The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-17


picture business and making q fortune
might have any illusions they may have
harbored about making money easy in
this way squelched.
Really" said Mrs. McClintic. 'there ID
no more difiicult occupation in the world
than the conduct of q really successful
motion picture house. Many persons
have an idea that the place Is run by the
man in the box-ofiice, the operator. and
the ushcrs. All the owner has to do in
their imagination is to count the box
Office receipts.
II was not interested in this busi-
ness until within the last five or six
years. When my husband took to man.
aging a little theater in Park Row. Civ
ing up tie management Of q New York
Stock Exchange branch, I say frankly
that I questioned his judgment The
rent Of the Park Row theater looked
stupendous- There were only SO seat.
and the admission price was 10 cents.
The place was open from . in the morn
ing until II at night
This houss had been conducted rath-
er successfully before my husband under
took its management. but by taking ad-
vantage Of the rapid growth of the pic
ture industry and applying a certain
science to the selection and presentation
of his pictures. the earnings were almost
doubled. Things became so interestins
that my husband frequently asked me to
read the advance stories OF motion pic
lures soon to be released in order that
the wheat might be selected from the
chaff
In those days there was no such
thing as seeing pictures in advance. You
got to know the ability Of certain pro-
ducers to bring out certain things bet
ter than the others. You learned that
certain actors or actresses did this thing
better than the others. and when il came
to selecting yorr weeks program in ad-
vance mot every exhibitor took pains 10
do this. but relied on the exchange tc
give him what 1t had in stock the man
who had been fore-read was able to
get the JUMP as they say In baseball,
on the other fellow Therein. think
lay most successes in the early days.
AS time passed, feature-film CORPORA
tons began to spring up at every turn.
Some of their product was Positively
awful My lack Of any intense ukinr
for the pictures proved to be a grea,
asset. and i think sharpened my judg.
ment- 1 looked for strong plots and
bright comedy. and that was all I knew
about IT. Then 1 began to discriminate
more deeply. As the pictures improved
under criticism and added intelIisence INV
interest broadened and now when 1 see
something which impresses me as un.
usually good my only fear Is that q
growing taste for pistures may war;
my judgment
There are exchanges throughout
the city and country where pictures
are exhibited to managers and repre.
sentatives OF motion picture theaters
The place OF exhibition is often nc
larger than a small living room and
til
flashed Is often not over three feet
square.
If all the pictures were Interesting
the work might only become monoto-
nous, but as a selecting agent has to
look at almost everything-good, bad
and fndinerent-it may be imagined
that unless he has a very keen interest
in his work he would soon grow "a
hate it. A man purchases the state
rights In a story contained in a set of
films that. In his Judgment. are simply
great. Sometimes the man who buys
mas only considered what he himself
would like to see on the screen, He
tells prospective exhibitors about his
wonderful picture and asks permission
to show 1t. The picture may be salts
Factory In every way, but more fire.
quently 1t develops that while his film
might satisfy one section of the city or
country it might fall particularly fiat
in another.
The price Of pictures varies accord
ing to length and strength. As much
as $500 has been asked recently for
the rental Of one six-reel production
for period Of one week. The average
house cannot AFFORD to pay over $50 to
$50 per day for its features, and then
only where the business is excellent.
l0rUar hnnGaa Ii
features three days or more, and until
recently none of them took the trouble
to see its features in advance or adapt
music beforehand. Where a new big
feature Is presented every day and re-
hearsals are had every morning for the
musical adaptation and the elimination
of any little defects, the work is un-
usually hard. My husband is in the
theater with his operator, organist.
orchestra leader, electrician and steno-
graphic assistant many nights after
the front doors are closed until early
In the morning. rehearsirg and devils
Ing effects best suited for making the
pictures enjoyable to the audience.
Few know. however, how many hun
dreds and thousands of feet of film
have been discarded for the few that
are really presented to them.
1T Is difi1cult to say Just what capi-
tai il necessary for the establishment
of motion picture theater. Some
have been started with the proverbial
'shoestring' and worked into fortunes.
but believe the day of the small
house has gone. Where two or three
small houses formerly thrived. one
large one with more elaborate furnish
ings and features is gradually forcing
the little fellows of the face Of the
earth. wherever the neighborhood war;
rants"
tcopyrisht. 3D.