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THOMAS A. EDISON 

The Father of Moving Pictures as we know them 



THE THEATRE OF 
SCIENCE 



Volume of Progress and Achievement in 
the Motion Picture Industry 



BY 



ROBERT GRAU 
U 

Author of 

"Forty Years Observation of Music and the Drama," 

"The Business Man in the Amusement World," 

"The Stage in the Twentieth Century" 



Profusely Illustrated 




BROADWAY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

NEW YORK LONDON PARIS 
1914 




Copyright, 1914, 

By 
BOBEET GEAU 



OF AN EDITION OF 
3000 COPIES 

THI5 




To 

DAVID WARK GRIFFITH, 
Whose genius in the perfection of the 

Motion Picture Art 

contributes significance to this 

Volume. 



Prefatory I3ote 

In 1910 the present writer (in the second of this 
series of volumes) ventured the prediction that the 
motion picture play would change the theatrical 
map in this country before 1915. 

In that year the productivity of the film studio 
was still partly of the grade which caused vaude- 
ville managers to rely on it as an effective "chaser." 
The term "photoplay" had just been suggested by 
Mr. Edgar Strakosch as a result of an effort on the 
part of the Essanay Film Company of Chicago to 
obtain an appropriate classification for its releases 
then gradually assuming a plane higher than in 
previous years. 

In a later volume published in 1912 the author 
was emboldened to warn the theatrical producers 
that their tendency to ignore the influence of the 
camera man was calculated to hasten the day when 
catering to the public's entertainment along scien- 
tific lines would create an upheaval in theatredom. 
The following year the number of producers for the 
speaking stage was the smallest it had been in 
thirty years, and now all but one of the still sur- 
viving play producers have capitulated the ma- 
jority affiliating with the established film produc- 



prefatorp H3ote 

ers, others tempting fate alone as film producers. 

When the present volume was first planned, "The 
Theatre of Science" was intended to represent 
every phase of public entertaining of a scientific 
order, such as the phonography the player piano, the 
organ orchestra, and kindred productions of a me- 
chanical age; but, while the work was in the proc- 
ess of making, there came the two and three-hour 
photoplay to the nation's first-grade playhouses. 

The film producers stampeded the playhouse zone 
of the metropolis, erecting palatial temples of sci- 

Ience, leasing also the majority of the theatres 
where the spoken drama had ceased to attract the 
people as of yore, and finally came the productivity 
of the film studios of Italy, such as "Quo Vadis?" 
"Antony and Cleopatra" and "Oabiria." The spec- 
tacle of the "dollar" photoplay was now on view, 
with eleven of New York's high-grade playhouses 
"between Thirty-eighth and Forty-eighth Streets in 
the camera man's possession. 

Therefore the author was persuaded to devote the 
present volume to the Motion Picture from all of 
its many angles, this decision being hastened ~by 
the amazing developments in the early months of 
1914- Moreover, a single volume has been found 
wholly inadequate to present a fair appraisal of the 
influence on mankind of this new art in the second 
decade of the twentieth century. 

The author has nevertheless endeavored to select 
as subjects such productivity of the film studio as 
is represented by producers, directors, authors and 
players, though forced to omit many worthy contri- 
butions to the general progress in filmdom, a pref- 
erence being given to individuals whose careers and 

vi 



Prefatorg iQote 

achievements present interesting facts not exten- 
sively related in the public press. 

The space devoted to individuals does not neces- 
sarily indicate their status as representative figures 
in a particular field. Frequently the views of such 
individuals have been presented at length because 
of confirming the theories of the author, or else be- 
cause they touch on vital phases of the Motion Pic- 
ture art. 

The prominence in text and illustrations of par- 
ticular subjects also is without relative significance 
often portraits were unavailable until too late; 
not a few made such unsatisfactory engravings as 
to render omission advisable. It is a strange truth 
that several gentlemen who have solved the greater 
problems in picturedom have never posed before the 
camera themselves. 

As confirmatory of my statement, attention is 
called to the group picture revealing W. N. Selig, 
Harry Louder and William Morris in the Selig stu- 
dio at Los Angeles. It was necessary to reproduce 
the illustration from an issue of the "Moving Pic- 
ture World'' yet this is the only picture of Mr. 
Selig available. There are not a few celebrities in 
film-land averse from publicity. Others have fig- 
ured auspiciously in previous volumes, or their part 
in the developmet of the new art is so well known 
as to render lengthy description at this time super- 
fluous. 

The author has been impressed with the impor- 
tance of the present-day motion picture production 
from the standpoint of its influence on the spoken 
play. This phase of the unique theatrical situation, 
together icith the belief that stage productions now 

vii 



Prefatory 

providing the greater part of the screen output will 
tend to inaugurate the more vital era of film pro- 
ductivity wherein the realities of life and produc- 
tions originating solely in the film studio will pre- 
dominate, forms the basic theme of the current 
volume. 

ROBERT GRAU. 
Mount Vernon, N. 7. 

June, Nineteen Hundred and Fourteen. 



viii 








ALICE JOtfCE 

Kalem Star 



MARGUERITE BERTSCH 

Scenario Editor Vitagraph Co. 




J. HERBERT BRENON 

Who produced "Neptune's Daughter" 
( Universal) 



Index to Contents by Chapters 



INTRODUCTORY 

Contributed articles by Claude L. Hagen, J. Stuart 
Blackton, J. Berg Esenwein, Sidney Olcott and Alex- 
ander Lichtman. 

CHAPTER I. 

PAGES 1 TO 21. 

"Zoetrope," crude pioneer of motion photography 
Experiments of Muybridge, Meissonier, Acres, Greene, 
Paul, Evans, Marey and the Lumieres, Anchiitz and his 
"Tachyscope" Thomas A. Edison, George Eastman 
and Reverend Hannibal Goodwin contribute to the first 
production of motion pictures The "Kinetoscope" in 
1893 at World's Fair a slot-machine device What 
two Greeks told Robert W. Paul, and how the latter 
utilized the Edison invention as the basis for his "The- 
atrograph," afterward called "Animatograph" Ad- 
vent of Paul's "Animatograph" in London, followed by 
Lumiere's "Cinematograph" Meanwhile, the Latham 
"Eidoloscope" and Edison "Vitascope" are revealed 
in America Edison neglects to take out foreign 
patents, not foreseeing any craze A new Vitascope 
appears Now comes Lumiere's "Cinematograph" to 
Keith's Union Square Theatre, New York A popular 
success, but no craze develops J. Austin Fynes' splen- 

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did exploitation attracts the attention of showmen all 
over the country The Eden Musee starts a seventeen- 
year consecutive vogue of moving pictures The "Bio- 
graph" succeeds the Lumiere invention at Keith's Cre- 
ates a furore, yet despite the success the price of serv- 
ice declines from $350 a week to $50 An epidemic of 
'graphs and 'scopes Vaudeville managers utilize the 
now magic screen as a "chaser" to create an exodus 
Incompetent performers degraded by being relegated 
to "follow the pictures" more humiliating than to be 
programmed for the supper show The story of Rev- 
erend Hannibal Goodwin, who is hailed as a genius after 
twenty-six years' litigation and years after he had 
passed on His widow, now 86, emerges from a condi- 
tion of near-poverty to one of great affluence The 
"Nicolet" movement Evolution of the "Store" The- 
atre, on which the prosperity of the film industry was 
based, and perhaps still depends What has become of 
the real fathers of film progress? Advent of Marcus 
Loew, Adolph Zukor, William Fox and Sol Brill, all 
hailing from New York's East Side Loew and Fox be- 
gin to convert erstwhile unsuccessful playhouses into 
gold-laden temples of science A tribute to the late 
"Jack" Fynes, who was the first to seriously present 
motion pictures in vaudeville theatres. 

CHAPTER II. 

PAGES 22 TO 46. 

The Vitagraph Company of America The splendid 
institution created through the harmonious activities of 
three pioneers who brought into filmdom the qualifica- 
tions of the artist, the inventive genius and the show- 
man A triumvirate truly representing what the new 
art stands for How the famous "strike" of the "White 
Rats" first opened the eyes of showmen to the fact that 
an entire entertainment could be given without an ac- 



to Contents tig Chapters 



tor in the flesh and with no necessity for the "spectre to 
perambulate" But for the despised moving pictures 
the greatest vaudeville institution in amusement history 
would have "come a-cropper" in its inaugural year 
(1900) Daniel F. Hennessy alone had faith, but like 
many others who contributed to the evolution is rarely 
mentioned to-day Advent of Archie L. Shepard, an- 
other pioneer who was the first to prove that people 
would sit in a theatre for two hours to see moving pic- 
tures solely Floods the country with his camera shows 
Overcomes overwhelming obstacles and finally con- 
vinces the skeptical theatrical managers The tremen- 
dous crowds attracted on Sundays in the East The 
first concrete demonstration of the camera man's influ- 
ence on the theatrical map Julius Cahn the first to 
welcome the latter in his many playhouses What has 
become of Shepard, who also was the first to lease a 
high-grade New York City playhouse and attract the 
multitudes day and night with pictures? David Hors- 
ley, a pioneer "independent" producer of photoplays 
Some interesting history anent the warring factions 
who started the now great independent movement 
How Horsley converted a disastrous "Nicolet" into a 
factory and made his own machinery and cameras 
Starts losing all his savings Perseveres and finally 
sells a part of his holdings for $280,000 John J. Mur- 
dock, the man who helped the independent producers 
of moving pictures to solve their difficult early prob- 
lems Another pioneer whose part in the evolution has 
not been fairly credited to him. 

CHAPTER III. 

PAGES 47 TO 77. 

The growth of the Universal Film Company, a 
mighty organization which has survived an almost un- 
paralleled period of internal strife The Mutual Film 



XI 



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Corporation, conceded to be the fastest growing and 
one of the most progressive of the established man- 
ufacturers; its remarkable advertising campaign 
H. E. Aitken, its head, in a few years meteorically 
emerges from an unimportant position to that of a cap- 
tain of a vast industry ; the Kinemacolor Company, one 
of the first to produce costly features in regular play- 
houses "Warner's Features," in less than two years, 
becomes a vital factor of a vast industry under the di- 
rection of P. A. Powers, who evolved "Powers' Picture 
Plays" in the early days of the independent movement 
Hobart Bosworth, a high-grade actor, late of Augus- 
tin Daly's Company, finds himself in the film studio 
After a prolonged service to the Selig Company as au- 
thor, director and producer, enters the producing field 
on a large scale to film Jack London's stories of ad- 
venture The large order that Daniel V. Arthur has 
cut out for himself The All-Star Feature Corpora- 
tion, headed by Harry R. Raver and Augustus Thomas, 
one of the first producing organizations which pre- 
sented stage successes on the screen, and the first of 
these to announce a policy of original photoplays writ- 
ten solely for the screen The Colonial Film Company, 
whose productivity is eagerly awaited and expected to 
be indicative of the vital era of film production The 
World Film Company, which has just affiliated with 
the Shuberts, planning to adapt to the screen countless 
plays and operettas of other days The Great North- 
ern Film Company, an organization firmly entrenched 
in the American Film Mart. 

CHAPTER IV. 

PAGES 78 TO 99. 

The amazing story of "Pop" Ince's oldest son 
From five dollars a day as an "extra" Thomas H. Ince 
attains the highest position possible Present income 

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exceeds $100,000 yearly Mary Fuller and Marc Mac- 
Dermott, Edison stars George W. Terwilliger, a di- 
rector of photoplays, who had no previous connection 
with the theatre The importance of the director Ex- 
perience on the speaking stage not the greater requisite 
D. W. Griffith's opinion of the present-day stage pro- 
ductions on the screen: "When their vogue is ended, 
then will the moving pictures come into their own" 
William J. Burns, the great detective, voices a protest 
in connection with the crime photoplays The photo- 
play author Few successful photoplay wrights are 
"free lancers" Those not engaged exclusively with the 
producers are invariably actors, playwrights, or writers 
for magazines and the press Some exceptions The 
Dramatic Mirror sends from its editorial staff four of 
the most successful scenario writers of to-day Roy L. 
McCardell, the pioneer scenario writer, who wrote for 
"The Mutoscope" in 1899 Bannister Merwin, Em- 
mett Campbell Hall, and Marc Edmund Jones, prolific 
writers for the screen The Photoplay Authors' 
League, its scope and purpose. 

CHAPTER V. 
PAGES 100 TO 117. 

The moving pictures of to-morrow The realities of 
life destined to provide a greater portion of the pro- 
ductivity Stage plays but a temporary resort due to 
the epidemic of theatrical producers in filmdom How 
the films of Harry Thaw shaped public sentiment in the 
slayer's favor The gratitude of the photoplayer for 
his improved environment illustrated by the intrepid 
adventures undertaken by staid and timid stagefolk 
Charles Kent enters a lions' den emboldened by no other 
incentive than appreciation of the "dear Vitagraph 
Company" The General Film Company Will theatri- 
cal booking methods affect the influence of a mighty 

xiii 



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distributing institution? Carl Laemmle, the "nickel" 
genius, who in a few years became a millionaire and one 
of the pillars of the film industry Some interesting 
film statistics. 

CHAPTER VI. 

PAGES 118 TO 147. 

Stars of the screen (Bunny, Costello, Kent, and 
Brooke) who found a new Mecca in the film studio 
Many write, direct and star in photoplays Sydney 
Drew's success in new field Should the photoplayers 
face the public in the theatres where their artistry is 
revealed on the screen? Filming "The Christian" 
Why has the Kalem's "From the Manger to the Cross" 
never been properly presented in the larger cities? 
Showmanship not a requisite to exploit such produc- 
tions The splendid record of the Thanhouser Com- 
pany at its New Rochelle studio Pearl Sindelar and 
Mary Pickford prove that the excursion from the film 
studio to the playhouse stage can be conducted with 
grace and dignity Great mistake to take the public 
into the manufacturer's confidence to "show 'em how it 
is done." 

CHAPTER VII. 

PAGES 148 TO 166. 

Romaine Fielding, a representative product of a new 
art, who entered the film studio practically unknown 
and achieved fame as author, director, star, and pro- 
ducer Miriam Nesbitt and Lottie Briscoe, both with 
prolonged stage careers, achieve added fame in the 
newer field Francis Bushman, idolized by millions of 
photoplaygoers all over the world and who won The 
Ladies 9 World contest, creates for the screen Louis* 
Tracy's "Our Hero" Arthur Vaughan Johnson, the 
Sol Smith Russell of the screen Lloyd B. Carleton, 
Lubin director The Handworths, Octavia and Harry, 

xiv 



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who, like a few others, are now producing in their own 
studio Giles R. Warren, who writes and directs photo- 
plays Marion Leonard, the first photoplay celebrity, 
now entrenched in her own studio Oscar C. Apfel, who 
made "Reliance" photoplays famous, now directing 
Lasky productions. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

PAGES 167 TO 179. 

