Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-08
AMUSEMENT
SECTION
"CINEMA BARS" IN
SOUTH AMERICA
A MOVIE NOVELTY
E. M. Porter, of Famous Players, Tell
of the Industry
There

After four months spent in studying
film conditions in South America as the
special representative of the Famous
Players and Jesse l.. Lasky Companies,
F.. NJ. Porter has Just returned to New
York
II can safely say that the average mo.
tion picture theatre in Brazil and Argen
tina compares very favorably with the
houses in the United States says Por-
ter. "One Of the peculiar things about
Argentina is the fact that there are more
cinema bars than theatres. These Bars
are cafes In which films are exhibited,
and these replace the usual theatre In
many towns outside of Buenos Aires
especially.
Another peculiar Argentine custom
consists in dividing the performance into
four sections, each running an hour. when
you purchase your ticket you state
whether IL Is for the four sections or, II
You desire simply to drop into the theatre
for an hour, you buy ticket for one
section.
.('Each of these sections consumes about
one hours time. But the performance
seems longer than that because the man.
ayers there divide reel which we ordi-
narily term a single reel into three
parts The lights are flashed up for an
instant and the spectator has the uncon-
sclous impression that the performance is
longer than is really the case. This at
tempt to create the impression of greater
length films proves conclusively that the
time Is up for the exploitation of four
and five-reel features.
I'm Brazil the very interesting custom
obtains of having a huge lobby In the
first-class theatres Here the patrons sit
and listen to an excellent orchestra if they
arrive during the middle of a performance,
as they are not permitted to enter the
house proper while the show is in progress.
So generally is this custom in force that
1t has become a daily habit to array ones
self in ones best clothes, and to display
them to the admiring throng in the lobby.
II has become, in fact, veritable pea
cock alley
"One of the most interesting exhibitions
which l held was that in the New Theatre.
in Buenos Aires. Arrangements were
made to hold the entertainment in the aft
ernoon, and invitations were especially is
sued to the officials of the city, the most
important exhibitors and members of the
press. An orchestra of is pieces was en-
gagged to play for the performance. and
everything was arranged in accordance
with our best precepts.
LAS every one knows who is at all famil-
iliar with life in Buenes Aires, society
there must have its tea at exactly 8
o'clock Nothing is permitted to interfere.
| believe that If the city were burning
down, society would repair to the big
hotels which were not actually in flames
IN order to have its tea. l, therefore,
planned to have the performance over by
s. but various things interfered, and
there was still another entire picture to
be run Off at 8.
Great enthusiasm had been manifest
ed by my guests among whom were the
Mayor of the city and Mt least so persons
who were prominent in society but
was thoroughly prepared to have them
depart at the customary hour. But not
-one of them stirred Every person in
the theatre remained until 6: :30--a fact
which astounded even the managers of
the theatre.
''Of course. Buenos Aires is celebrated
as one of the greatest operate centres
of the world, where all the internationally
famous opera singers appear 1t is here
that Geraldine Farrar has scored one OF
the biggest successes of her career. Par
ticularly did she triumph in the operas
Carmen and Madame Butterfly 1t was
then that Buenos Aires should
have been delighted with the film adapta-
tion of Carmen
when it was learned that the Famous
Players had made a photoplay adaptation
of Madame Butterfly, with Mary Pick |
ford in the title role, there were many
protests because the film had not been in
cluded in my list"