Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-19
VOGUE OF THE PICTURE SHOW
Variety Theaters Of Gotham Are Civ
ing Way to Them.

variety Theaters of Gotham Are Civ
ing Way to Them.
NEW YORK. July IB.-The mayors office
has issued more than 40 licenses for the
moving picture shows in Manhattan and
The Bronx. and that does not include all
these resorts in the two boroughs. Some
Of them are still showing under concert
or theater licenses not yet expired and
others, to open up again as soon as the
summer is passed, are now closed.
More significant than mere numbers is
the character Of the theaters now used
permanently for such exhibitions. Among
them are the old Keith's in Fourteenth
street, the former Proctor theaters In
Twenty-third and Fifty-eighth streets and
the Harlem opera house. Then there are
the Dewey and the Gotham, which were
considered gold mines until 1t was dis
covered that the moving picture people
could afford better to pay the rents and
make a profit. In addition to these two
Pastors old house goes into the moving
picture business in the fall. Some Of the
regular theaters have gone into the moving
picture business merely as a summer snap.
In this number are the Grand opera house,
the BijOu and the Fourteenth Street. In
addition to the supply thus catalogued in
Manhattan and the Bronx every resort
near the city has it's picture shows.
the most mysterious thing about these
moving picture shows" said William Ham
merstein OF the Victoria, lis that the man
ager who rented the theatSr for say $50, 1000
a year could not make the rent. II he had
a second or third rate vaudeville show, one
OF the kind that travels the country and
comes into the second rate New York
theaters to play for a week, his running
expenses for the show alone could never
be less than from 5000 to $500 q week. In
order to get that back he could give a mat
inee every day, evening shows and two
concerts on Sunday which he helped out
with talent outside his Even
then 1t was difficult for the manager to
come out all right when everything was
not favorable.
Yet the managers OF the picture shows
do not hesitate to pay the same rent and
they are certainly making money on al
sides or there would not be the Increase
In these places. This mar has practi
cally one expense-his rent He doe
not even have bills for lighting becaus,
the theatre is dark, except the intermis
sions between shows. A man OF woman t
sell tickets, perhaps two ushers and al
~ 4 AAN Ahlll anu liz
is his entire personnel The managers VIII,
show only pictures install their own ma
chimes permanently. so they have only t,
rent the films. In many OF these place
; they are not particular about having brant
r new films.
! Whatever their business may be durinI
l the week, these more pretentious pictlr
shows can count on having from five [
six thousand persons on Saturdays an
= Sundays. on these days they can Civ
E thirty shows from noon to midnight
. That business on two days of the wee
= alone pays their expenses. and what come
r In for the rest Of the time is velve.
I One great saving for these shows is tha
Il they never advertise except by means G
r placards in front OF the theatres. Now
p you can show me q single point on whic
these picture show people have not got tn
e cheaIe err vaudeville people stung TO death I
5 like TO know where it is"
II One Of the vaudeville agents in III
II st. James building does not believe ths
< the present rage for sthe picture show
mean that vaudeville will suffer,
IS People who have been in the hab
Of attendn g the cheaper variety Of show
It and melodramas." he said, think now
1 the great difference between 10 and
cents much more than they did a yes
IN ago The man in this class has alway
"A TO pay for two. II he can get some el
lie terta'nment by spending half an hour
a one OF these places II takes the pla'
> of the visit 10 the theater that he wou
have made a year ago. To see any kir
of q show for only FIVE cents is somethiI
In 10 him. even II It does not last half
rs long as what he used TO go to see. Tn,
~ -. -. 1T " l. -
u street. They are open wherever he soc
.. and he can walk In without the prepar
G. ton 81 going 10 the theater and find q
rs audience OF a kline that does not ca
whether he is dressed or not. That h
a be n another great factor in their success
he Yet all OF these attractions are on