The New York Motion Picture Company Its 
growth a tribute to the enterprise of Messrs. Kessel and 
Baumann, who represent a great industry in the fullest 
sense W. N. Selig, pioneer and genius of a 20th cen- 
tury new art, whom Elbert Hubbard calls "Energy 
personified" Siegmund Lubin, the man of destiny, 
erstwhile optician, present-day philanthropist Betz- 
wood now called Lubinville. 

CHAPTER IX. 

PAGES 180 TO 205. 

Ch. Jour j on, of Paris and New York, head of the 
Eclair Company Adolph Zukor, who created the Fa- 
mous Players Film Company, and who conceived the 
idea of immortalizing the actor The Paramount Fea- 
tures Corporation means theatrical methods in "Book- 
ing" films The unique place William L. Sherry has 
made for himself in less than two years, proving that, 
after all, high-grade business methods is the greater 
requisite in filmdom Marcus Loew reducing his vaude- 
ville commitments and increasing his moving-picture 
investments means merely a return to first principles 
David Bernstein, who began with Loew at $16 a week, 
now earning $50,000 a year The Essanay Film Com- 
pany of Chicago The distinguished players who ap- 
pear before the camera for Pathe Freres The Eclectic 
Film Company in two years became a tremendous fac- 

xv 



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tor in the industry Herbert Blache, one of the few 
producers of photoplays who is adept in all phases of 
the art Canadian Bioscope Company Helen Gardner, 
who produced "Cleopatra" in her own studio The high 
ideals and aims of a former Vitagraph star who now 
returns to the Brooklyn organization. 

CHAPTER X. 

PAGES 206 TO 232. 

Early days of the photoplay, when stagefolk stam- 
peded the studios Florence Turner, "The Vitagraph 
Girl," who is now producing "feature films" in London, 
aided by "Larry" Trimble, who went to the Vitagraph 
studio to write magazine stories and remained to be- 
come one of the most prolific authors of photoplays and 
an expert director, though he never was associated with 
the theatre in any capacity King Baggot's success 
due to hard work, loyalty, and seriousness of purpose 
Alice Blache, first woman to produce for the screen in 
her own studio The late Henry Lee's daring under- 
taking in a primitive period of film history Maud 
Fealy scores as a photoplay star Lorimer Johnston's 
splendid record with the "Flying A"; now producing 
for himself Frederick Thompson, one of the former 
stage directors to achieve fame in the film studio The 
photoplay creating new playgoers for the speaking 
stage No serious effort yet in evidence to entice the 
millions of photoplay "fans" into the playhouses where 
the actor in the flesh holds forth What "Billy" Brady 
has predicted, and what he has overlooked. 

CHAPTER XI. 

PAGES 233 TO 246. 

The motion-picture conquest of the press Editors 
of magazines and newspapers reluctant to recognize the 
camera man's influence until long after Europe had 

xvi 



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hailed him as a serious factor in the life of the people 
The first to capitulate Affiliation between the film 
studio and the editorial sanctum now complete The 
Edison-Ladies 9 World collaboration for "What Hap- 
pened to Mary" starts a new era W. N. Selig's pro- 
duction of the "Kathlyn" series with two hundred news- 
papers publishing the fiction chapters in instalments 
Charles J. Hite induces Harold MacGrath, creator of 
"Kathlyn," to write another serial photoplay from the 
scenario of Lloyd Lonergan ; two hundred newspapers 
to present the fiction chapters. 

CHAPTER XII. 

PAGES 247 TO 271 

The "trade" issues of a great industry The late 
J. P. Chalmers established an organ of the industry 
which now requires one hundred and fifty pages and still 
growing The Motion Picture News, under a new re- 
gime, forges ahead The Morning Telegraph in 1909 
starts a film department Now the source of its 
greatest financial income Billboard the first to repre- 
sent the infant industry The theatrical weeklies all 
establish departments long before the "trade" issues 
appear The Dramatic Mirror 9 s influence The amaz- 
ingly quick growth of The Motion Picture Magazine, 
The Photoplay Magazine, and Moving Picture Stories 
All enjoy prosperity The "Larry s" of Filmdom 
Four former Proctor stage directors achieve fame in 
the studios J. Searle Dawley's definition of the Drama 
of Silence Harold MacGrath's faith in the future of 
the new art Charles M. Seay, Edison director, author, 
and star, deplores the onrush into filmdom of the the- 
atrical producers Will they create an upheaval? The 
Edison visualization of Robertson's "Caste" a genuine 
treat Ethel Clayton, Lubin star John E. Ince, the 
last of the Brothers Ince to enter the new field, already 

xvii 



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a tremendous factor Will the successful producers of 
photoplays offer reprisal and enter the field of the 
theatre in competition with the gentlemen who have 
come into their realm? 

CHAPTER XIII. 

PAGES 272 TO 290. 

The influence of "Quo Vadis?" the first photoplay 
to be booked in the best theatres in the same manner as 
a spoken play George Kleine, who produced it, the 
type of film magnate on which the future of the indus- 
try depends in this country "Cabiria" unquestionably 
the best film production and the most artistic up to this 
period The remarkable production of "Neptune's 
Daughter" reveals Annette Kellermann as a real star of 
the screen "The Lightning Conductor," the first pro- 
duction by stagefolk presented in true "movie" style 
Harry C. Myers, "Lubin's Boy," and his success after 
a precarious stage career Frank Powell, Pathe direc- 
tor Mack Sennett, whose genius as a producer of 
comedies has brought him an annual income as large as 
the President of the United States Los Angeles, the 
city of films Seventy-two studios within a few miles of 
the beautiful California metropolis, and more building. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

PAGES 291 TO 306. 

S. L. Rothapfel, the first to present photoplays with 
adequate musical accompaniment, and who "rehearsed 
the films," now hailed as "the impresario" of picture- 
dom The so-called exhibitor a misnomer for the mod- 
ern exploiter of moving pictures Frank T. Montgom- 
ery, "the motion picture man" William Fox, one-time 
vaudeville performer, now owner of a score of palatial 
theatres Tom Moore, also former vaudevillian, now 
"Movie King," owns ten theatres in Washington, D. C. 
Felix Isman's activities F. F. Proctor one of the 

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first to end the use of the camera man's productivity as 
"a chaser" M. B. Leavitt, at the age of seventy, enters 
the film industry to exploit "Sixty Years a Queen" 
The Strand Theatre and its proprietors Benjamin S. 
Moss, of Moss & Brill. 

CHAPTER XV. 

PAGES 307 TO 330. 

Many volumes on the technique of the photoplay, but 
few of which serve any useful purpose The publicity 
departments of the larger manufacturers A new field 
for clever press agents who desert the theatrical pro- 
ducers to become permanently intrenched in sumptuous 
offices. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

PAGES 331 TO 343. 

The technical side of moving pictures Charles B. 
Kleine and his successor, Henry Mestrum Carl J. 
Lang, of Olean, N. Y. J. F. Rembusch and his 
"Mirror Screen" The Organ Orchestra Mr. Austin's 
views as to the organ replacing an orchestral body 
The Wurlitzer Unit Orchestra now in general use all 
over the country Projection lenses The Brush elec- 
tric lighting set The problem of proper seating of the 
patrons of the photoplay. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

PAGES 344 TO 362. 

The evolution in the Windy City Moving pictures 
make Chicago a theatrical center The triumvirate 
(Jones, Linick, and Schaefer) and their achievements 
The Chicago vaudeville agents of to-day owe their pros- 
perity to the camera man New York vaudeville agents 
now "booking" films Talking pictures yet in the de- 
veloping stage The "Imperial singing pictures" may 

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start a new craze Mark M. Dintenfass and the "Cam- 
eraphone" First concrete talking-picture device A 
suggestion to Mr. Edison Why not "Pagliacci," with 
Caruso and Amato ? Who will preserve for future gen- 
erations the remnants of Patti's voice? Marinelli, the 
international agent, now actively booking photoplays 
When the author failed to avail himself of the benefits 
of a scientific era. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

PAGES 363 TO 380. 

Photoplay stars, authors, and directors Interesting 
incidents in their stage and film careers. 



LAST MOMENT ADDENDA 



Since the present volume's plates were made, many im- 
portant changes have developed, as follows : 

Carlyle Blackwell has left "The Famous Players" to pro- 
duce for his own account. The Blackwell productions will 
be released by the Alco Film Company, of which Alexander 
Lichtman is the head. Eussell Bassett has ended his long 
service with the Nestor brand of film to join "The Famous 
Players" Company. Mary Fuller, Walter Edwin, Charles- 
Ogle, Mr. and Mrs. C. Jay Williams and Ben Wilson have 
left the Edison Company to become permanently identified 
with the Universal brand of films. Eosemary Theby, 
Harry C. Myers and Binsley Shaw, long-time Lubinites, 
have also entrenched themselves under the Universal 
banner. 

The Frohman Amusement Corporation, of which Gus- 
tave Frohman is the artistic head, is to produce particu- 
larly the successes of the Madison Square Theater. All 
three of the brothers Frohman are now producing for the 
screen. Oscar Hammerstein will present photoplays with- 
adequate musical setting at his new Opera House on the 
upper East Side. Werba & Luescher, who direct the tours' 
of "Cabiria" for Harry E. Eaver, have already rehabilitated 
themselves and are once more large factors in the amuse- 
ment field. Ethel Barrymore is the first star of the speak- 
ing stage to appear in an original photoplay by a famous 
playwright of the older breed, entitled "The Nightingale," 
by AugMstus Thomas, and released by the All Star Feature 

1 



LAST MOMENT ADDENDA 

Company. Lew Dockstader has scored his usual success on 
the screen in "Dan/' by Hal Reid. Arthur James has suc- 
ceeded Philip Mindil in charge of the vast publicity and 
publications of the Mutual Film Corporation,, and Mr. 
Mindil has established a general publicity bureau in the 
theatrical district. Don Meanay, long the mouthpiece of 
the Essanay Film Company, has left that concern and is 
now in New York in a similar capacity. 

By an arrangement between Charles Frohman and 
Maude Adams, the latter will not act before the camera in 
any of the Barrie plays. 

Considerable retrenching was in evidence in the film in- 
dustry simultaneous with the advent of the colossal Euro- 
pean war, though the prevailing opinion is that the photo 
playhouse will not be materially affected. The almost in- 
stantaneous presentation of "war films" may serve to point 
out to the manufacturers that the greater function of the 
motion picture is not that of presenting photoplays. It 
is a significant fact that while the summer period is ad- 
mittedly the most opportune for film productions, but two 
of the countless features presented in New York during 
this period had a prolonged vogue, namely "Cabiria" and 
"Neptune's Daughter." 

Messrs. Thomas H. Ince and Mack Sennett, famous di- 
rectors for the New York Motion Picture Corporation, vis- 
ited the metropolis in July for a confab with the Messrs. 
Kessel and Baumann. Eumors of strained relations were 
quickly silenced through the statement of both of the visit- 
ing directors that the future productions of the company 
would be on a scale far beyond previous efforts. 

Charles J. Hite, one of the most progressive of film mag- 
nates, was killed in an automobile accident in this city on 
August 22, 1914. 

2 



SnttoDurtorp 

THE THEATRE OF SCIENCE 

By Claude L. Hagen, Late Technical Director of 

The New Theatre. 

One of our best-known amusement managers, Will 
J. Davis, high in the councils of the magnates who 
control the speaking drama and legitimate theatres, has 
just announced his retirement. In speaking of the 
current theatrical situation, which we understand to 
mean the field he is engaged in, he is quoted as say- 
ing : "There is a decided lack in the warmth of feeling 
that once existed between the business end of the 
game, the performers, and their audience. To the 
lack of this, in my opinion, may be attributed the 
success of the 'movie/ " This will be best understood 
by those who are familiar with the amusement field 
for the past thirty-five years. It is scarce twenty years 
since it was as free as any art or profession. Compe- 
tition was its life and success; in fact, it was practi- 
cally in the same condition as we find the moving pic- 
ture industry to-day. Fires of ambitions were kindled 
in the earlier days which have withstood the siege of 
commercialized management. In the "movie" world 
these fires have been renewed. It is this warmth which 

xxi 



SntroDurtorp 



has drawn new managers and wealth to aid science in 
preserving the art of acting. The lion in his native 
jungle can do many more interesting and intelligent 
things than man compels him to do in captivity. His 
spirit is broken by his condition; so it is with the 
actor. Life is controlled by two dominant forces 
love and fear. The actor who is dominated by the fear 
of suffering and starvation is not mentally or physi- 
cally fit to play a love scene that will warm either his 
managers or their audience. So powerful is this phe- 
nomenon of warmth or fascination that it will radiate 
from a photograph of its possessor. 

About the time commercialism seized the dramatic 
art science had created a light that marked an epoch 
/ in the history of art, as important as the Star of Beth- 
lehem did in religion. This light sizzled and spat as it 
sputtered its importance to the wizards of progress. 
Its toddling steps in the moving-picture world is his- 
tory. Wise men saw it and said: "How much?" It 
cost not much more than tickets for a family to see a 
successful show. Then they got busy. Studios were 
erected, directors and actors engaged, and places to 
exhibit in. The public came and were entertained; 
and, like the little peach in the orchard, they grew 
and grew. The Napoleons and Neros of the dramatic 
world waxed exceedingly wroth; but, not forgetting 
their love for the dear public which Vanderbilt once 
said "be damned!" invoked the aid of the authorities to 
enact such laws as would protect the patrons of their 
opposition from possible calamity, such as fire, over- 
crowding, and morals. But the "movie" manager hav- 
ing had a taste of the managerial pie, said: "Good 
business," and did build temples of amusement so 
beautiful and perfect they were graft-proof, and filled 

xxii 



StttroDimorg 



them with wondrous music, songs, dancing, and mov- 
ing-picture plays, and the price of admission thereto 
was equal in value to that paid by the wise men of the 
spoken drama for a shoe polish. And the populace did 
fight for admission to these temples, which were filled 
to overflowing day and night. Again was the law in- 
voked to aid the song-and-dance monopoly, and they 
came unto their own, and called the law blessed. In 
the meantime, science and art were busy; more per- 
fect and artistic became the science pictures, and in 
proportion thereto came pilgrims who worshiped the 
magic sheet, as sweet music lulled the tired bodies to 
rest. Then they returned to their places of abode and 
gathered all therein and hastened to the temples, that 
they, too, might worship. And the wise men of the 
"movies" grew exceedingly rich and did mingle with 
and brag much to the managers of the speaking drama, 
one of whom started to growl, just as another one 
said "Ouch!" and it is believed to this day that this 
was the origin of the word "grouch." 

Soon the S. D. managers were knocking at the doors 
of the M. P. managers' workshops. They found a bee- 
hive of industry. All were slaves, but only of science, 
art and theatricals, who had found an Elysium in which 
they worked in self-respect, confident of their posi- 
tion. From their willing minds and happy hearts 
flowed gems of tragedy, comedy, pathos, and bur- 
lesque, all to be acted to the eye of a camera and then 
given to the light of science to project on the magic 
sheets of the temples. Said one of the visitors to an 
employee: "You worked for me once, did you not?" 
"Yes, sir; and you told me to go to hell. But you see 
I didn't, sir," was the answer. These moving-picture 
actors reflect their environment, legal and binding en- 

xxiii 



SntroDitctorp 



gagements, all rehearsals paid for, Sundays and holi- 
days for home, traveling expenses while absent, and 
much of their time spent among beautiful and inter- 
esting outdoor scenes that form their acting stage. 

