Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-07
STATE URGES USE
OF FIRE MOVIE EXITS
Bulletin Suggests That They
Be Used at Every Perform
ance for Habits Sake
BY the Photoplay Editor

rae the emergency exits when there
t.nf any emergency That is the sug-
ssstion Of the monthly bulletin OF the
penpsylvania Department of Labor and
Industry. This department has authority
onder a state law to frame a building
code 10 govern the construction of
,heatres. but thus far has been satisfied
n make its regulations bearing on this
snhiect merely In the form of recon-
mendations which are not mandatory.
The suggestions referred to were made
:, an omen conference on welfare and
seselency, held In Harrisburg. Pa, and
conducted under the departments aus
noes. H. II. Cannon. engineer of the
uvorkmen's Compensation Service Blu
lam. Of New York. said that II
General use of the emergency exits were
rede. even at times when there were
~ Emergencies. 1t would serve two very
nrnortant purposes. one of these pur-
noses is that It would teach the people
~ locations in the theatres of the emer-
rercv exits Now the tendency of au-
Siences leaving the theatres is to use the
resular exits only, whether they are
having at the end OF a performance or
having because of fire or fear of fire.
n the people were taught to use all the
exlts. whether in the case of an emer-
rency or not, Mr.. Cannon holds, many OF
he neople would, when an actual emer-
eencv does occur, use the emergency
wits. instead of all rushing for the reg
Mar exits, as is the tendency now.
The second useful purpose served
through the regular use of the emer-
ssncy exits is as Mr.. Cannon says, that
m would facilitate the start of the fol-
io,ving performance" His idea is that
an audience, at the end of one perform
snce in a theatre where the program is
ha n ~ night
csn be dismissed very much more
rromptly by using 10 or a dozen exits.
Tho second annual meeting of the
colonial Motion Picture Corporation, held
on Monday, October 4, at the offices of
,he corporation, 226-22S-2S0 West 35th
street, New York city was an entirely
harmonious gathering. Mr.. James d. Law,
N Philadelphia, was unanimously re-
elected president, and Mr.. Herbert w.
raylor. secretary-treasurer for the ensu-
Ing year With a Board of Directors
drawn from all sections of the country
and including two-thirds of the old board,
new life has been infused into the cor
poratlon, and the resumption of produc-
ton may he expected i'm the near future.
An unofficial fete day was celebrated
recently in Santa Barbara, Cal, under
fhe direction of Thomas Ricketts,. one of
the directors of the American (MutuaD
Studios, during which an old-type South
eru mansion, used in one of the scenes
Of "The House of a Thousand Scandals"
4 four-part Mutual Masterpicture, was
blown to atoms.
For weeks rumor OF the proposed blow
ing up of the house had been circulated
m Santa Barbara, and the inquiries be-
came SO numerous that President Samuel
s. Hutchinson, of the film company, de-
cided he would give his townsfolS little
Entertainment.
So he invited the entire city TO come
out and witness the destructive work
which was constructive" photoplay maxi
. ing. And every one in the sea-mountain
city came.
The explosion was well worth Mr..
Hutchinson's courtesy and the citizens
curiosity. The actors were in their places,
the camera was grinding, and Director
Ricketts,, megaphone in hand, was shout
Ing Instructions. Harold Lockwood, the
star of the drama, near the majestic
boxing mansion, was working, apparent
" unconscious of the explosion about to
take place. Then IT happened.
The mansion went skyward in small