The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
MILLIONS IN FILMS.
Big Investments in Moving
Picture Shows.
HOW SCENES ARE PREPARED
Pcsed and Acted Before
the PhOtOgraphers' Camera-Im-
mense Labor Involved In Getting
Up n Train Robbery-Cuban War
Views Taken in New York.

Twelve millions Of dollars invested IN
moving picture shows in Greater New
York alone was an estimate made by an
expert in the business. There are. in
round number. 500 store shows in the
city, besides twenty regular theaters de-
voted to the exhibition Of moving pic
lures
An average investment OF $500 for each
store show" was considered cOnserva-
tive. The cheapest Of them cost $500, the
more pretentious s25.0o0. The finest store
show" properties in New York City in
clude one in Harlem, costing $4,000, and
another in Fourteenth street, represent
ing an investment Of $4,000 An average
Of $4,000 each was placed on the twenty
regular theaters with picture shows. Into
this estimate the value OF the real estate
entered in some cases. that Of the good
viii in others; but, as one owner re-
marked. there is from present prospects
no better amusement to place in the the
aters
-Four thousand dollars each was consid-
ture shows outside OF New York. There
were i0.ooo Of these when the last count
was made about a year ago. This year,
one expert said. the number is nearer
l5o0O than 10Ooa
You cannot gain an idea Of the growth
OF the business" he remarked, unless
you travel from city to city and see these
{ ief7O rsIa 90
Philadelphia about 20. It Is safe 10 say
that there is hardly town east OF the
Rocky Mountains OF 200 population or
more that has not a moving picture
show" says the Philadelphia Public Led
ger. In many cities Of from 900 to
loe,o00 population you find surprisingly
elaborate theaters OF the sort costing
See.000 or upward II the average invest
ment OF 5000 each is placed on 1000 the
aters IN the country. the investment
would be sSo.000.o00
Manufacture OF Films.
The films made in America every year
for the picture shows are worth at least
slo2.oo0. The manufacture OF the films is
practically controlled by nine concerns.
Eight Of these are licensed under the
Edison patents; the ninth has Just formed
a combination with company represent
ing some OF the foreign manufacturers.
With an output OF twelve films a week BY
the licensed concerns and a total OUTPUT
OF two American films and three imported
every week BY the new combination.
there are at least seventeen films put on
the market every seven days.
Adopting an average OF Loo feet as the
Z feTrrr "a of arr-r-
price OF = cents a foot as 4 valuation.
each tiim represents an investment Of Sl2o.
On this basis the weekly output is worth
800 the cost CT films annually Is SG2 go
The moving picture show usually consists
OF four films and three or four illustrated
songs, each costing from S15 20 SIS week
In the large theaters the films are with
drawn and new subjects substituted every
second day. The films are rented 10 the
I prOprietors Of the shows for $50 each a
week
The moving picture machines now IN
use, with their lenses. powerful lights.
and reels. are worth S2.000eoo They are
sold at prices ranging from $40 to 81
each. with $40 as the average price.
Ten as Help.
A welI-equipped picture exhibition also
requires the services Of ten persons. By
this Is meant the working force OF a
store show" not & theater. The list in
cludes piano player. a drummer. a man
at the lantern and his assistant, and two
usheTs only. Their wages average about
500 a week With 10oo0 such shows the
I pay rolls would be S2.0o0. 600 for a force OF
{ leo 600 persons.
Into the box-oflces OF these moving pic
ture shows at least 100000 is passed in
dimes and nickels every week by Ameri-
can pleasure-seekers- The average store
show takes in 500 a week. the proprie-
tors counting on an audience OF 200 per-
sons at each performance. In the thea
ters devoted 10 moving picture shows re-
ceipts OF 5000 a week are considered good
business. The latter class are excluded
from the g COO. .oo0 estimate, the sum being
based on 1000 store shows" at 600
each
With one-half Of the 100000 recsipts
representing nickel admissions and one
half tickets costing a dime. the receipts
would indicate that 600 persons visit
ed these shows every week. OF nearly
every other person in the United States.
Posing for the Camera.
A popular series Of pictures called "A
Thief Chase" was posed in Bronx Park.
New York. A deserted suburban mansion
served as a background for "A Fire in a
Boarding School" In 'aThe Great Train
Robbery" another popular series Of pic
lures, the scenes showing a dance hall. a
telegraph ONCE, and the interior OF a bag
gage car were made in a studio. The
train scenes were photographed near Pat
erSOn, n J. a special passenger train
was hired for the occasion. and 100 tbeat-
rical supers were reheaTsed TO act as pss-
sengers, train crew. and bandits.
Most OF the moving pictures showing
what were announced as scenes ia the re-
cent Cuban war were made in the Orange
Mountains. One set. depicting the landing
Of some Of the American troops. Is said
to have been made in Cuba The rest
were carefully rehearsed with professional
supers.
Another popular series showing a train
ed dog picking pockets in the streets. his
arrest. and punishment. were pboto
graphed in streets on Morningside Heights
and Harlem. A new series, The Tale the
Ticker Told. comprises pictures taken in
Wall street and an Office interior. and a
scene on the stock exchange, with eiabo-
rate scenery and crowds. reproduced in a
studio.
Magical Pictures.
While preparing the photographs IT IS
simple matter to stop the film in the cam
era and make changes in a group. Thus
a dummy is substituted for an actor lust
before a train is supposed to strike him.
A doll or a Teddy bear may seem to move
on lsnter screen by taking each photo
graph separately and changing the noses