Is it to be wondered at, with these humane condi- 
tions, that authors, actors, and science await the call 
to "movie" land? Their heart is in their work; they 
hesitate at nothing to carry out the play in hand. We 
laugh and cry with them, sympathize with their pre- 
dicaments, and applaud their heroism. There is no 
lack of warmth between the business end of the movie 
game, the performers, and their audience, and therein 
lies the secret of their success. Lately an attempt has 
been made to form a film trust. The gentlemen en- 
gaged in this affair are pleading with Uncle Sam for 
more time to prepare their answer; in the meantime, 
they provide films to any who require them in their 
business, and will continue to do so. Recently film 
pictures of a character so offensive they were not ap- 
proved by the board of censors and prohibited by the 
police, who arrested the principals, were shown in one 
of New York's leading theatres, practically following 
a spoken dramatic production of Longfellow's beauti- 
ful poem, "Evangeline." Whether the production of 
these offensive pictures was a direct attempt to dis- 
credit the moving-picture play remains to be seen. 
But to the credit of the latter it is on record that these 
films were fathered by the sociological society of New 
York, mothered by ladies of the reform world, and 
damned by every decent citizen. Within the very cita- 
dels of the chiefs of the speaking drama may be heard 
the music of the builders' tools, as they mold into form 
temples for the movie fan to worship in. The dramatic 
stars of yesterday are vacating the theatres on the 

xxiv 



amroouctorp 



"Great White Way," to make room for the movie, who 
proclaims something new under the sun. The sizzling, 
sputtering light of earlier science now beams its mis- 
sion as silently as did the Star of the East. Its work 
has just begun. The movie is king. Long live the king ! 



f 



LITERATURE AND THE MOTION PICTURE 
A MESSAGE 

By J. Stuart Blackton 

In the dual capacity of member of the Authors' 
League and one of the pioneers in the most wonderful 
art-science of the age the motion-picture industry 
the writer feels perhaps doubly qualified to throw some 
light upon a subject mutually interesting to both au- 
thor and picture producer. 

A few years ago, to the uninitiated, "Moving Pic- 
tures" spelled little more than pantomime, buffoonery, 
or sensational catch-penny show device. To-day there 
are few who maintain this view, and they are the unen- 
lightened; to the vast majority of those familiar with 
the art and interested in its progress the word is sym- 
bolic of things important and far-reaching. 

Literature is literally the basic foundation upon 
which the already gigantic edifice of Picturedom has 
risen. 

Ten or twelve years ago, picture manuscripts were 
unknown office boys, clerks, camera operators, any 
one with an "idea" furnished the material from which 
motion pictures were produced. Plot was unknown, 
technique did not exist, and literary and constructive 

XXV 



3ntroDitctorp 



quality was conspicuous by its absence. But the art 
developed rapidly. It was found possible to do more 
than portray outdoor scenes of moving trains and other 
objects or simple pantomimes with exaggerated ges- 
ture a la Frangaise. Methods were discovered and 
evolved whereby powerfully dramatic scenes could be 
produced, subtlety of expression in either serious or 
humorous view could be communicated to numberless 
people their emotions played upon, laughter or tears 
evoked at will in other words, the motion picture "got 
across" just as surely as the written or spoken drama 
but without words. The Silent Drama was born. 

Classic and standard literature were then reproduced 

.in picture form Shakespeare, Dickens, Thackeray, 

| Scott, and Hugo became known to millions of people 

whose previous acquaintance with their famous names 

was either very slight or non-existing; it was at this 

stage when literature was combined with the other arts 

allied in picture production that the real impetus was 

given and the triumphant onward march of the world's 

greatest educator and entertainer commenced. 

To-day millions are invested in great industrial 
plants for the creation and manufacture of the word- 
less drama; thousands of people rely upon it as their 
maintenance and profession millions upon millions of 
men, women, and children all over the world look upon 
this form of entertainment as their principal recreation 
and, incidentally, are being unconsciously educated to 
understand and appreciate the higher forms of art and 
culture. 

Bernard Shaw says: "The great artist is he who 
goes a step beyond the demand and, by supplying 
works of a higher beauty and a higher interest than 
have yet been perceived, succeeds after a brief strug- 

xxvi 



SntroDiictorp 



gle in adding this fresh extension of sense to the heri- 
tage of the race." 

There is no doubt that the works of higher beauty 
and interest accomplished by the real artists in the 
motion-picture profession have been widely productive 
of the "extension of sense" above quoted. 

All this brings us to the practical purpose of this 
article the dissemination among those who write, the 
intelligence that a new and fruitful field is open for 
the works of their pens. The short-story writer who 
gets from one hundred to five hundred dollars for mag- 
azine stories can get a similar amount from the picture 
manufacturers ; the authors of international fame, who 
make thousands in royalties, can make thousands more 
from picture royalties and in every case, without in- 
terfering with their book or magazine rights. In fact, 
the greatest advertising a novel could receive would be 
a preliminary exhibition all over the world in pictures. 

Many of the best modern authors have already gone 
into this field, and many more will, for the day has ar- 
rived when, in addition to reproducing well-known 
plays and successful books, there is a need for big orig- 
inal features, specially written for pictorial presenta- 
tion. 

The motion picture has narrowed the field of the 
playwright, but there is another and broader pasture 
awaiting both the play and fiction writer when he has 
mastered the technique of the "Life Portrayal." 

It is the writer's belief that a gripping, compelling 
story, hitherto unknown and unpublished, properly 
picturized, and bearing the name of one of the best- 
known writers of modern fiction, would be a greater 
success artistically and financially than a revived pop- 

xxvii 



SntroDuctor?) 



ular play or "Best Seller." The words, "properly pic- 
turized," emphasized above, are significant. 

The motion-picture manufacturer stands to the au- 
thor in the position of publisher he needs you you 
need him. There are good and bad publishers you, 
whose name is an asset, would not deal with a pub- 
lisher of questionable methods ergo when seeking 
out a market for your work, deal with none but the 
highest class and best and oldest established motion- 
picture concerns. 



MOVING PICTURES AND A SANE SCHOOL 
CURRICULUM 

By J. Berg Esenwein, A.M., Ph.D. 

Editor of Lippincott's Magazine; Author of "Writing 
the Photoplay." 

Five years ago, I printed a plea for a complete mov- 
ing-picture equipment in every large school house. To- 
day the necessity is even more obvious. The men and 
women out in the doing, and not merely the theoriz- 
ing, world know that our schools are crowding the 
pupils unduly and that some drastic change is needed 
if our children are to be properly educated and yet not 
have their nervous systems shattered by the strain. 
Old John Bunyan solved the problem centuries ago 
when he placed Eye Gate side by side with Ear Gate 
as avenues to the mind we must teach less by books 
and use the moving picture for educational purposes 
more and more. 

True, educational films are not wanting, at least to 
some extent. But the next great step forward will be 

xxviii 



Sntrotwctorp 



this : Some live producing concern will gather a corps 
of experts to prepare several series of films, suited to 
the various grades, teaching the subject of geography 
from start to finish. Next, they will provide a series 
of printed lectures, clear and fascinatingly simple, to / 
to be read by the teacher while the films are showing, f 
day by day. Finally, clear and brief text-books or syl- 
labi will be prepared for the pupils, so that they may 
have before them the gist of the statements which they 
have heard in the lectures and seen attractively and 
truthfully illustrated on the screen. 

The same methods must be applied to history, with 
great pageants prepared by adequate companies to pre- 
sent notable scenes, epochs, customs, and the manner 
of life of our own and other lands in times more or 
less remote. 

Science, too, in all its phases, must use this adjunct, 
for it is possible by this new miracle of truth-record- 
ing to take the child by the hand and show him nature 
as it is, as it moves, as it changes yes, even as it pro- 
ceeds in its periods of creation, growth, and decay. 
Other subjects, too, will follow in order. 

All these things have already been done in embryo, 
but they must now be systematized and welded into a 
workable educational system, so that just as the edu- 
cational publishing houses come to the school board 
and the teacher with ready-made text-books and meth- 
ods of teaching helpfully outlined, so must the moving- 
picture producer build up the new educational system 
by preparing not alone the pictures but the accompany- 
ing lectures, lessons, text-books, and syllabi to make 
the pictures a necessity in every school room. 

One final word of prophecy: When this is accom- 
plished, geography and history and the laboratory sci- 

xxix 



SntroDuctorp 



ences will be taught not only more effectively, because 
more interestingly, but in one-half the time now re- 
quired; and then our children will have time to learn 
how to spell and cipher and read intelligently, and yet 
play as much as healthy children should. 



The tendency and influence to-day in the cinemato- 
graphic realm is undeniably for better things. 

The truly lamentable late date of its arrival is also 
undeniably due to the shortsightedness of the very men 
(this without reflection upon those who have given 
their best efforts in the past) who to-day are scram- 
bling pell-mell over each other, to embark in the very 
enterprise they so lustily berated in the not far distant 
past. Their glasses were steamed and their visions 
dimmed by breath wasted in condemning and belittling 
the new science of entertainment and instruction. 

Men who knew nothing of theatricals, but who per- 
haps only recognized quick and ready money jumped 
! in, and the stock phrase, "The worst season in years," 
came stalking in grim reality down the Rialto, up the 
stairs into the various agencies, and continued its 
march until it entered the portals of the Holy-of-Holies 
of showdom. And not until the big interests were 
handed in the language of the vernacular a nicely 
placed kick in the bank roll, did they wake up. 

Then, with one hand on the seat of the pain, they 
announced, while wildly waving the other, that they 
were about to enter the "game." It looked easy : Ac- 
quire a camera; get some "people" together; adapt 
some of the threadbare success of the dim and distant 
past; and the other fellow would be wiped out. 

XXX 







2 1 

9, ^ 

g I 
g I 



UntroDiictorp 



But the "other fellow" had, during their long spell 
of sleeping sickness, been obliged to acquire something 
of a knowledge of showmanship; so that it was only 
after the expenditure of thousands upon thousands of 
dollars, and the discarding of old manners and means 
that finally the very men that should have been the 
first to recognize the new force were able to make for 
the commendable advance that is now so evident. 

To a great extent, the splendid advancement shown 
by the various picture interests during the past year 
is largely due to the entrance of the gentlemen who 
were so late in arriving, but, having arrived, proceeded 
to make it known in their truly characteristic way. It 
it well they are here, for it means that each and all 
must bend their utmost energies to the production of 
subjects and spectacles that will, in a measure, over- 
shadow the efforts of the past. 

But of one thing all must be certain; great distinc- 
tion must be made in the method of exhibiting the va- 
rious subjects, for clap-trap and art will no more mix 
in moving pictures than upon the strictly legitimate 
stage. Striking examples of what is meant are to be 
found in those beautiful uplifting subjects, "From the 
Manger to the Cross," and "The Miracle." The exact 
methods that had tremendously enriched the coffers of 
the various manufacturers of the country, when applied 
to other productions, sounded the death-knell for these. 

One firm, gentlemen of high ideals, are, I know, 
heartsick over the manner in which one of their sub- 
jects, they so generously financed, was released for ex- 
hibition. Not from a monetary standpoint, but from 
the fact that their admirable effort to give something 



SntroDtmorp 



of sterling merit, was so foully butchered in the hands 
of those apparently utterly devoid of discerning the 
difference of placing a biblical subject as against a 
"Give-me-the-papers" melodrama. 

The subject in question involved the traveling of 
thousands of miles by a large company of artists, much 
laborious research, and a continuous movement 
through an arid inhospitable country, to the exact, or 
legendary spots in which the events in the life of the 
Savior, as we know them, were enacted. 

Be it understood that in Great Britain, so well were 
the requirements for managing this masterpiece in a 
reverential and dignified way understood, that not only 
did the press and pulpit take it up and almost unani- 
mously advise their hearers to see it, but it was, and is 
now, a common occurrence for a minister of the gos- 
pel to ask, or to be asked, to open the exhibition with 
prayer. And yet this work, a year or more after re- 
lease date, has yet to be seen upon the screen in many 
of the larger cities of the United States. 

If such elevating and worthy subjects as these, with 
their great adaptation for the betterment of all man- 
kind, cannot be successfully put before the masses in 
this country, then the influence of the motion picture 
is woefully hampered by a stagnation of ideas relative 
to the handling of them. 

But undoubtedly there are men, comparatively new- 
comers, upon whom we may depend to show the keen, 
and judicious foresight requisite in placing before the 
public in a masterly manner the various productions, 
in a way peculiar to their needs. 

Those who have their ears to the ground know full 
xxxii 




ON THE GREAT LYBIAN DESERT, UPPER EGYPT 




TAKEN NEAR LUXOR, UPPER EGYPT 

Produced by Sidney Olcott in Egypt 



SntroDuctorp 



well that the cry is for better things, and that the in- 
fluence of the motion picture is a wonderful and ab- 
sorbing thing, unlimited, and, as yet, unharnessed. 

SIDNEY OLCOTT. 



THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE 
FEATURE FILM 

By Alexander Lichtman 

When I look back upon the birth of the feature mo- 
tion picture, I am impressed by two fascinating facts: 
First, its humble inception, and, secondly, its phenome- 
nal evolution for growth is too inferior a word. It 
was both my fortune and sorrow to be connected with 
the exploitation of the first pretentious feature film 
ever exhibited in America "Dante's Inferno." At that 
time, a feature was an extraordinary thing feared by 
most exhibitors with almost a superstitious dread, and 
ridiculed by others as an impossible film freak. The 
picture went out, and if it did not do much more, it 
convinced the trade that a great and unexplored field 
lay waiting for the more enterprising and alert manu- 
facturers, some of whom there were even in those 
benighted days. 

From those days to the conception and inauguration 
of the Famous Players Film Co., of which I became 
Sales Manager, dates the entire history of the fea- 
ture film. That concern not only systematically organ- 
ized the feature-film market of America, but created 
two innovations simultaneously the release of a regu- 
lar program of features, and the presentation of famous 
plays and celebrated stars in motion pictures. I cov- 

xxxiii 



Suttoouaorg 



ered the country with our dual asset; exhibitors were 
slow to see its advantages, exchange men were skepti- 
cal and cautious ; but to-day the feature film represents 
two-thirds of the total activities of the film industry. 

There is some talk extant as to the possible early 
demise of the feature film; there is no more logic in 
this theory than *^re was in the equally general state- 
ment some time ago that the motion picture is already 
an eternal institution, part of life ; and the feature will 
always remain an integral and important factor in the 
production and exhibition of motion pictures. 

