New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-01

see his pictures before he contracts for
them, small rooms where hundreds
upon hundreds of copies of music are
stored for future use mechanics work
rooms, film operators quarters, adver-
Using Offices and the heads of all of
the different departments necessary to
make success of this big institution
1t is apparent as one walks through
the long, softly lighted Railways be-
side Mr.. Rothapfel that he holds the
pulse of that great working force and
knows each minute just what is going
on on the floor below him or behind
the door through which he presently
will take you. He tells you what his
men are doing in the office at the end
of the hallway, and then opens the
door and you see them doing exactly
what he said they were doing
Sitting down in the loge section of
the theater, directly in front of the
great curtain, yet a full half city
seats the Capitol affords, Mr.. Rothap
fel listened few minutes to the
choral work Of the groups of young
men and young women seated at either
end of the orchestra down below
Presently uniformed usher came be-
side him, leaned over and said:
Pardon me, sir but are you one Of
the officials of this theater?"
"Nes.' replied Mr.. Rothapfel, some
what taken back.
THANK you, sir, did not know, and
wanted to be sure. | did not see your
ticket"
And then the director smiled as
the boy left and said:
"You see. They're not offensive
even when they think you've slipped
in here on an orchestra seat ticket"
And this same atmosphere of
cordiality and courtesy pervades the
theater from the box office out on
Broadway to the alleyway back of the
great stage.
The arrangements of the scene
shifts, those unusual changes that take
place in the twinkling of an eye as the
great orchestra drifts from one part of
an opera to another. in which scenes.
In person, are shown behind the
screen and between the long hanging
parted curtains.
OF course, all this attention to
minute detail requires time and trouble
and late nights and perseverance and
patience That is why this man sleeps
and lives and finally loves his work.
He hasn't time to do anything else
And he wouldn't do anything else if he
could.
There must be atmosphere here" he
says, the same as in we'll regulated
home. Your visitors at your home
don't feel right if they think there is
anything strained about the feeling in
the home So we get along here like
great big family; and if l could have
entire days and evenings 60 by with
out loud word spoken in the entire
theater by one of cur employees, it
would please me immensely"
There is no doubt about the manner
In which the citv's largest thcator is
operated. 1t stands TO- day at the very
top in refinement. Those who have not
explored its splendid halls and it's
pretty hooks and its gorgeously ap-
pointed little rooms and corn vs. have
much yet to see. True, the Statue of
Liberty the Aquarium, the Woolworth
Tower and the other sightseeing spots
have their appeal and are we'll worth
The seeing. But the Capitol Theater
must not be passed by if one is to see
the really interesting things of the new
New York.
Mr.. Rothapfel, first and last, is in
tcrested in giving to the public vari-
ETY. in motion picture programs. He IN
stltuted the idea at the Rialto and the
Strand. Now, at the Capitol, with more
space and more opportunity, he is de-
voting his entire energies TO an expan-
sion along the lines he laid out at the
other theaters.
at is not necessary" he says, "to
give the people a program in celluloid.
Not at all. In fact, it is necessary, if
YOU would please them most, to give
them more. | have operate selections
rendered here by our orchestra that
sometimes require weeks in rehearsal.
The cheap and make believe otferips Of
the comedy stage arc entirely done
away with, and try to lift the tone of
my theater to the place where it will
he enjoyed by the student Of music
Our programs require many days of
hard work to arrange. and | attempt to
so coordinate the different attractions,
the opera, the vocal work, the SCENES,
the artistic color films, the orchestral
part and the feature film itself that
each Will appear necessary and proper
to the spectator as he watches the pro-
gram unfold itself before him.
"The people, | hope, are beginning to
| realize what is being done for them.
Certainly, it will require much time to-
high standard we have set. But the
time will come when they will re-
alize it,"
With the idea in mind that with the
further development of the motion pic
ture there will come the development
of new art. he attempts to develop
along with that new art a new and
equable means of presenting it. One
visit to his institution convinces one
that he is sparing no effort or time
1t is highly worth ones time to see for
himself.