Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-21
ORIGINAL MOVIE
FILM MACHINE A
LOCAL INVENTION
Present Photoplay Contri-
vances Due to Ingenuity of
Rudolph Melville Hunter.
Local Attractions.

In the EVENING LEDGER recently there
was set out the work of Henry II. Heyl,
OF Philadelphia, in respect to his exhibit
ton OF the phasmatrope, which was used
in 1870 at the Academy of Music for ex-
hibiting photography in motion, and thus
properly gave credit to Philadelphia as
the birthplace of the first moving picture
machine. Philadelphia Is entitled to fur
ther claim by way Of priority In this field
of invention. aside from the great activ-
ity of some of it's citizens I'm the CONNER
cial field. While Mr.. Heyl's machine gave
the effect of motion pictures. these pic
lures were on plates made separately and
carefully adjusted In order in a circle on
revolving disc, 80 as to come In success
sion in line with the projected beam of
light. The modern type of machine and
method was also developed In Phlladel-
phla in 1s93-94.
This machine was designed not only to
project tho pictures, but also to take
them, and employed oil the essential
requisites OF the modern motion picture
machine. 1t employed reels OF films
which had their side edges perforated to
1t, sprocket wheels which were intermit-
tently rotated to feed the film with step
by step motion. The winding devices for
taking the projected film were automatic.
shutter was used which revolved to In
termittently cut Ine lBHl WneU TIC
film was being shifted.
The entire contrivance was the inven-
ton of Rudolph Melville Hunter. of 10ll
Chestnut street. He not only built the
machine for taking and projecting the
pictures. but nlso the machine for per-
foratlng the films. These machines arc
now at his laboratory.
In 1894, Mr.. Hunter arranged for the
purchase OF hall for exhibiting It, for
which he paid $4,000, and Immediately
thereafter he executed contracts for sale
of European rights, which contracts were
signed and sealed on April 6, 1895.
Thomas A. Edison brought out the
Armat Vatascope in November. B96, and
frst exhibited 1t in New York on 23d
street, at least two years after the Hunter
machine had been developed C. F. Jen-
ltins, of Washington. was working con-
temporaneously with Edison and produced
the Phantoscape, and about the same time
other machines-Eldeloscope Clnemato-
graph and Biograph-were brought forth
here and abroad The fact remains, how
ever, that Mr.. Hunters machine ante
dated all of these, including that of Edl-
son, and was the first of this type OF
machine. Philadelphia is therefore doubly
entitled to claim the birthplace OF the
moving picture machine, not only gen.
erlcally. but also specifically. covering the
modern type.
1.-THE SPOILERS"
Rex Beach's wonderful photodrama.
1.-THE Spoilers" enters on the third week
of its Philadelphia engagement at the
Chestnut Street Opera House Monday
afternoon. The success of this master
film production here has been both in
Simultaneous and sensational. The usual
spectacle of theatregoers standing
through two and half hours on photo
drama may be witnessed nightly at this
famous playhouse. where for the last
80 years the finest OF dramatic produc-
tions have been staged, Owing to the
enormous success OF THE Spoilers" the
management announces that there is no
doubt about the future policy OF the
Opera House, which will be that OF pre-
senting the best of photoplays, which will
be secured from the film producers OF
the world. Performances are given from
1 to 5 IN the afternoon and to II in
the evening. 'The Spoilers Is pro-
jeeted at 2;3o and $3.50 daily. preceded
by an hour and half Of frst-run comedy
and dramatic pictures Patrons are Of
fered four solid hours Of entertainment
at the unusually low prices OF 10 and Is