However, in the future the feature film will not be 
exploited in the haphazard manner that has marked its 
past development. Its future will depend more upon 
sound business principles than brilliant theories. It 
will be booked in ways similar in method to vaudeville 
and theatrical customs. 



xxxiv 



THE THEATRE OF SCIENCE 



The Theatre of Science 

CHAPTER I 

Probably the crude pioneer production of motion 
photography with optical illusion was the childhood 
picture device of half a century ago, called "Zoetrope," 
or "Wheel of Life." In 1876 "Praxinoscope," an in- 
vention of the Frenchman Reynard, was really based 
upon the "Zoetrope" apparatus, but a cloth screen was 
used on the stage and a limelight lantern was a part of 
the equipment. Both of these primitive productions 
are entitled to be recorded here because of their in- 
fluence with later inventors, each of whom it seems 
added something new and constructive up to the time 
when the Lumiere Cinematograph came forth at 
Keith's Union Square Theatre, in July, 1896, when the 
real history of moving pictures began to write itself. 

Eadward Muybridge in 1871-72, at the suggestion of 
Governor Leland Stanford, made countless negatives 
of the famous trotter, "Occident," on the governor's 
race track in Oakland, Cal. "Occident" was the pride 
of the governor's heart, and he had Muybridge photo- 
graph the mare in every conceivable form. The story 
is that Muybridge placed 2 cameras along the track 




Cfte C&eatre 



^^A in. a row to prove that a horse has always one 

^^ on the ground when trotting very-iast. To demon- 
strate this Muybridge took a series of snapshots. The 
threads stretching across the track were broken by 
the mare as she went past them, each thread releas- 
ing the spring of a camera, thus making countless neg- 
atives which when riffled with the thumb revealed the 
horse practically in motion. 

It appears to be an accepted fact that Muybridge's 
achievement was the basis for the inventions that first 
produced motion pictures ; in fact, the Oakland experi- 
ment was widely heralded and attracted the attention 
of the great animal painter, Meissonier, who saw the 
Muybridge photographs through the courtesy of Gov- 
ernor Stanford, who was then in Paris on a visit. These 
photographs were first inspected individually, then by 
means of a spooler wheel (practically an adaptation of 
the "Zoetrope"), were whirled into motion, practically 
becoming a moving picture. 

t All the photograph experts of the world were soon 
"on" to the possibilities. In England Acres, Greene, 
Paul, Evans, etc. In France, Lumiere Freres, Dr. E. 
J. Marey and others "got busy." 

Dr. Marey in 1882 invented what he called a "pho- 
tographic gun," and with it studied the flight of birds. 
In England in 1885 W. E. Greene had a public display 
of figures in motion, photographically, and so great was 
the crowd in front of the windows of his Piccadilly 
store that the police forced Greene to take the novel 
exhibit out of the windows. 

Dr. Marey's camera was unquestionably the lead to 
the latter-day cameras. Sebert, Soret (of Geneva), and 
Anschiitz (of Berlin) improved upon it. Anschutz's 
improvement was called "the Tachyscope," and it was 



of Science 



exhibited in London on the Strand near Chancery Lane 
for a short period, but to no profit. 

In all these_efforts to perfect motion photography, 
the inventors were baffled by the necessary use of 
glass plates. Gelatine was tried, then grease-proof 
paper, and a gelatine emulsion. Reverend Dr. Hanni- 
bal Goodwin (whose part in the evolution of moving 
pictures is the subject of another chapter) came upon 
the scene in 1887; but before that George Eastman in 
1885, aided and abetted by his colleague, Walker, 
evolved a flexible film that several years later was 
utilized by Thomas A. Edison for his primitive "Kinet- 
oscope." 

The Kinetoscope got into its first stride about 1893 
(World's Fair year). It was, of course, a penny-in- 
the-slot machine (though a nickel was charged in Chi- 
cago, where the writer first had a "peep"). One saw 
the moving photographs quite crudely, yet it is not 
likely that the Wizard of Menlo Park was much im- 
pressed at that time with the possibilities of the in- 
vention which, it must be recorded, was the first actual 
demonstration of motion photography for profit in 
America. 

For one thing, the subjects depicted in the slot ma- 
chines were often suggestive, and if there is one Edison 
policy more insistent than another it is a demand for 
clean subjects; hence it is thought now that Edison 
did not in 1893 foresee the vogue of moving pictures; 
in fact, he told the writer as recently as four years ago 
that the reason he did not take out a patent for Great 
Britain was because he had no idea that the pictures 
would become a craze at the time the Kinetoscope was 
first revealed. 

The Kinetoscope, while attracting worldwide pro- 



Cfje Cfteatte 



fessional interest, made no important impression on 
the larger public; its use was confined to the penny 
arcades, but for these it was indeed a profitable mag- 
net. Moreover, not a few of the present-day million- 
aires in the amusement world, such as Marcus Loew, 
were first drawn into the moving-picture field which 
has so enriched them by the financial results attending 
the exploitation of the primitive Edison device in penny 
arcades. 

Many foreign inventors were in Chicago, exhibiting 
their wares during the fair. Among these were two 
Greeks, who told Robert W. Paul about the Kineto- 
scope, that they had purchased a machine and intended 
to use it in a penny arcade. Paul was in London when 
they reported to him that he (Paul) should investi- 
gate its possibilities for improvement. Paul found that 
he could duplicate the Kinetoscope without patent in- 
terference, and this he quickly proceeded to do; but 
the public failed to respond. 

It is now a question of close figuring as to who was 
first in the field with real moving pictures exhibited in 
auditoriums in the manner that has since revolution- 
ized public entertainment. Mr. Talbot, in his volume, 
"How Moving Pictures Are Made," of which I read 
reviews in the trade press, claims that in the early 
months of 1895, Paul and his fellow mechanics ran a 
real moving-picture film 40 feet long and produced a 
picture seven feet square. Newspaper records show 
that in February, 1896, Paul's apparatus (then called 
the Theatrograph, and later the Animatograph) was 
first publicly demonstrated at Finsbury, England, at 
the Technical College. 

On February 28, 1896, it was again shown in the li- 
brary of the Royal Institution. The film shown in- 



of Science 



eluded "A Rough Sea at Dover," and "A Shoe Black 
at Work in a London Street." The late Sir Augustus 
Harris (one of the greatest showmen of the nineteenth 
century) heard of Paul's success and at once booked 
his exhibition for the London Olympia, where it 
opened on March 25, 1896. 

Meanwhile, Edison, of Orange, N. J., and the Lumi- 
eres, of Paris, were not idle. As recorded in previous 
volumes, the Latham Eidoloscope and the Edison Vita- 
scope, two faulty yet vastly superior to the Kineto- 
scope devices, were first exhibited at Keith's Phila- 
delphia Vaudeville Theatre under the management of 
Phillip F. Nash, now an officer of the United Booking 
Offices. Although the Edison films attracted the pub- 
lic fairly well in Philadelphia, there was little demand 
for either machine, and in the same year (theatrical 
season of 1895-96) the writer saw at Koster & Bial's, in 
New York (present site of Macy's stores) a still fur- 
ther development of the Edison device, again called 
"The Vitascope." 

The pictures as shown on the screen were of about 
one minute's duration; bulky, proportionless, and so 
imperfect photographically that wholly apart from the 
almost intolerable flickers there was considerable re- 
sentment expressed in the press, and it was here that 
"the chaser" became a byword with vaudeville people 
as meaning that the films were calculated to drive the 
audience out of the theatre when an exodus was de- 
sirable. 

While Paul was developing his many-titled appara- 
tus, the Lumieres coincidentally, it is claimed, were 
laboring along the same lines. It is hard to say 
whether the French firm and the Englishman were 
being "tipped off" to each other's activities. When Sir 



C&c Cfreatre 



Augustus Harris was negotiating with Paul, he told 
Paul that he had heard of a similar machine in Paris. 
Paul expressed profound surprise. 

The Lumieres' invention was called the Cinemato- 
graph, and the exhibition resulting from the outset of 
its advent as an amusement attraction was hailed ev- 
erywhere as a genuine sensation. It was simpler, more 
accurate, and immeasurably more scientific than Paul's 
Animatograph. The latter had easily scored a popular 
success, both at the Olympia and the Alhambra in Lon- 
don before the Lumieres' Cinematograph was revealed 
to an astonished London audience at the Regent Street 
Polytechnic under the direction of Herr Trewey, in 
April, 1896. 

Trewey will be recalled by many readers of this vol- 
ume as a famous impersonator and shadowgrapher, 
who even in the late 80's was accorded as high as $700 
a week in the variety theatres of this country. It was 
Trewey's photographic instinct that drew him to inves- 
tigate the merits of the existing apparatus, and he cast 
his fortunes with the Lumiere invention unhesitating- 
ly, securing the English concession. 

The Lumiere machine, as far as I am able to discover 
through diligent inquiry while abroad, was utilized for 
exhibitions in Paris stores (where auditoriums seating 
about 200 persons were constructed) several months 
before Paul gave his first London exhibit. I do not 
know how Thomas A. Edison felt when the cables her- 
alded the commercial success that the foreigners had 
made with the Wizard's practically discarded Kineto- 
scope as the basis for their achievements, but undoubt- 
edly he was now aware of the importance of his own 
invention, for it was after the London news of Paul 
and Lumiere's triumph that the Vitascope was intro- 



cience 



duced, as previously stated, in Philadelphia and New 
York. 

News of the photographic excellence of the Cinemat- 
ograph was first fully made known to American show- 
men through that always authoritative publication, the 
"London Era." A studious reader of this weekly the- 
atrical paper was J. Austin Fynes, a man who did for 
vaudeville more than he has ever been credited with 
and to whom I honestly believe is due the greater cred- 
it for what his influence was in introducing moving 
pictures to the New York public with fine discernment, 
rare showmanship, and a complete grasp of what the 
attraction really signified. 

The many now wealthy magnates of the film indus- 
try probably have never given men like J. Austin 
Fynes, his brother "Jack" (peace to his ashes!), and 
John J. Murdock, a second thought when as a result 
of their pioneer efforts in different stages of the de- 
velopment the trail was blazed for those who could see 
the road to fame and fortune. 

When Fynes read the eulogistic report in the "Era" 
based upon the triumph of the Cinematograph in Lon- 
don, he was intensely interested. Fynes was then the 
manager of the Union Square Theatre. He had seen 
the primitive exhibits in the Keith Theatre in Phila- 
delphia, and believed that in the Cinematograph a tre- 
mendous permanent attraction might be obtainable for 
the Keith houses. 

In the light of after years' development, and the vast 
influence of the Cinematograph in the amusement field 
in America, it is of importance to state here that Fynes 
bethought himself to dispatch a lengthy cablegram to 
Lumiere Freres at their Lyons factory, and it so 
happened that the late B. F. Keith was on the eve of 



8 C6e C&eatre 

sailing for a long pleasure tour abroad, and as he board- 
ed the steamer he was handed by a messenger in Keith 
uniform a letter from Fynes, in which the facts relat- 
ing to both Paul's and Lumiere's machines were set 
forth, with the suggestion that the French invention 
appeared to be the best and could probably be seen 
personally by Keith on his arrival in Paris. 

Keith did see not only the Lumiere machine and its 
producing capacity, but he went to London to see 
Paul's also. Keith discovered that the Lumieres had 
already sold the American rights to W. B. Hurd, and 
that the latter had just sailed from Liverpool for New 
York to arrange for the exploitation of the novel at- 
traction. Incidentally, it is of interest to state that 
while Keith was interviewing the Lumieres and Paul, 
Harry Brunelle, then as now F. F. Proctor's booking 
agent, was on the ground in Europe; but the story is 
that Brunelle got a wrong "tip" which took him to 
Berlin. 

Keith cabled to Fynes that Hurd was on the ocean, 
and Fynes met the steamer. The well-known se- 
crecy with which the Keith business procedure is con- 
ducted was never so effectively enforced as in this in- 
stance, the result being that after a demonstration by 
Hurd, Fynes signed a contract by which a weekly pay- 
ment of $350 was granted to Hurd for each theatre in 
which the Cinematograph was exhibited. This was, in 
fact, the inauguration of the moving pictures as a the- 
atrical attraction of importance, taking place in July, 
1896. 

At this time the writer had just returned from Eu- 
rope, where he had been exploiting Loie Fuller, the 
dancer, and it was my wont to visit Fynes almost daily, 
also attending the performances at the Union Square 



f 1 1 e n c e 



as frequently as twice a week; hence I am enabled to 
state authoritatively the comparative effect of the Cine- 
matograph on the Keith patronage, which up to this 
time was only fair a weekly gross of $3,500 constitut- 
ing the average at the box office. 

But as a result of what was the best conducted ad- 
vertising campaign I had ever observed, the Cinemato- 
graph opened to capacity, selling out three times the 
first day. Fynes was in sole charge of the campaign, 
and the money he spent for newspaper advertising and 
the Patti-Bernhardt manner in which he heralded the 
new attraction attracted the attention of showmen all 
over the country. The general impression at the time 
was that Fynes' advance confidence in the Cinemato- 
graph and the high-grade exploitation of it for months 
afterward entitled him to almost as much credit as was 
naturally given to the Lumieres alone. 

In a rapid space of time the Cinematograph was 
placed in nearly all of the vaudeville theatres of this 
country. The happy possessor of the American rights, 
W. B. Kurd, had acquired quickly a small fortune ; but 
he was not a showman, and eventually he lost the con- 
fidence of the Lumieres. 

Things began to happen now, though even in the 
face of the Union Square Theatre increasing its weekly 
gross receipts from $3,500 to $7,000 a week, no real 
craze developed. The photography was excellent, but 
the films were not extremely interesting, usually mili- 
tary evolutions and "the chase." Yet I can say that 
the effect of moving pictures then on the public was 
truly remarkable. Would that the illusions achieved 
eighteen years ago were yet the same! The truth is 
that many persons believed that if they would go back 
on the stage they would see those depicted on the 



Cfte Ci)eatte 



screen (in the flesh). Perhaps even to-day this view is 
not wholly eliminated, but the ill-advised release of 
films "showing how moving pictures are made," as 
described elsewhere in the volume, is calculated to de- 
stroy more than one cherished illusion of the moving- 
picture patron. 

Shortly after the Union Square Theatre success, 
Rich G. Hollaman, of the Eden Musee, a man whose 
name will be written high in film history, came upon 
the scene, establishing in the Musee Auditorium a the- 
atre where hourly exhibitions of moving pictures were 
offered. This was seventeen years ago; yet save on 
Sundays there has not been a day in all these years that 
this policy has been deviated from. Hollaman called 
his machine the Cinematograph, though it was not the 
Lumiere device which was used there all these years. 

To this day the Eden Musee continues to exploit the 
Cinematograph, though the idea is that this is the 
American machine of that name. But the truth is that 
Hollaman had in his employ practically from the out- 
set Edwin S. Porter and Francis B. Cannock, the two 
greatest American operators of that day, and perhaps 
of to-day also; though both have become famous and 
potent in the industry, as related in another chapter. 

