Milford chronicle., 1939-08-25
Movies Celebrate Golden Jubilee

gram was that celebrated master
piece in nine hundred feet, "The
Great Train Robbery" II played to
capacity and standing room at five
cents admission, at the rate of about
four shows an hour. night and day.
Il set the showmen OF the country
aflame with interest and launched the
"Nickelodeon" theatre wave in mo-
tion. In less than year there were
5000 such little theatres. mostly call
ed "store shows by reason of their
utilization of vacant shops
The Films Emancipation
The screen had escaped the thrall-
/ dom of vaudeville. Motion pictures
were founding a home of their own.
The picture theatres grew up rap
idly, improving their appointments
and programs as picture making ad-
vanced under the encouragement of
demand. A typical SNOWY was an
hour long, typical admission dime.
The Rise OF Stars
Players were yet unknown. anony-
nous. The public had to find the
stars. Arthur Johnson and Florence
Lawrence. the first to win individual
acclaim, are today all but unknown.
Following upon them came Bio
graphs Little Mary" who was not
to have her name exploited until Carl
Laemmle lured her away from the
trust and announced her as Mary
PickfOrd." Only year or so later
the public also discovered in Key
stone comedies, also an independent
product, funny little cuss with
baggy pants. a bamboo cane and a
nonchalantly dumb but clever man
ner. presentely admitted and even
at last advertised to be Charlie Chap
lin.
"Big Pictures, Arrive
The motion pictures had about
reached its ceiling of the era that be-
gan with the nickelodeon when am
bilious efforts. originating in Europe.
about 1910-12 aimed the screen at a
new audience, encrOaching on the do
main of the stage. Significant among
them was "The Dunbar" and Quo
Vadis." In 1912 Adolph Zukor, an
exhibitor. and one time treasurer of
Marcus Loew's organization. i'm
ported Queen Elizabeth feature
length drama starring Sarah Bern
hardt. and addressed himself at
policy of making the motion picture
provide "an evenings entertain
ment"
After a three years struggle be-
tween policies, programs" lost and
feature" won. Then arose in this
nerioa the development of the great
er motion picture theatre. starting
substantially with the Strand on
Broadway. The great era of the ST.
lent period and stardom ensued. The
first great American picture of this
era was "The Birth of a Nation"
made by d. W. Griffith. who. as di-
rector at Biograph some years before,
had started Miss Pickford on her
way to fame.
Advent OF Cinema Palaces
The number of theatres. which had
reached an approximate 21. 900. began !
to decrease as larger. more imposing
theatres rose. A grandiJse policy
of theatrical housekeeping with uni
formed ushers. velvet carpets and
much begilded elegance spread from
the influence of Samuel Rothafel-
Roxy" on Broadway Along with !
this came great pipe organs, and in |
metropolitan theatres imposing or
chestras. Star names multiplied
many skillful directors arose. a spe-
cial art of title writing evolved.
Picture investment climbed until /
the hundred thousand dollars that !
represented the cost of THE Birth (
of Nation" was less than the typi- (
cal cost of a first-class feature pic |
ture. Materials and skills were he /
coming valued as refinements pro-
gressed.
Films Become Vocal
In 1929 again came technology
cal revolution with sound, commonly
dated from Warmers presentation of
Don Juan" with synchronized sound
and The Jazz Singer" first film with
dialogue.
Just as the newspaper with its in
oreaSing service of world coverage,
tremendous Improvements in print
ing, rotogravure. color, pictures have
so vastly multiplied in values to the
buyer without increases in price, so
has the motion picture poured the
publics millions back into better
theatres, better entertainment, bet
ter art.
Often the movies are twitted about
their favorite phrase, bigger and
better" but down the years they have
been. And there has been a great
deal of comedy about that classic
title: Game the Dawn but in mo-
it always does. with a new
era.
With its fiftieth anniversary. the
motion picture industry is definitely
celebrating its Golden Jubilee and
has consequently outdone itself in
the feature pictures being released
This saasOn