New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-28


tonk"-M Music hall and beer garden
combined which existed in San Fran
cisco twenty-five years ago.
] was first approached three years
ago and offered a goodly sum to enter
the motion picture field. | prom Sod
the manager who approached me that
would look over the field, and If
movies" impressed me / would gladly
enter into an agreement whereby my
plays would be available for screen
production.
With several friends visited various
picture houses, and the more | saw OF
the condition OF motion pictures the
less | WAS inclined to enter the indus
try, even indirectly.
Within stones throw of Broadway
and i2d ST. ! witnessed an hours per
Torrance IN the dirtiest, foul smelling
danger hole Of theatre that il has
ever been my misfortune TO enter Dur
ing my forty-fivc minutes in this place
an attendant succeeded in squirting
enough supposed perfumed sterilizing
fuld into my eyes to prevent my see
ING any worthy pictures. The pro-
gramme at this house was composed OF
five reels of dramatic pictures. OF the
entire five no two were dissimilar, and
the finale of each one was so much
been switched from Que film to an
other and would have agreed with Tic
story The accompanying illustration
Of the house l visited gives an apt IN
sight into the then condition of the
motion picture game as they like to
term IT,
The lobby Of this house was a har-
ing demonstration Of the crxdity of
both the exhibitor and the producer,
and while there were various worthy
subjects filmed. the great majority
were mediocre TO the point of repul-
SivcnCSs.
One huge poster announced Lhat
The Dwarf of Blood" a thrilling ro-
nance in two parts, was just what
would please yourself, your wife and
children.
Here is a scenario of "The Dwarf Of
Blood:
Enter hunchback. Sinks knife be-
tween shoulder blades of elderly SPIN
Stcr. Gloweringly glosts over blood
spots on carpet. RansackS room, Sc
cures purse of gold and jewels and
exits,
Enter detective with magnfying
glass, studies blood spots. and, stand
ing erect. announces Gin subtitle "Tie
Dwarf did this" and exits on trail Of
"the Dwarf
Dwarf next seen torturing farmer
and his wife in an outlying hamlet.
Again GlOatS over blood and again
same detective dcducts that Dwarf is
the culprit.
Detective disguised as window
cleaner. watching passerSby. Sees
hunchback Follows him to rendezvous
Of criminals and after a desperate
hand to hand fight, in which the hunch
back is fatally wounded, the detective
POINTS to his own blood and delivers
moral.
The jewclry and gold are returned to
the spinster just as she is about TO be
dispossessed by a cruel landlord. Three
incidents of excitement in 1000 feet Of
worthless film.
The audience which witnessed "The
Dwarf of Blood" which was so highly
recommended TO women and children
by the exhibitor, was composed chiefly
Of women and children.
At another theatre the chief feature
of the days programme was two-reel
subject called Joining the Masons," a
farce comedy with a laugh every min
utc"-to quote the posters.
On the front Of the theatre were
numerous photographic pictures OF
n an mounted on a goat and crosslining
on strips of transparent paper printed
i'm crude ink letters. Showing through
the paper bearing the title were the
words "Ehret's Book Beer" The en-
terprising manager had converted the
brewery advertisement into pictorial
zone sheets" for his biggest feature.
The picture is best left to the dim
and distant past. Any comment is un-
necessary. The Autographs told the
tale. The picture compared favorably
with the lobby display, and the LOBBY
was in itself A work of art. dlmunI-
tive Girl dispensed tickets from behind
ri network of chicken COOP wire. The
tickets were grimy and soiled and evil
IDENTIFY had been used over and over.
Refuse was piled knee high behind
the easels upon which crudely framed
Hlv taken photographs rested and the
doorman's only decoration was what Is
commonly termed "caulifower ear
visited many of these monstrosi-
ties-but enough Of the saw dust
The Strand Theatre amply over
BALANCES any dozen miserable photo
NAV houses in Greater New York
What magnificence, what foresight,
what giant strides in few years!
Entering the lobby OF the mousse
one is first impressed by the very
dignity Of the advertising display. IT
doc Justice to the elaborateness OF
the interior and the beauty OF the
sat three hours in loge box at
the, Strand, seventy feet from the
screen. and witnessed the entire pro-
oramrre. First came very funny
Dicture of Ford Sterling in one OF ms
far-fetcbed characters. II was a tast
snd funny picture of its kind. pos
srssod no particular dramatic value,
but added variety 20 the bill. Then
rsme the topical review. Events OF
the previous week, picturized. Actual
scenes Of interest and universal Vaiue
from the news STANDPOINT, shown
within a few days, then a few oper,
attic singers of no mean ability, ana
then "The Master Mind with the
cycolept actor, Edmund Breese, IN
his original role in that play.
Truly, the advance OF motograPny
from feG9 to '9l4 compares iavoraoIy
with the advance Of lighting from
the candle TO the electrtc stage
"The Master Mind" was the third
Lasky picture to come under my view
/ had been i'm communication witn
Mr.. Lasky for some time, and SO I'M
pressed with his products dld ! pc
come that we finally arranged tor the
perturbation Of my plays.
True, | realize that motion pictures
have reached the stage where they
must be .aken seriously by every , one
The elaborate and magnificent "a
e. ,