Porter and Cannock, in association with Hollaman, 
in 1910-11 introduced the Simplex machine, and all 
three have made a great success of the enterprise. 

As for the Eden Musee, it is held to-day among the 
higher grade film interests as about the very last word 
in the presentation of moving pictures, and Richard 
Hollaman's influence otherwise has been wholly up- 
lifting, he being invariably the first to undertake ex- 
periments with educational films and persistently giv- 
ing his time and contributing financially to altruistic 




EDWIN S. PORTER 
Technical Director Famous Players Film Co. 

One of the Great Geniuses of an All-compelling New Art 



of Science 



and public-spirited enterprises wherein co-operation of 
the money-mad interests of the industry was entirely 
lacking. 

The Cinematograph (Lumiere's) remained at Keith's 
theatres for a prolonged run, during which period the 
Edison Company came forth with a vastly improved 
machine (the Vitascope being absolutely unrecogniz- 
able in the newer production) . Oddly enough, the new 
Edison apparatus was called the Kinetoscope, the name 
given to the slot-machine device. 

It was about the same time that the new Kineto- 
scope was placed on the market that the American 
Biograph was brought to Keith's to succeed the Cine- 
matograph. The Biograph was the invention of Her- 
mann Casler, of Canastota, N. Y. Associated with Cas- 
ler was Henry N. Marvin, now one of the big factors 
in the industry, and the first film magnate to become 
a box holder in the Metropolitan Opera House. 

The Biograph created a perfect furore. To this day, 
save for the newly discovered advances which the cam- 
era man has gradually fallen heir to, no better projec- 
tion than that accomplished with the Casler machine 
sixteen years ago has been witnessed. Immediately the 
Biograph became the most compelling attraction avail- 
able to showmen. Yet the price charged for the serv- 
ice kept dwindling until $50 to $75 a week was gladly 
accepted. 

It was discovered, too, that the Biograph as origi- 
nally conceived was not adaptable to "commercial" 
work, and the mechanism and the productions were 
greatly altered for a readier service. 

And now came a lull for more than three years. In 
the vaudeville theatres the moving pictures lost their 
vogue. It is only a truth to state that they were used 



12 C&e Cfjeatre 

as "the chaser," between 1898 and 1900, and it was 
quite common for the films to be placed on the pro- 
gram unexpectedly when the crowds awaiting an en- 
trance were overwhelming. The very sight of the now 
magic sheet was the signal for an exodus. 

In many theatres the pictures were put on last on 
the bill. The effect of this policy was to be observed 
in the Corporal's Guard remaining for their exhibition. 
The vaudeville managers in those days were more re- 
luctant than now to "can" (cancel) performers. In- 
stead, the punishment meted out to them was to be 
placed on the bill "after the pictures," a degrading dis- 
tinction which served to humiliate and cheapen the un- 
fortunate ones in fact, to be relegated to "follow the 
pictures" was regarded as even more injurious to the 
artists than to be programmed for the "Supper Show," 
a relic of the days of the continuous performance, now 
practically extinct. 

In the early days of photography, of which moving 
pictures are only a branch, some abortive attempts 
were made to produce animated pictures on glass 
plates. It was therefore recognized at the start that 
success was to be achieved only with a thin, reliable, 
transparent, continuous strip, which would carry the 
photographic image, both negative and positive in 
other words, a flexible, endless belt substitute for glass. 
Manufacturers worked very assiduously to obtain such 
a photographic support, and photographic societies all 
over the world offered prizes and encouragement to 
stimulate discovery and invention in that line, but with- 
out success. Shaved celluloid was experimented with, 
but celluloid, or parkesine, as it was first called, would 
not do. Skin formed by flowing regular photographic 



of science 13 

collodion (nitrocellulose dissolved in ether and alcohol) 
was an utter failure. 

In 1887 there appeared on the scene a stalwart, 
white-haired, erect, unassuming American clergyman, 
by name Hannibal Goodwin, of the House of Prayer, 
Newark, N. J., claiming that he had discovered the 
much-prized secret. He proved it conclusively to Mr. 
Washington Irving Adams, of the Scovill & Adams 
Company, pioneer manufacturers of photo supplies, and 
to Dr. Charles Ehrmann, head chemist of the com- 
pany. Dr. Goodwin's film was not celluloid, neither 
was it photographic collodion skin; yet it was both, 
plus something that no one else had ever been able to 
discover. This fine distinction did not help Dr. Good- 
win in the Patent Office, and he did not improve his 
chances very much either by submitting samples of 
his product to different photographic manufacturers 
prior to his claims being allowed by the Patent Office. 
The Goodwin application encountered untold vicissi- 
tudes in the Patent Office, not the least of which was 
an interference proceedings with Reichenbach, the 
chemist for the Eastman Kodak Company. The Reich- 
enbach-Eastman application did not reach the Patent 
Office until long after Goodwin filed his claim. Nev- 
ertheless, he was deprived of his patent for eleven 
years; indeed, to get his patent issued at all, he was 
forced to appeal to the Examiners-in-Chief, who unan- 
imously decided in favor of the Goodwin application. 

The United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Judges 
Lacombe, Coxe and Ward sitting, in its opinion af- 
firming the decree of Judge Hazel for the District 
Court of the United States, made this sad commentary : 
"Truly an extraordinary and deplorable condition of 
affairs! But who was to blame for it Goodwin, or 



Cbe C&eatre 



the five examiners who improperly deprived him of 
his rights during these eleven years?" 

When Goodwin finally got his patent, he had ex- 
hausted his small financial resources, as well as those 
of his friends. It was then that the Ansco Company, 
through its predecessors, came to the rescue of Good- 
win's rights. The result was the Ansco-Goodwin film, 
made by the Goodwin Film & Camera Company, and 
marketed by the Ansco Company. The Goodwin Com- 
pany thereupon entered suit for infringement against 
the Eastman Kodak Company on December 15, 1902, 
and it took ten years and eight months to take testi- 
mony and secure a first decision in the District Court. 
The delay was not due to the District Court, which did 
its duty by according swift justice as evidenced by 
the decision of Judge Hazel but to the taking of testi- 
mony. The decision of Judge Hazel in favor of the 
Goodwin patent was shortly afterward affirmed by the 
United States Circuit Court of Appeals. 

The Eastman Kodak Company has made a settle- 
ment after these twenty-six long years of litigation. 
The substantial cash payment made by the Eastman 
Kodak Company is in lieu of past damages, and covers 
a license permitting them to continue to manufacture 
cartridge films, pack films, and moving picture films 
under the Goodwin patent and process. In other 
words, this settlement which raises the widow of the 
Rev. Hannibal Goodwin a woman past eighty-six: 
years from a position of comparative poverty to one 
of affluence, also permits the Eastman Kodak Company 
to manufacture film under the Goodwin patent and 
without infringing the rights of eit^r +V Goodwm 
Film & Camera Company or the Ansco Company. 

To give an idea of how impossible it is to manufac- 




THE LATE REVEREND HANNIBAL GOODWIN 

Who after twenty-six years of litigation, succeeding his demise, is accredited as the genius 
who solved the greatest problem in the evolution of moving pictures 



of Science 



ture a film that does not infringe the Goodwin patent 
and process, I quote from the decision of the United 
States Circuit Court of Appeals : 

"Claim 10 covers the film support as a new article 
of manufacture, and the other claims cover the process 
by which the pellicle is produced. 

"An examination of the first claim will demonstrate 
sufficiently the various steps of the Goodwin process 
for making a transparent, flexible, photographic film 
pellicle. These are: 

"1. Dissolving nitrocellulose in a menstruum con- 
taining a hygroscopic and a non-hygroscopic element, 
the latter being of itself a solvent of nitrocellulose and 
of slower volatility than the former. 

"2. Spreading such solution upon a supporting sur- 
face. 

"3. Allowing it to set, dry, and harden by evapora- 
tion. 

"4. Spreading a photographic, sensitive solution on 
the hardened film. 

"5. Drying the film." 

It is well to bear in mind that the user, the seller, 
as well as the manufacturer of an infringing article, 
are liable for damages. 

The Eastman film, in view of the settlement, and the 
cash payment made by the Eastman Kodak Company 
covering a license under the Goodwin patent, is as 
free of any question of infringement of said patent as 
is the Ansco film, manufactured by the Goodwin Film 
& Camera Co., that has always been, and is the owner 
of the Goodwin patent. 

Here we have the amazing spectacle of justice re- 
tarded for many years but finally demonstrating its re- 
lentless force. The Ansco Film Company's part in the 



Cfte Cfieane 



future of the industry is indicated by announcements 
in trade issues wherein a policy insistently demanding 
respect for its legal rights has been proclaimed. A few 
days after the settlement with the Eastman Company a 
dividend of 100 per cent, on the capital stock, involving 
nearly two million dollars, was declared by the Ansco 
Company. 



Indirectly due to the activities of Archie L. Shepard 
and William J. Gane, who were financed in their New 
York City operations by Felix Isman, the "Nicolet," 
or five-cent store theatre, came into being, and this 
was a movement inaugurated in 1905-06 with an im- 
petus so vigorous that to attempt to point out the 
pioneers will naurally cause much contradiction; 
nevertheless, the writer is enabled to recite this all- 
important phase of the camera man's progress with 
such accuracy and fairness as the complex character of 
the innovation permits. 

"Big Bill" Steiner claims there were "Store" theatres 
nineteen years ago where motion pictures were exhib- 
ited. He conducted one himself in Chicago in 1902. 
William T. Rock claims that he conducted one in New 
Orleans in 1896, but the big movement began in 1905. 

The "Store" theatre, where a continuous show of 
moving pictures was presented at a five-cent admission 
price, as far as can be ascertained from careful re- 
search, was first launched in England, where T. J. West 
is credited with extensive operations as early as 1904. 
Moreover, returning Americans stated to the writer 
that in Berlin an industrious "Yankee" whose name 
now escapes me was operating a chain of confection- 
ery stores in which moving-picture shows were given 




FELIX ISMAN 



The first to invest his capital in Exclusively Moving 
Picture Theatres in New York City and Philadelphia 



of Science 17 

in the ice cream parlors, with tables and chairs suf- 
ficient to accommodate two hundred patrons. One had 
to purchase what was called a "refreshment check" 
costing one mark before entrance to the parlors was 
permitted. 

In July, 1904, the writer made a fast trip abroad, 
going and returning on the same steamer. While wait- 
ing for a train at Shrewsbury, England, I took a stroll 
with Mrs. Grau, when it occurred to us that it would 
be well to telephone to Madame Patti (where we were 
to spend two days at her Craig-y-Nos castle in Wales) 
of our safe arrival. Entering what appeared to be a 
restaurant, we were confronted by the unusual sight 
of by no means inferior moving pictures flashed on the 
screen while the guests were dining. No admission 
price was charged, and there was a large platform 
near the entrance where non-diners could stand with- 
out being obliged to purchase any food. 

Herbert Miles of the Miles Brothers of New York 
and California (one of the earliest moving-picture con- 
cerns in the country and active factors in every phase 
of the industry almost from the outset of the evolution) 
was operating vaudeville theatres in the far West in 
1905, and it is certain that he was one of the first in 
the field in that part of the country to run a nickel 
store show. 

In 1906 Harry Davis of Pittsburg, one of the pio- 
neers of vaudeville as we know it to-day, who has been 
first invariably to launch novelties in the entertainment 
line in that city, discovered that he had an unused por- 
tion of the ground floor of one of his playhouses on a 
main street, and he constructed there a bijou audito- 
rium with what is believed to have been the forerun- 
ner of the "Nicolet," in that nearly all of the thou- 



Cfte Cfteatte 



sands of store theatres that came afterward were ap- 
parently modeled after Davis' unique idea. It is also 
worthy of note that the financial success of the Davis 
innovation was so great that it awakened the vaudeville 
managers of the country to the necessity of entering 
this new field in one way or another, or else be con- 
fronted with endless competition, for vaudeville in that 
day was not yet given at high admission prices. 

In February, 1906, J. Austin Fynes, in association 
with Charles S. Kline, opened at No. 35 West 125th 
Street the first "Nickelet" picture show in New York 
City. Kline had previously (July, 1905) operated a 
five-cent "store" show in Paterson, N. J. Both Fynes 
and Kline admit that they got their idea from Harry 
Davis' success in Pittsburgh, and Fynes frankly told 
the writer that he personally went to Pittsburgh at the 
suggestion of the late B. F. Keith (for whom he was 
then acting in a confidential capacity) to look over the 
Davis place. 

The "Nickelet" or "Nicolet" (as both titles were 
used) was an instantaneous success. Fynes with char- 
acteristic generosity spread the good news widely 
among showmen by opening the first "Nicolets" in 
New Haven, Jersey City, and in The Bronx. These 
were all rather pretentious places of their kind, and 
until the regular theatres were utilized a well-conduct- 
ed Nicolet, even with a 300-seat limit as to capacity, 
was easily good for $200 to $350 a week profit. 

Marcus Loew, William Fox, and Sol Brill, of Moss 
& Brill, were among the earliest to enter the "Nicolet" 
field. Loew was operating penny arcades in 1905-06, 
and interested in slot-machine parlors in New York, 
Cincinnati, and Covington, Ky. He had a penny ar- 
cade diagonally opposite to Fynes' Moving Picture 



of Science 



"Nicolet" on West 125th Street, and Loew observed 
that the crowds that were wont to come to his place to 
spend their coppers were flocking "en masse" to the 
"Nicolet" across the street. 

Within a month Loew dismantled all of his penny 
arcades and transformed them into moving-picture 
shows, with the auditoriums a little more commodi- 
ous than those first in the field. Success was truly 
remarkable. Loew saw a great future for himself, and 
he began to expand in every direction. The first big 
move he made was to organize the People's Amuse- 
ment Company. Adolph Zukor was heavily interested 
in film shows, the latter having prospered with his 
store shows the same as Loew. Then followed the 
Marcus Loew Theatre Movement, which converted al- 
most instantaneously a half dozen or more of New 
York's unsuccessful playhouses into gold-laden tem- 
ples of the silent drama. The career of Marcus Loew 
is beyond doubt the most extraordinary in the history 
of the theatre. Six years ago he was unknown. To- 
day he is the actual head in sole control of the largest 
number of theatres, most of which he owns outright, 
that were ever under one management. In 1914 Loew 
purchased the twenty-seven theatres owned by Sulli- 
van & Considine, the deal involving several millions. 

But Marcus Loew's success is not altogether due to 
opportunity, rather is it to be attributed to a dominat- 
ing yet ingratiating personality and the gift of creating 
capable executives in the first place and rewarding 
them as they have shown capacity. These qualities 
explain the amazingly meteoric careers of the brothers 
Schenk and David Bernstein, who six years ago joined 
Loew at a clerk's salary. All three are to-day wealthy, 
with annual incomes of prodigious proportions. Yet 



20 Cfie Cfteatre 

they will admit this condition is due to Loew's gener- 
osity and appreciation; but Loew does not look at it 
that way. He feels that he has been wholly justified in 
granting to his loyal aids everything he has meted out 
to them, and states further that he would gladly wel- 
come a few more Schenks and Bernsteins. 

