Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-17
CHINESE FORM A
MOVIE SCHOOL
Milwaukee Laundryman Tries
an Experiment in
Photoplay
Rr the Photoplay Editor

| Milwaukee is the home of unique expert
ment in the moving picture world-not
new stunt in displaying pictures, but tn,
establishing OF what might be called
school for the education OF theatrical man
ayers of film playhouses.
But this is not the unique phase OF tn,
experiment, for the school is to teach Chi
| nese young men, so that they can go bacl
| to their native land and open playhouse!
| on American lines, with the most up-to
| date methods of Americas great indus
| try at their command.
There are six Chinese young men now
| here studying this problem, and theii
tencher is himself a Chlnaman. who has
, developed from a chop suey retailer to a
theatre owner and promoter.
Charlie Toy, who 90 years ago was an
upstate laundryman, at Oshkosh, and
who later came to Milwaukee and opened
the first chop suey restaurant in this city,
Is the movie magnate who is trying this
experiment Toy Is now probably one of
the wealthiest Cinnamon in America.
From restaurant owner he had devel-
oped a huge importing business, and is
today the largest importer of Chinese
foodstuffs In America. His consignments
of mushrooms alone for Instance, come
in two-ton lots, and he pays Uncle Sam
nearly $4,000 year in customs duties
on these imports.
Not content with this, however, he de-
veloped moving picture theatre with
a typical American play on his own name.
Three years ago Toy invested 100000
in a downtown slx-story building, de-
voted chiefly to his restaurant and whole
sale business, but built In the style of
old China. The defaulting in rent of one
OF his tenants gave him a new idea, and
he used n portion of his ground floor
for the development of what he calls the
Toy Theatre. His theatre is Chinese
in style. interior and exterior, but plays
to an exclusive patronage, the prices
being double those of any of the other
standard houses in Milwaukee and the
attractions being entirely four to six reel
high priced features.
with this as his combination school
and theatre, Charlie Toy has started out
to make film theatre experts of Chinese
boys with money who want to learn the
business and then 20 back to China and
start in for themselves. The first of his
students will leave In a month. Moy
Wah and Moy Hop being the two who
will make the first plunge into the Chi
nese field as American-trainedm managers.
Both have studied at the University of
and are thoroughly Ameri-
canlzed. Charles two sons. Moy and
Charlie are at present handling the local
interests of their father. but are about
to contract for a location for a Toy Thea
re in Chicago, where their father is al
ready the real though not nominal,
owner Of one of the biggest Chinese
Lester Lee and Loo Wan
are others of the group who are being
trained in the movie business, and they
also are former State University students.
That Columbia University, in their |
course on the photoplay. Is marking time |
with tho modern trend, is evidenced athis |
week by their disavowal to present the |
course on the silent drama on n purely /
theoretical basis. The students have en- /
listed the cooperation of V. L. s. T.,
Inc, to supply the practical side of the !,
This laboratory work will
include study of studio essentials. a
grasp OF the mechanical possibilities of
he film and a critical review of the lat
est releases when shown. " L. s. E.
me, have accorded the students press
privileges at the private showings, and
he opportunities afforded by visits TO
he studios and inspection rooms. The
Students, as part of the course, and in
'esponse to the demand for photoplay