¬ ment Company, it is understood thal a local theatrical house is behind it. A report from Paris says that the cinematograph has taken up so promi-i nent a position among popular amuse¬ ments nowadays that the impresari are obtaining scenes from the leading Parisian dramatists. M. Edmond Ros¬ tand has been commissioned to write three fairy plays, the first of which wil be “The Sleeping Beauty.” M. Henr ' Lavedan is to write a historical piece entitled “The Assassination of the Duke de Guise,” and M. Alfred Capu: has undertaken to compose “Une Scene Parisienne,” which will portra) the financial life of Paris. C. M. Sherer, John P. Wagner am Charles W. Hoyt, of Spokane, Wash, have incorporated the Circuit Amuse ment Company with a capital o $100,000, for the purpose of obtaining control of 21 vaudeville and movin; picture houses in the Pacific North west. There will be three houses ii Spokane, work on one in the busines district beginning the latter part 0 this month. There will also be thre houses in such cities as Portland am Seattle, two in Tacoma, Los Angeles Oakland, San Francisco, Salt Lak City, Ogden, Helena, Butte, Missouk Moscow, Lewiston, Walla Walk North Yakima, Nelson and Victork B. C. The theatres will have seatincapacity ranging from 500 to 1,00c according to the size of the city, an' it is purposed to give continuous per formances. In cities where house cannot be leased for a term of year it is planned to erect structures an equip them. A deal has just been closed in thi city by which the Klinger-Grand ther tre, in Salem, Oregon, passed into th hands of the Nickelodeon Circuit c Electric Entertainments. This coir pany controls several houses on th Pacific Coast. Many amendments were made t Councilman Pears’ ordinance to regt late moving picture shows at a mee ing of the council committees on fir and judiciary yesterday in Clevelam Ohio. It was decided that every shomust be licensed by the building it spector; that no shows should I operated in buildings with less tha two exits, one in front and one in tl side or rear, and that floor spar should be limited in proportion to tl number of exits. When writing advertisers, kindly mention Views and Films Inae&.