William Fox was a performer of the kind who 
fifteen to twenty years ago were wont to "play dates" 
in the vicinity of East 14th Street (the locale where 
Fox made moving-picture history a few years after- 
ward). I recall when the late Cliff Gordon and Fox 
were prime favorites in Clarendon Hall on East 13th 
Street, where, under the name of Schmaltz Brothers, 
they commanded a weekly honorarium of $25 jointly. 
Fox is credited with opening the first "store" theatre 
in Brooklyn. Also he is believed to have been the first 
to combine moving pictures and vaudeville in the man- 
ner that became the foundation for the prosperous 
chains of theatres all over the country with a similar 
policy. 

Fox at one time had three large playhouses on East 
14th Street, all presenting moving pictures, with a 
combined rental for the three of about $200,000 annu- 
ally. To-day his activities are almost beyond calcula- 
tion. Besides a score or more playhouses, some of which 
he erected in the last three years, Fox is at the head of 
film companies galore, and is about as great a factor 
in the industry from its manufacturing and distribut- 
ing sides as from the exhibiting. 

Fox and Brill, like many more successful film mag- 
nates of to-day, hailed from New York's East Side. 
The two were originally partners when both began 
operations, but later Fox, like Loew, decided to go it 



, 




NICHOLAS M. SCHENCK 

General Manager Loew's Theatrical 
Enterprises 




JOSEPH M. SCHENCK 

General Manager Loew's Booking 




MARCUS LOEW AT WORK 



of Science 21 

alone. It was then that the firm of Moss & Brill was 
formed. 

It was "Jack" Fynes now passed away who first 
saw the importance of moving pictures as a vital part 
of the programs of the vaudeville theatres, and it was 
by intelligent handling of the F. F. Proctor houses with 
this policy that eventually determined the firm of Keith 
& Proctor (now separated) to give an entire program 
of pictures at the 23d Street Proctor house, where 
"Jack" Fynes' methods were so productive financially 
that the Union Square followed suit, and in short order 
both Keith and Proctor individually and as a firm re- 
duced their vaudeville commitments and enlarged and 
expanded their moving-picture operations, with a final 
result so successful that it is conceded that a large por- 
tion of the Keith and Proctor fortunes is due to the 
camera man and his productivity. 



22 Cfte Cfteatre 



CHAPTER II 

While a single volume is wholly inadequate to re- 
veal the scope and immensity of an industry which, 
while the work is in process of preparation, is expand- 
ing to overwhelming proportions, the author hopes to 
present as typical illustrations of the general progress 
in film institutions, a description of those representa- 
tive organizations which inaugurated their activities 
in the earliest days of motion picture exploitation, and 
of these the Vitagraph Company of America is, indeed, 
a remarkable example. 

Starting, like many others, exploiting merely its ap- 
paratus, it is but fair to state that following the vogue 
of the Cinematograph and Biograph, and before the 
period when every vaudeville theatre was wont to give 
its own name to the projecting machine, the Vitagraph 
was in more general use, at least in the East and 
North, than any of the countless 'graphs and 'scopes 
which for nearly ten years were exploited in theatres, 
museums and wherever public entertainment was a 
factor, and long after the period when players from the 
regular stage entered the studios and changed the en- 
tire output on the screen, the Vitagraph was still feat- 




I! 



< g 

& .2 



t>f Science 23 

ured in the best Metropolitan vaudeville theatres; in 
fact, I believe that Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre did 
not cease to exploit the Vitagraph as a regular number 
on its programs until long after the advent of photo- 
plays. 

The growth of the Vitagraph organization is but a 
tribute to the prolonged team work of three pioneers, 
Messrs. Blackton, Rock and Smith. The former I re- 
call in the early days of refined vaudeville, when he 
came forth with an artistic offering clearly over the 
heads of the vaudeville patrons of that day. Rock 
was one of the very first to go about the country ex- 
hibiting motion pictures in halls, stores and tents; as 
early as 1896, when the Cinematograph was astonish- 
ing New Yorkers at Keith's, Rock was coining money 
in New Orleans. A little later in New England, so 
the story goes, Rock affiliated with the local manager 
of a small town "op'ry house." The two did not get on 
long together. The local manager could not see any 
future in exhibiting films, so he went back to the town 
where he had his "op'ry house," and Rock, possessing 
the showmanship instinct, determined to go it alone, 
while the "op'ry house" manager, when last heard of, 
was yet in his native town, though the lure of the 
camera was so persistent that he abandoned the stage 
and, like hundreds of others, solved the problem of at- 
tracting his public by the now-accepted mode, which 
has converted more than ninety per cent, of New Eng- 
land's regular playhouses into dividend-paying insti- 
tutions. But Rock looked longingly on the big me- 
tropolis. His two years of exhibiting about the 
country had not only enriched him beyond all expecta- 
tions, but had convinced him that the time was ripe to 



24 Cfte Cfaeatte 

enter the manufacturing side of the industry on a 
large scale. 

In the meantime, Messrs. Blackton and Smith, who 
had been lyceum entertainers from 1894 to 1896, were 
interested in moving pictures in a small way. Both 
were experienced along lines which enabled the two 
to grasp the opportunity that they felt was clearly 
at hand. Albert A. Smith, like J. Stuart Blackton, was 
something of an artist, much interested in photog- 
raphy, electricity and mechanics, and as several pro- 
jecting machines, mostly inferior, were already on the 
market, Smith was emboldened to build a machine that 
would project pictures on the sheet. This, he con- 
fesses, was crude ; so to hasten his plan, Smith acquired 
several of the projecting machines already on the mar- 
ket, and adapting to them a device which he had in- 
vented to reset the picture when the film had 
"jumped" (one of the early troubles of the exhibitors 
of that day), and demonstrating the success of the im- 
provement, early in 1897, Messrs. Smith and Blackton 
started the Vitagraph Company in a Nassau street of- 
fice building. 

Rock was exhibiting his Vitascope long after the 
Vitagraph Company was launched. In 1899 he came 
to New York and started a competition which threat- 
ened the future of the Vitagraph ; the latter had in 1899 
become almost a monopoly, and Rock's breaking in 
with his Vitascope was looked upon by Blackton and 
Smith as a serious menace to the structure the latter 
had reared. 

One night, at the corner of 125th street and Third 
avenue, the three pioneers met, and as a result of this 
impromptu meeting, the triumvirate which to-day 
stands at the top of moving picturedom was formed. 





JOHN BUNNY 



ANITA STEWART 





EARLE WILLIAMS CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG 

Four Vilagraph Stars 



of Science 25 

Here were three men, all showmen, each possessing 
technical knowledge of the craft from different angles, 
and each had already accumulated a bank account; 
hence in the Nassau street office in 1899 the Vitagraph 
Company began the expansion which, after fifteen 
years, has assumed such vast proportions that one may 
only conjecture an estimate as to the total valuation 
of its world-wide holdings. Yet, as the Vitagraph has 
accomplished greater things in the last year than in 
all the previous years combined, the historian who may 
be called upon in the near future to recite the growth 
of the film industry will surely not lack for a basic 
example of extraordinary achievement in the pro- 
longed and harmonious activities of the three pioneers 
accidentally brought together on that Third avenue 
corner on a wintry night sixteen years ago. 

All three of the heads of the Vitagraph Company 
were wont to help out in the acting before the camera 
in those years when the vaudeville managers relied on 
the productivity of the film studio as the most effective 
"chaser" within their reach, but one day, as stated 
elsewhere, moving pictures ceased to be regarded 
as a "chaser," and the gentlemen who might have 
controlled all filmdom as they do control the greater 
part of high-grade vaudeville, were awakened not only 
to the value of the motion picture as a feature, but dis- 
covered, to their joy and amazement, that an entire 
performance could be given, if necessary, without an 
actor treading the boards in the flesh. 

This revelation of the influence of the motion pic- 
ture came late in 1900, and it happened this way: 

In that year the so-called vaudeville trust was born 
and in the same year it so nearly came a-cropper that 
but for the patience and perseverance of Daniel F. 



26 Cfte Cfteatrr 

Hennessy, the association of vaudeville managers 
would have gone out of existence. That it has sur- 
vived to become one of the greatest institutions in the- 
atredom may now be due to the efforts of its brilliant 
head officers, but fourteen years ago it was the de- 
spised moving picture, erstwhile "chaser," that pre- 
vented dissolution, bankruptcy and humiliation. 

Automatically with the formation of the Managerial 
Combine, eight intrepid actors of the "variety show" 
era, headed by the most unselfish thespian of his time, 
organized after the manner of the London Water Rats, 
the now vast body of stagefolk known as "the White 
Rats." George Fuller Golden, who has since given up 
his life, a martyr to the cause which the organiza- 
tion stood for, resented the spectacle of the vaudeville 
managers paying the actors ninety and ninety-five per 
cent, of their salaries and retaining the difference for 
themselves; moreover he protested, yet the so-called 
evil continued, and one day, a red-letter day in motion 
picture history, when the membership of "the White 
Rats" assumed tremendous proportions, the daring 
Golden, as if by the press of an electric button, called 
out the vaudeville performers in the majority of the 
theatres, controlled by the "trust." The local managers, 
as well as the mighty potentates who dictate the des- 
tiny of modern vaudeville to this day, were struck with 
consternation. They were wholly unprepared for such 
a catastrophe, and the effort to replace the public fa- 
vorites with amateur talent and professionals, such as 
could be hastily summoned to their aid, failed abso- 
lutely. Some of the play houses closed temporarily, 
others were enabled to open solely through the help of 
the camera man. At last, the latter had come into his 
own. The day of the "chaser" had passed for all time 



of Science 27 

as far as he was concerned. Showmen all over the 
country were brought to realize that a new manner 
of presenting an entire "show" was now possible with- 
out any need for worry as to whether the "ghost would 
walk" on salary day. 

What Rock had discovered years before he joined 
Blackton and Smith was now apparent to all. Marcus 
Loew had not yet entered the show world ; in fact, pre- 
vious to 1900 moving pictures, while popular to the 
extent that they were used as a time-killer mainly be- 
cause of the cheap cost of the service, had not at- 
tracted the public unless accompanied with vaudeville. 
This condition, of course, was greatly due to lack of 
intelligent effort to typify the attraction itself. In 
the small towns a few showmen made money because 
they announced a "picture show," and on Sundays 
played to capacity. It was the big crowds attracted 
on the Sabbath throughout New England in opera 
houses and halls, with a combination of moving pic- 
tures and illustrated songs, that first revealed to local 
managers the new public created. In a city like New 
Britian, Conn., where moving pictures attracted little 
or no interest during the week, as a number in the 
vaudeville house, all of the three playhouses, and every 
available hall was utilized on Sundays, and though 
admission prices were higher than now, the attendance 
was overwhelming for all. 

Julius Cahn, at this period, had a virtual monopoly 
in New England, as far as the best theatres is con- 
cerned, and the part that Cahn and his partner, Grant, 
played in the evolution of the moving picture is little 
known; at least, one never hears their names men- 
tioned these days, nor do we hear or read of the part 
Archie L. Shepard played in film history, yet the writ- 



28 Cfte Cfteatte 

er believes that Shepard was one of the vital factors, 
if not, indeed, the most vital, in developing the pres- 
ent-day vogue of moving pictures as a separate at- 
traction. 

I did a lot of traveling in those years, between 1900 
and 1905, and yet I never met this man whose moving 
picture shows were often given in as many as thirty 
opera houses and halls at one time. What has be- 
come of this real father of film progress, I do not know. 
Like so many others who solved vital problems, he 
has seemed to disappear, but the story of his strug- 
gles and achievements cannot be ignored in a work of 
this character. 

Archie L. Shepard was the first in America to appre- 
ciate the great possibilities of moving pictures as an 
important factor in theatrical amusements, and in spite 
of almost overwhelming ridicule and opposition by 
other theatrical managers, after persistently surmount- 
ing innumerable unexpected obstacles, to bring his 
theories into practical and successful operation. Hav- 
ing a thorough and practical knowledge of photo- 
graphy and photo-projection, Mr. Shepard became 
interested in motion pictures when they were first per- 
fected, and in 1895 and 1896, with an Armat Magna- 
scope, exploited the first motion pictures ever seen in 
the middle-western states, as an added attraction with 
dramatic and vaudeville companies. But as few sub- 
jects of real interest were available, when the novelty 
had worn off he discarded the picture machine tem- 
porarily and devoted himself to the dramatic field ex- 
clusively. It was not until 1900, when pictures of a 
wider range appeared on the market, that he became 
fully convinced that a diversified program of moving 
pictures could be arranged to make a complete enter- 



of Science 29 

tainment, and so presented in first-class theatres that 
it would appeal as strongly to the amusement-seeking 
public as any other type of theatrical attraction. No 
doubt this idea was originally engendered by his ex- 
perience several years previous, when managing Miss 
Clara Louise Thompson, a dramatic reader, in what 
was then called a picture play, entitled "The Chinook." 
"The Chinook" was a four-act drama, the action of 
which was illustrated by means of stereopticon slides 
thrown on the screen in rapid succession, while Miss 
Thompson read the dialogue with appropriate change 
of voice for each character. 

This proved a unique entertainment, but lacked the 
essential realism of action that moving pictures might 
have given it. Mr. Shepard's aim in preparing his first 
exhibition was to have it appeal to all the human emo- 
tions so far as possible, embracing comedy, tragedy, 
pathos and thrills intermingled with glimpses of things 
beautiful, and so selected that the entertainment in its 
entirety would be equally pleasing to all classes of peo- 
ple, from the most intellectual down to the most un- 
cultured. 

He assumed that by thus presenting an amusement 
with a general appeal to all classes, its drawing power 
would consequently be much greater in scope than the 
average theatrical attraction, which necessarily was 
confined in its appeal to some one indiviudal class. At 
this time moving pictures were confined in their use 
in America to vaudeville theatres, where they were put 
on as the closing act of the bill, and were considered 
of such slight interest that most of the audience usu- 
ually walked out during their presentation. Vaude- 
ville managers, who used pictures at all, only wanted 
comedy subjects, and as the manufacturers catered 



30 Cfte Cfteatte 

entirely to this demand, Mr. Shepard encountered his 
first serious difficulty, when preparing to launch his 
new type of amusement enterprise, in the scarcity of 
suitable moving-picture subjects with which to make 
up a good program of the desired length and quality 
to conform with his original plan of diversity. 

This he accomplished, however, after selecting from 
the entire European and American market and having 
some special subjects made. 

The next and most serious obstacle arose after final- 
ly securing a program to his liking and getting out an 
elaborate line of special printing with which to lavish- 
ly advertise his new attraction, when, to his dismay, 
he found it impossible to secure dates in any of the 
first-class theatres. 

