Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-30

William Fox is the censor Of his own
shows. No foot or MIN appears upon the
stage of any of his % theatres without
first passing the keen and appralsing
judgment Of the big Boss" 1t has been
estimated that Mr.. Fox sees about $4,000
feet OF motion pictures q week He Is his
own most exacting critic. Time ana
again he orders cuts made that drive his
directors to the verge of despair, but he
insists rigidly that his product must be
better than the best" before he will per-
NIT It to be released,
1t was in 1905 that Mr.. Fox saw the
handwriting on the wall and went INTO
the moving picture business, which was
in those days considered equivalent t.
tying 50-pound weight around your neck
and jumping off the Battery wall.
"In those days" said Mr.. Fox, I'VE
handed back all the change in pennies
so that a slot picture arcade, which was
run in connection with the moving pic
ture show. benefited by the coppers.
I'VE made the penny machines so all
Turing that after our patrons had lett the
motion picture portion of the entertain
ment the remaining pennies filtered In
the cent-ln-the- slot contrivances before
their owners left the place ] used to
make a speech from the steps leading to
ment telling how we could be transported
to all parts Of the world for nickel In
more luxury and comfort than million
aire would enjoy in his private car. The
idea went like wildfre, and during the
first year we made $4,000 on an invest
ment of $4,000
About this time l acquired 10 small
theatres and also set to work resolutely
to abolish the popular idea fostered by
AaI, t11oN IN motion
ture theatre was a hotbed of incipient
crime. 1 tried to make my theatres as
we'll ventilated, we'll managed and as
clean as possible. 1t meant "a hours
work out of the "a, but 1t was worth 1t.
IT caused considerable amusement and
derision among other theatrical managers
when / presented the idea of giving the
audiences at the Academy of Music per-
formances headed by such Broadway
stars as Robert Edeson, Edmund Brese.
Marguerite Clark, II. b. Warner ana
Amelia Bingham. 1t proved an enormous
success, and the luminaries VINO headed
my star stock plays agreed with me-
"When | entered, actively, the pro-
ducing field of motion pictures, was act
uated by double motive. The so-called
features that l had been selecting with
all the care possible for my theatres did
not fill my ideas of the highest standard
possible in motion pictures
THE building or stuulo ana lhe lui-
nation OF an efficient organization for
this purpose presents more of problem
than most people would imagine. / de-
ciGed to carry out, in my motion picture
producing career, the same ideals as l mad
introduced at the Academy of Music.
with this end in view, have engaged
such notable dramatic artists as Betty
Nansen, William Farnum, Theda Bara,
Nance O'Nen Charles Richman, Robert
Edeson, Wilton Lackaye, Edward Jose,
Claire Whitney, Stuart Holmes, Edmund
Breese, Dorothy Donnelly, William e.
Shay and William j. Kelly"
Sunday School Filmed
The widespread demand for motion pic
lures is demonstrated by the fact that
II finally has been been taken up by the
church. The first motion picture of
Sunday School ever made has been pro-
duced by Essanay. The film was made
for the Board of Sunday schools of the
Methodist Episcopal Church of America,
The picture is of the Brazil. Ind, Sunday