Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-08-11
VOGUE OF PICTURE SHOWS
How the Film Replaces Bad or In
different ActCfs.
New York Slnl

The mayors ofY.ra has iSsa"a more
than l20 licenses ft- moving picture
shows in Manhattan and IN" HohN'
ana that does not include all OF th' sc
resorts in the two boronghs. Some Oh
these are still showing under con-
cert Or theater licenses, not YET eN-
pired, and others to open up again
are now closed.
More Significance than mere mum
bers Is the character Of the thea'er'
now used permanently for such exhf
billions. Among them are ~Ae oid
Kehh's in Fourteenth street. the Tor
mer Proctor theaters In Twenty-thir
and Fifty eighth streets, and the Har'
lem Opera House. Then there ar"
the Eewey and the Gotham. which
were considered gold mines until /!
was discovered that the moving PC
ture people could afford better 10
pay the rents and make prom. In
addition to these two. pr"cior's "!o
house goes into the moving picture
b ,e,ncss In the fall Some OF the re
pula: tteaters Lav" EUt" into the
r,nvsng picture business merely as
sur.ner snap. /, thls number are
and the Fourteenth Street. In adj
dition to the supply thus catalogued
the Grand Opera House. the BiJon
In Manhattan and the Bronx every
resort near the city has its picture
shows.
Mr.. Hammerstein Explains.
The most mysterious thing about
these moving pictnr" shows, SAID
William HammerstCin. of The Nicto-
ria lis tina, the manager who rent
ed the theatcr for say 100000 year
could not make the rent. II he had
second or third rate vaudeville
show, one OF the kind that travels
in the country and comes into the
second rate New York theaters to
play for week. his running eX
penses for the show alone would
never be less than from $4,000 to
SO. 500 week. In order 10 get that
back he could give a matinee every
day. evening shows. and two concerts
on Sunday, helped ont with outside
talent Even then it was difficult
for the manager to come out all right
when everything was not favorable.
yet the managers OF the picture
shows do rot hesitate to pay the
same rent. and they are certainly
making money on all sides or there
would not be the increase in these
places. The man has practically one
expense-his rent He does not even
have bills for lighting, because the
theater is dark, except IN the inter-
mission between shows. A man or a
woman to sell tickets. perhaps two
ushers and an electrician to operate
the films. and there is his entire per-
sonnet The managers who snow
only pictures install their own ma
chimes permanently, SO they have to
rent only the films. In many OF
these places they are not particular
about having brand new films.
"Whatever their business may be
during the week, these more p7eten-
, tious picture shows can count on
having from 5000 to 5000 persons
on Saturdays and Sundays. On
these days they can give 81 shows
from noon to midnight. That bust
ness on two days of the week alone
pays their expenses. and what comes
in for the rest OF the time is velvet
One great saving fer these shows
is that they never advertise eXcep:
by means OF p!acards in front Of the
theaters Now if you can point out
a single item On which these PIC
,ture show people have rot got the
cheaper vaudeville managers stuns
to death. Id like to know where 1t Is
Any Time, Any cibthes, Anywhere.
=, One of the vaudeville agents in
the ST. James Building does moi
believe that the present rage for the
picture shows that the present rage
sor the picture shows means tha'
vaudeville will suffer.
People who have been In thu
habit of attending the cheaper variety
shows and mslodramas.' he said
think now Of the great difference be
tween 10 and 20 cents much NOR
than they did a year ago. The maj
in this class has always to pay 10
1.-TWO. II he can get some entertain
m.Sct BY spending half an halr il
enc oS,these places it takes the place
Of tho Sisit TO the theatre that M
| ronlJ hayG made q year ago. To SCI
! any kin, on a show for only D cent
: is some hing 20 him. even IL II doe
no, last half as Nns as What he usee
;,x;,e the man IN the street. The!
are open whereeve ne gus. az. !"
can walk in withou 'ne pIep" 49, S
o: going 20 the iheaNrs ana nha "a
an Hence Of 4 kiSd that doe
not care how he
, Tina, ha. been another Tea' tac'o