He had planned to first play from one to three-day 
engagements in the smaller cities of the eastern states 
to prove the merits of his attraction before invading 
the larger week-stand cities, and relying on his exten- 
sive acquaintance and past association with these the- 
atre managers, expected to have his request for booking 
welcomed by them as usual, but to his chagrin and dis- 
appointment they, with scarcely an exception, ridi- 
culed his project and refused positively to have the 
standing of their theatres lowered by playing a picture 
show which wouldn't draw enough business to pay 
for the lights, anyway, as they put it. Many of these 
managers, with whom Mr. Shepard had been most 
cordially intimate, expressed sympathetic regret that 
he should have used such poor judgment as to sink 
his money in such a foolish project, and, out of well- 
meant kindness, urged him to abandon it without get- 
ting in deeper with consequent loss sure to follow any 
attempt at exploitation. In spite of the keen disap- 




GUSTAVE FROHMAN 

The first of the Frohmans to produce for the stage and the' last of three brothers h produce for 

the screen 



Reproduced from a portrait taken impromptu by Raymond Patterson, Washington corre- 
spondent of the "Chicago Tribune" the only photograph of 
Mr. Frohman extant 



of Science 31 

pointment attending this unexpected setback, he was 
now more than ever determined to prove the correct- 
ness of his judgment and ability as a showman. De- 
nied the use and prestige of theatres, on either a shar- 
ing or rental basis, his next effort was to enlist the 
co-operation of societies in these same cities and en- 
deavor to play for their benefit in any available hall, 
but he found the societies as hard to convince of the 
artistic or pecuniary merit of his attraction as the man- 
agers had been. In the meantime, he had secured 
a few intermittent dates at theatres in very small towns 
and found the public equally skeptical in spite of his 
elaborate advertising matter, although he experienced 
some gratification in the enthusiasm manifested by the 
few people who rather timidly attended, the most of 
whom came in on passes. 

This was costly encouragement, however, and Mr. 
Shepard soon found his capital nearly gone, but was 
the more strengthened in his determination to win. 

He soon found that church societies were the most 
susceptible to any plausible plan of raising money, and 
that by using churches to give the entertainment in 
the hall rent expense was eliminated, he next devoted 
his efforts to enlisting their co-operation ; and often, in 
order to clinch the arrangement when they hesitated, 
he would bring his company to the town on prayer- 
meeting night a week or more ahead of the date wanted 
and donate the services of his singer and pianist in a 
rendition of "The Holy City," illustrated by special 
moving pictures. This being one of the features of 
his entertainment, its free presentation never failed to 
secure the date, and usually aroused so much enthu- 
siasm among the church members present that they 
had no difficulty in selling enough tickets to pack the 



32 Cfte Cfteatte 

church on the night of the exhibition. Of course, this 
method of exploitation was a vast deviation from Mr. 
Shepard's original plan, and was a last resort necessi- 
tated by the numerous unexpected circumstances. It 
was, nevertheless, slightly profitable though laborious, 
and, above all, the enthusiasm the exhibition invariably 
created fully established in his own mind the correct- 
ness of his theory as to the merit of this form of amuse- 
ment. 

In the meantime, he never ceased in his efforts for 
a trial in city theatres, and finally succeeded in secur- 
ing Labor Day at the Academy of Music in Haver- 
hill, Mass., on short notice. Much to the surprise of 
the local manager, who had been grieved at being 
without a regular attraction for the holiday, "Shepard's 
Moving Pictures" played to very good business, and 
his amazement at the reception given the show aroused 
his own enthusiasm so that he offered Mr. Shepard 
his next open date, which was played to a capacity 
business. This proved the turning point and the real 
beginning of the moving-picture show as a bona-fide 
theatrical attraction. 

At this time the bookings of the principal theatres 
throughout New England were controlled by the firm 
of Cahn & Grant, of New York, who persistently re- 
fused to consider Mr. Shepard's request for booking, 
in spite of his success in the few independent theatres 
he had succeeded in booking on the strength of the big 
business he had done in Haverhill. He then conceived 
a novel plan for an entering wedge in the Cahn & 
Grant circuit by proposing to Mr. Cahn that his type 
of amusement, being in reality an exhibition, could be 
presented in their theatres Sundays, thus bringing a 
revenue on a day the house would otherwise be closed. 



of Science 33 

Still skeptical, Mr. Cahn finally agreed to let him try 
it at Lowell, Mass., with the result that the experi- 
ment proved a tremendous success, the receipts of the 
first Sunday's matinee and night amounting to nearly 
$1,000, with several hundred turned away at each per- 
formance, and the entertainment was received with 
spontaneous approval. Thus encouraged, Mr. Cahn im- 
mediately arranged a consecutive route over the entire 
New England circuit, and before that season was over 
"Archie L. Shepard's Moving Pictures" became one of 
the best drawing theatrical attractions in the Eastern 
states. This popularity was not achieved without con- 
tinued effort, however, for even after the first bookings 
were settled, Mr. Shepard still met with considerable 
antagonism from the local managers, who were usually 
more or less provoked at having to play such an at- 
traction, and until they had once seen it, treated it with 
contempt and made little or no effort toward giving it 
proper publicity. To overcome this lack of co-opera- 
tion, Mr. Shepard found it necessary to carry three ad- 
vance agents to insure the necessary publicity for the 
first engagement, after which, however, this feeling 
was directly reversed, the attraction being cordially 
welcomed on subsequent engagements and became so 
popular with managers and public that he experienced 
considerable difficulty in securing enough new sub- 
jects to make up different programs for the several 
companies needed to cover the increasing demand for 
his attraction. 

Inside of a year several traveling companies of 
"Shepard's Moving Pictures" were playing three and 
four engagements during the season in the first-class 
theatres of all the principal cities throughout the 
United States and Canada, and in addition to this, Mr. 



Ct)e Cfteatte 



Shepardwas giving special moving-picture shows every 
Sunday in over thirty of the principal Eastern cities. 
Although his remarkable success brought many imita- 
tors into the field, Mr. Shepard so strongly entrenched 
himself that for years he had a practical monopoly 
on the bookings of most of the first-class theatres 
throughout the country for this style of attraction, and 
the quarter-annual engagement of "Shepard's Moving 
Pictures" was soon considered as important with man- 
agement and public as the largest dramatic or musical 
production. Regardless of the unprecedented success 
of his moving pictures in the smaller cities, it was not 
until 1904 that he could secure bookings in New York 
City, and Sunday, December 3rd, of that year he gave 
New York City its first moving pictures as a complete 
theatrical attraction at the Fourteenth Street Theatre. 
In a short time Shepard's pictures were showing at 
six different theatres in New York and Brooklyn every 
Sunday matinee and night at prices ranging from 25 
cents to $1.00. 

At this time Archie L. Shepard was undoubtedly 
the largest exhibitor of moving pictures in the world, 
and his persistent demand for dramatic subjects un- 
questionably had much to do with the eventual de- 
velopment of this great industry along that line. 

In the meantime, appreciation of the value of moving 
pictures as a distinctive amusement had become gen- 
eral, and small picture theatres began to appear, where 
from twenty to thirty minutes of moving pictures were 
shown at 5 or 10 cents admission. Mr. Shepard was 
quick to perceive the eventual result of this encroach- 
ment on his exhibiting monopoly, and also saw the 
advantages of the shorter exhibition at smaller prices, 
if attempted on a sufficiently large scale. To the as- 



of Science 



tonishment of other theatrical managers, he leased the 
Manhattan Theatre, at 33rd Street and Broadway, New 
York, which until then had housed only notable pro- 
ductions at $2.00 prices, and installed a continuous 
hourly performance of moving pictures from 12 noon 
until 11 o'clock at night, at 10 cents admission. At 
first this audacious venture brought forth some ridi- 
cule and more sympathy from his well-meaning 
friends, but in a short time many of the crowds were 
unable to secure standing room, and the Manhattan 
Theatre during Mr. Shepard's tenancy made larger 
weekly profits than ever before during its eventful his- 
tory. Soon after this, Proctor's Twenty-third Street, 
the Fourteenth Street, Keith's Union Square, and sev- 
eral other theatres adopted Mr. Shepard's policy with 
like results. 

As Archie L. Shepard was the first to see the great 
possibilities, and exploit moving pictures as a separate 
and distinct type of theatrical amusement, successfully 
bringing about their popularity as such, he likewise 
was the first to give this form of amusement of his 
creation a permanent home in a first-class Broadway 
theatre at popular prices; and to his foresight and 
venturous persistence this great industry of the pres- 
ent day owes much of its growth and evolution. 

In the amusement field David Horsley has had one 
of those interesting careers such as only the first two 
decades of the twentieth century can record. The 
growth of the film industry has brought many men 
to the front in a few years, but the rise of Horsley was 
accomplished as a result of adamantine persistency in 
the face of never-ceasing disappointments. 

Like nearly all of the successful film men of to-day, 
Horsley began as an exhibitor, and, like so many oth- 



36 Cfte Cfteatre 

ers, he lost his all with his first venture. To him the 
loss of $250 invested in a little picture theatre in 1907 
was a calamity almost as great as the loss of Standard 
Oil would be to a Rockefeller. Horsley had never 
failed in his previous business career to make at least 
a good living. The loss of all his savings in the nickel 
theatre, he says, took all of the sunshine out of his 
life; but he then and there took a vow that he would 
get that $250 back from the same "game" he lost it in. 

Investigating the moving-picture situation, Horsley 
found there were three branches to operate in. He had 
failed in one of these. He did not have capital enough 
to embark in the exchange branch, hence there was 
left for him but one choice that of manufacturing. 
He had never even used a kodak in his life, and the 
only place he had ever been in a theatre was amongst 
the audience. 

Associated with Horsley in his ill-fated picture show 
was Charles Gorman, who had two years' experience 
with the Biograph Company as actor and all-around 
helper, and the two joined hands, having obtained a 
promise from a semi-professional photographer who 
knew a little about moving pictures to look after the 
all-important problem of securing a camera. Horsley 
raised some money, converted the picture theatre into 
a factory, and Gorman was to paint the scenery, write 
the stories, engage actors, and direct. The photog- 
rapher was to operate the camera and supervise the 
dark-room work. Horsley was to be the boss, paying 
salaries to the others and a part of the profits. 

In January, 1908, work began on the factory; by 
March 1st it was ready to operate, but the photograph- 
er was non-est. The latter had become "leary," and 
had accepted a surer job, even selling his camera to a 



of Science 37 

Cuban exhibitor. Horsley was now in the position 
where every dollar he controlled was invested in the 
factory. He had a studio, but no camera, and this was 
so hard to get in 1909 that the only one offered was 
an Urban, which was offered for $800 at George 
Kleine's office on Sixth Avenue, but it would take eight 
weeks to get it. 

Horsley decided that he must make a camera. He 
had never seen a moving-picture machine inside or out- 
side, but he had a certain kind of intuition and in- 
genuity, and that night he figured out what had to 
happen inside of the camera in order to make pictures. 
Horsley started in to construct a camera, and in four 
weeks the machine was ready to operate. With this 
camera Horsley actually made four or five pictures that 
were sold, but he abandoned it and then built one that 
would make steadier pictures. 

With the improved machine Horsley made pictures 
good enough to merit the praise of Frank L. Dyer, 
Henry Marvin, and J. J. Kennedy; but after Horsley 
developed his negatives he found it was just as hard to 
buy printing machines as cameras. So Horsley got 
busy once more at his work bench and built a ma- 
chine that would print the necessary copies. This ma- 
chine was used a year, and Horsley says now it did the 
best work he has ever had done. It was abandoned 
only because later regular printing machines were 
available. 

But Horsley determined that his own machine was 
worth being patented. Though he applied for a patent 
April 21, 1909, he did not secure it till April 15, 1913. 
Now Horsley is making these printers for the general 
market, because they give absolute contact. 

Making his first release in 1908, Horsley was but a 



38 Cfte Cfteatte 

few weeks behind the Kalem Company in entering the 
producing field. These few weeks, however, prevented 
his becoming a member of the Patents Company, or- 
ganized in 1908, under the name of Edison licensees. 
Discovering that there was a market only for seven or 
eight copies, and that the negatives possible within the 
financial return were unsalable at any price, Horsley 
discontinued operations, having a well-equipped plant 
on his hands. 

About this time Ludwig G. B. Erb entered the field, 
and Horsley sold to him a half interest in his business 
for a small sum, but enough to pay off the most press- 
ing of his debts. The two started to make pictures 
with some success, but did not agree, Horsley purchas- 
ing Erb's interest. The latter withdrew to become as- 
sociated with P. A. Powers. This affiliation did not 
last long, and Erb organized and still conducts the 
Crystal Film Company. 

It was in this year (1908) that Frederick Balsofer 
and the Messrs. Baumann and Kessell started the New 
York Motion Picture, and Carl Laemmle and Edwin 
Thanhouser launched the "Imp" and Thanhouser 
brands in the fall of the same year. These were fol- 
lowed by other independent producers sufficient in 
number to become a menace to each other unless or- 
ganized for protection. This condition led to the for- 
mation of the Motion Picture Sales Company, now de- 
funct, but its influence for two years is conceded to 
have been beneficial. 

The Sales Company, through a committee, handled 
all of the endless litigation with the so-called film trust, 
spending over $300,000. The result of this litigation 
was the survival of the independent movement; but 
then followed wars between the factions peace is not 



of Science 39 

yet in sight and the independent producers divided 
into two groups, now comprising the Mutual and Uni- 
versal companies. Both are developing to tremendous 
proportions. The Universal is controlled absolutely by 
four or five men who started in 1908 in a small way. 
As matters stand, Carl Laemmle appears to be in con- 
trol, and the consensus of opinion is that he not only 
will remain in control, but that such a final outcome of 
the prolonged strife is desired by those who have the 
welfare of the industry at heart. 

While the Mutual is also owned by a group of pro- 
gressive film men who started around 1908 and are 
now wealthy and potent, this is a corporation with its 
stock widely distributed, though it is stated that an 
effort is being made to purchase the smaller holdings 
of investors which may well be based on fact, as the 
Mutual preferred stock pays 7 per cent, and the com- 
mon 12 per cent, annually. In April, 1914, the quar- 
terly earnings were around $125,000, which indicates 
a half million a year. 

When the division of the independent producers was 
accomplished, David Horsley cast his fortunes with 
the Universal, and I am tempted to quote the latter 
verbatim as to some interesting film history anent these 
two groups of men who are now occupying the center 
of the stage in this branch of the amusement field: 

"The class of men now in control of the film business 
were always ready to take a long chance legally and 
otherwise. They were all individualists who do not 
work well together," writes Mr. Horsley, in a letter to 
the author. 

"'Lucky' Laemmle, 'Foxy' Powers, 'Erratic' Swan- 
son, 'Suave' Brulatour, 'Road-Roller' Baumann, and 
myself were thrown in one basket, and the cover put 



40 C6e Cfieatte 

on. These men are all dynamos accustomed to gener- 
ating their own power, and did not work well as mo- 
tors, as they refused to receive their power from an 
aspiring leader ; this brought on friction, inducing the 
affable Brulatour to retire, followed by Baumann and 
Kessel. 

