Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-09-23

Although within short distance
of New York City with it's teeming
millions, the village of Fort Lee re-
tanned, until comparatively recently,
it's out-of-the world air of rural
charm. A walk along it's principal
thoroughfare, Main street, conveyed
the impression that the din and rattle
of the city had been left hundreds of
miles behind.
Of late, however, the atmosphere
of the place has undergone a subtle
change, an air of hustle and activity
has replaced the erstwhile placidity.
The reason is that Fort Lee has been
chosen as the home of motion picture
companies, and already some six con-
Germs have established plants: The
Peerless, Eclair, Willat, Solax, Uni
versal, and New York Motion Pictures.
With a view to ascertaining what
had led these companies to select Fort
Lee as a haven, several of the various
directors were interviewed. The rea-
sons given, briefly summarized, were
these: it's accessibility to New York
City, the comparative cheapness OF
land, moderate taxes, wonderful va
riety of scenery within a radius OF
ten to twenty miles, purity of air,
and absence of hampering municipal
restrictions of one kind or another.
After such a recital of desirable
features, one may be pardoned for
assuming that Fort Leeians generally
did not realize what an Ell Dorado
they have. Under normal conditions
it is roughly estimated these COM
panies carry on their pay rolls about
two thousand people, but this number
is largely augmented when plays OF
special scenes are being filmed.
Some idea of the work that is done
bv these companies will be gathered
from the fact that in the case of the
Universal alone, 100000 feet of film
are produced each week. 1t is inter
esting to know that there are 16 in
dividual photos in each foot and it is
necessary to punch 8 holes in each
photo. How the statistician woulc
revel in these figures, 284 miles o.
film, 24,000,000 photos, and 1922
100000 holes punched, each week!
The advent of these film companies
has, as can readily be imagined
brought many changes to the neigh
borhood, and in time will materially
alter its characteristics. twill be
come, indeed, it is now, an industrial
center of increasing Importance.
House rentals have risen, new
houses are being built to accommo-
date the film companies employees
and various Improvements of one
kind or another are being effected
through the borough. Everybody
seems to be basking in the smiles of
prosperity. People of pessimistic
frame of mind would find visit to
"Movie Town" very efficacious.
It. is a liberal education to spend a
day in or about Fort Lee, or better
still, if you are fortunate enough to
obtain admission, at one of the
studios when some play is being
staged. If you happen to hit on a
lucky day you may catch a glimpse
of the ever youthful Lillian Russell,
Mary Pickford, Clara Kimball Young,
Robert Warwick, Wilton LaKaye and
many other celebrities.
You can have your fill of thrills in
witnessing, say an attempted suicide
in watery grave-the Hudson River
and the heroic rescue, or an attack
by red Indians near the bluff of the
picturesque Palisades; in fact the
whole gamut of human emotions can
be experienced. Sad to relate, the
Fort Leeians are now so accustomed
to these sights that they have become
quite blase and scarcely evince the
slightest interest or curiosity, even if
they see the beauteous maiden being
kidnapped by the wicked "once abroad
the luggar and the maiden is mine"
sort of william.
The advent of these motion picture
companies has brought possibilities
for telephone growth even greater in
proportion than the other improve
ments in the town. All the film COM
panies have P. B. x. systems and
numbered them 20 trucks, 80 stations
and 5 tie lines connected with switch
boards in New York offices. The tele-
phone growth for the whole Fort Lee
area has been rapid since June 1,
1910, when the Englewood local COM
mercial office was opened, the num-
Der of telephones having risen from
81 to 440, an increase of 1853 per
cont