"Laemmle was in Europe, Swanson in California, and 
Pat Powers and myself sat on the lid in New York. 
Things went along fairly smooth until Laemmle and 
Swanson returned to New York, when began a strug- 
gle for control of the Universal Company, with Laem- 
mle on one side and Powers on the other, with the 
polished Mark Dintenfass (head of the Champion Film 
Company, which for some reason was not included, on 
reorganization, in either service), the holder of a small 
block of stock also holding the balance of power and 
fully aware of the fact." 

Dintenfass, as stated in another chapter, was inter- 
ested in the first talking pictures, and he organized the 
Champion Film Company, one of the original indepen- 
dent makers of picture plays. The war pictures re- 
leased by this company reflected the high aims of a 
man who in a very few years encountered enough liti- 
gation and troublous impediments to his progress to 
justify the reputation he achieved as "the fighter who 
never capitulates." 

But Dintenfass was the all-important figure as be- 
tween the struggles of Laemmle and Powers for con- 
trol of Universal. Laemmle and Swanson succeeded, 
however, in purchasing the Dintenfass stock, which, 
combined with their own holdings, gave them control. 
Powers accepted the situation for the moment with 
good grace, seeing no alternative but to sell his stock 
to Laemmle and Swanson. This he proceeded to do, 



of Science 41 

thus leaving Horsley, who owned the Nestor brand of 
film one of the very best, too, of that day, and still 
better to-day as a hopeless minority. 

In the meantime, Powers appears to have realized 
that he made a big mistake to part with his holdings 
and immediately there came a period of strife between 
Laemmle and Swanson, the latter siding with Powers. 
Here was Horsley's chance to sell his stock, but it is to 
his credit that he conducted his part of the sale with a 
fairness that has left him on friendly terms with both 
factions; but the price that Horsley was paid in 1913 
for the outgrowth of the plant he developed in 1908 by 
converting his disastrous picture house into a film fac- 
tory was exactly $280,000. 

Powers claims he had an option on Horsley's stock, 
but the latter insists this was given for the purpose of 
being displayed so as to induce Laemmle to sell out. 

From these proceedings started a series of lawsuits, 
still pending at this writing. Swanson is now on Pow- 
ers' side, but Laemmle is in control, and Horsley be- 
lieves will so remain indefinitely. The latter expressed 
this opinion to the writer in May, 1914: 

"Laemmle will eventually win out," said Horsley, 
"because it will be recognized that he is the most ca- 
pable man in the organization, who has made such 
strides during the past year that it would be a gross 
injustice to all concerned to change the present con- 
trol." 

As for Horsley, he did not retire as he expected to 
do after selling his Universal stock. Returning from 
a European vacation in 1913, he purchased a block of 
Universal stock owned by his brother William, who in 
conjunction with P. A. Powers had built a factory at 
Bayonne, N. J. This Horsley also acquired, at the 



42 Cfte Cfteatre 

same time starting more lawsuits, resulting in bring- 
ing him back into the field on a large scale. 

At the present time, besides being a large holder of 
Universal stock, Horsley is the head of the Centaur 
Film Co., director of the Interstate Film Co., also of 
the New England and Universal Film Exchanges; is 
President of the Washington Paramount Film Co., and 
director of the Bank of South Hudson, Bayonne, N. J. 

One of the film pioneers to make his impress first in 
the West was John J. Murdock, whose achievements 
in vaudeville have already been recorded in this series 
of volumes. Murdock exerted the main influence in 
the organization of the "independents." 

It must be understood that in the period from 1896 
to 1902 the manufacturers of film in this country were 
the Vitagraph, Edison and Biograph companies, later 
augmented by W. N. Selig and George K. Spoor, the 
last two operating from Chicago. Mr. Spoor after- 
ward was joined by Gilbert M. Anderson, the com- 
pany being called the S and A (Essanay). Murdock 
being in Chicago in practical control of vaudeville and 
affiliated with the Keith and Kohl interests which 
operated the majority of the best vaudeville theatres, 
was looked to by his associates for some remedy to 
existing conditions. These were the days of guerilla 
warfare, and the duper was in his glory. Subjects 
were no sooner filmed than they were immediately du- 
plicated. The vaudeville managers having learned the 
lesson of discipline and organization, authorized Mur- 
dock to go as far as he liked with a view to establish- 
ing an impregnable competition; but it was 1906 be- 
fore it became apparent to thinking minds that some- 
thing should be undertaken seriously. It was from 
this state of affairs and the gradual decline of public 



of Science 



interest in the period from 1902-1906 that created the 
organization of what is now known as the Motion Pic- 
ture Patents Company. 

On June 10, 1908, this company was formed with the 
combined American manufacturers, namely, the Edi- 
son, Vitagraph and Biograph, of New York and Or- 
ange, N. J.; Lubin, of Philadelphia; Essanay and Se- 
lig, of Chicago; Kalem and Melies, of New York, and 
George Kleine, of Chicago, who controlled then the 
Gaumont and Urban Eclipse output for this country. 
The Pathe Freres were already strongly entrenched in 
the American market, and of course were included in 
the combination, which as an entity was about as for- 
midable an amalgamation as this country had known 
up to that time, and the vaudeville managers concluded 
that one of the objects of the amalgamation was to 
prevent the use of its product in the theatres where 
vaudeville was the basic attraction. It was commonly 
reported that a measure was to be adopted forbidding 
the service of film in cooperation with vaudeville acts. 
Also it was claimed that the so-called "trust" had so 
fixed things that foreign manufacturers of film could 
obtain no footing in this country. 

Such was the state of affairs in 1908, when a con- 
tract was placed before the members of the so-called 
Film Rental Association. This contract, duly signed, 
placed the Motion Picture Patents Company in the po- 
sition of controlling 98 per cent, of the film output, a 
condition that caused the United Vaudeville interests 
of the country to look after their welfare. Murdock 
immediately formed the International Projecting and 
Producing Company. This was within forty-eight 
hours after the formation of the Patents company. 

Before the ink was dry on the signatures of the Film 



Cfre Cfteatte 



Rental Association the cables under the ocean were 
carrying messages from Murdock that resulted in the 
formation of an organization comprising the best film 
manufacturers abroad. In a few days either the prin- 
cipals or the representatives of this large body of mo- 
tion picture experts were on the seas with film, bound 
for this country. Like a bolt from a clear sky came the 
announcement in a Chicago trade publication "The 
Show World" that the International Projecting and 
Producing Company was ready to release 20 reels or 
more, if demand warranted it, each week. As far as 
quantity of film was concerned, the new-born inde- 
pendents were on a par with the amalgamated Ameri- 
can manufacturers. 

Though this was something of a surprise to the Pat- 
ents company, its officers figured that it still held the 
trump card up its sleeve, and at the next session of 
Congress they brought to bear all their political influ- 
ence to have a prohibitive duty placed on film in the 
Aldrich tariff bill. Had they succeeded, the death- 
knell to Independent moving pictures would have been 
rung. Murdock went to Washington, and remained 
there during the entire summer, while Congress was in 
session on the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill. There was a 
continuous fight during the entire summer, between 
the so-called trust faction, Murdock representing the 
Independents, which he had formed. But when the 
war at Washington was over, instead of the duty hav- 
ing been raised, Murdock succeeded in getting the duty 
lowered on all imported moving pictures, both raw and 
manufactured film. 

Soon after this, Murdock's International Company 
began to release the foreign-manufactured film, but 
soon learned they were handicapped to some extent by 



of Science 45 

not having American-manufactured goods, to have 
their program compare favorably with the trust. It 
was then that he succeeded in getting men to start 
manufacturing American product. Messrs. Baumann 
and Kessel, the first independent producers, started the 
Bison, Mr. Carl Laemmle started the Imp Manufac- 
turing Company; Messrs. Thanhouser, P. A. Powers, 
and about ten or twelve others immediately set to work 
to manufacture American films, under the direction of 
Murdock, as he had agreed to protect them against 
the trust claim of infringements. He organized a 
strong force of lawyers in New York and Chicago to 
protect all these people. Working night and day, he 
broke down in health, and had to take a trip to Eu- 
rope. When it was announced that he was going to 
leave, it was joyous news to the trust, and the Inde- 
pendents felt for the moment like a ship without a 
captain; but they soon found there was still the 
strong law force to protect them during his absence. 
Murdock remained in Europe a short time, and, after 
returning, made smooth sailing for the Independents, 
so they could supply a bill combining European and 
American manufactured goods equal to the Patents 
company output. 

This completed, Murdock then retired to take a rest 
and regain his health, later returning to the vaudeville 
field, and allied himself with the United Booking Of- 
fices, where he is still active. However, even after re- 
tiring from the film interests, he was the advisor, and 
all the American manufacturers sought his advice. 
The Independents continued to succeed and build up, 
although handicapped and harassed by the opposition. 
The only great drawback they seemed to have was se- 
curing the raw material for the productions. The Pat- 



46 C&e Cfreatte 

ents company had a contract with Eastman whereby 
the Eastman Company would supply no one but the 
amalgamated manufacturers with the raw material, 
which made it necessary for the Independent manu- 
facturers to depend upon Europe for their raw mate- 
rial. While some of it was up to the standard, at least 
fifty per cent, was of an inferior grade, so that the 
losses were tremendous. The Independent manufac- 
turers then sought Murdock's aid to secure for them 
the Eastman stock. This he succeeded in doing after 
a time, with the aid of two of his very close friends, 
E. F. Albee and Colonel T. C. Marceau. 

The fact remains, had it not been for Murdock in 
the very beginning, it is doubtful whether there would 
have been any Independent moving-picture concerns 
aside from the Bison output in America to-day. Since 
the birth of the Independents, hundreds of new con- 
cerns have sprung up, and it is a question whether 
any of them ever stopped to think of the man who 
claims he made it possible for them to do business in 
the moving-picture field. 



of Science 



CHAPTER III 

Just two years ago on May 17th, four desks were 
successively carried from the elevator and placed in a 
row on the hardwood floor of the Lincoln Building, 
Union Square, New York. These desks were plain 
and unpretentious, but of good solid oak, reflecting 
the solidity of their owners. These four desks were 
to be occupied by Carl Laemmle, W. H. Swanson, P. 
A. Powers and David Horsley, and it was not long be- 
fore the film world realized that the new Universal 
Film Manufacturing Company, conceived and brought 
into existence by these men, was a dominant factor in 
the world of motion pictures. Avoiding the rocks upon 
which its predecessors had been wrecked, the Uni- 
versal adopted as its policy the largest individuality to 
its constituent companies, with perfect accord of pur- 
pose in its relations to the exchangeman and the ex- 
hibitors. 

The enthusiastic reception of the Universal Program 
by exhibitor and patron alike, and the eagerness with 
which its many feats and features were anticipated, 
caused the business to grow by leaps and bounds. The 
space in the Lincoln Building, which had seemed am- 



48 Cfte C&eatre 

pie on May 17th, the day the new offices were opened, 
proved wholly inadequate before the summer of 1912 
was far advanced. With their usual enterprise, the 
Board of Directors commissioned a real estate firm to 
secure new premises, and the magnificent quarters in 
the Mecca Building, 1600 Broadway, the Universal's 
present home, was the result. 

When the Universal first started, it promised its pa- 
trons a program of at least twenty-one reels a week. 
By the introduction of some of the biggest features 
ever presented to the public, it has increased its orig- 
inal program from twenty-eight to thirty-two reels a 
week. It has needed no spur other than the approval 
of its patrons to accomplish this record-breaking 
achievement. 

In speaking of the removal of the Universal to its 
new offices uptown, it is interesting to note that this 
move shifted the center of gravity, so to speak, of the 
film industry in New York City. In the wake of the 
Universal followed scores of allied and similar enter- 
prises, until the vicinity of Longacre Square has now 
wrested from Fourteenth street the title of Film Centre. 

The present home offices of the Universal occupy 
the entire third floor of the Mecca Building, with fron- 
tage on Broadway, Forty-eighth street and Seventh 
avenue, with immediate transportation by surface cars, 
subway and elevated railroads, making it the most ac- 
cessible spot in the metropolis. The fixtures and office 
furniture are of massive mahogany and plate glass and 
the projection room is the last word in luxurious splen- 
dor. The offices of the individual officers, the room 
of the Board of Directors, the quarters of the Univer- 
sal Weekly and the export and accounting depart- 
ments occupy the Forty-eighth street and Broadway 





ll 

s fe - 
w -a 









ofcience 49 

frontage, while the Seventh avenue side is devoted to 
the scenario department and to the Mecca branch of 
the Universal Film Exchange of New York. In be- 
tween are located the shipping and stenographic de- 
partments, the telephone exchange and the reception 
room for visitors. 

Not far from the Mecca Building, near the corner 
of Eleventh avenue and Forty-third street, are the 
studios of the popular Imp and Victor brands and the 
Animated Weekly. Up in the Borough of the Bronx, 
at the corner of Park and Wendover avenues, the 
Crystal films are made. Over in New Jersey, at Fort 
Lee, the studios of the American Eclair Company are 
located, and a little further north, at Coytesville, where 
the Palisades are seen in their full majesty, is another 
Universal studio, where Victor films are made. 

Those men who are now guiding the destiny of the 
Universal and who have been largely responsible for 
its great success, are Carl Laemmle, president; R. H. 
Cochrane, secretary and treasurer; J. C. Graham, gen- 
eral manager; Joe Brandt, assistant treasurer; George 
E. Kann, assistant treasurer and secretary; and Wil- 
liam H. Swanson, P. A. Powers and Waldo G. Morse, 
the last three members of the Directors' Board. Mr. 
Laemmle and Mr. R. H. Cochrane are members of 
the board. 

At Universal City, in the San Fernando Valley, Cal., 
the only exclusive moving-picture town in the world, 
and at the Hollywood studios, California, the other 
brands released under the Universal Program, the "101 
Bison," Nestor, Rex, Gold Seal, Universal Ike, Joker, 
the Powers and the Sterling, are created. 

Unsatisfied with merely turning out good photo- 
plays, the Universal has drawn to its ranks the great- 



Cfteatre 



est film stars in the world. Commencing with such 
well-known stars as Phillips Smalley, Lois Weber, 
Francis Ford, Grace Cunard, King Baggot, Ethel Gran- 
din, Robert Leonard, Eddie Lyons, Lee Moran, Ed- 
win August, William Clifford and William Shay, the 
company soon brought over others of equal note, 
among them Florence Lawrence, said to be the most 
famous and highest-salaried female star on the screen ; 
J. Warren Kerrigan, acknowledged to be the most 
handsome man on the screen; Augustus Carney, the 
original Western cowboy comedian; Lea Baird, Wal- 
lace Reid, Dorothy Davenport, Victoria Forde, Edna 
Maison, Hazel Buckham, Marie Walcamp, Max Asher, 
Pauline Bush, J. M. McQuarrie, Herbert Rawlinson, 
Rupert Julian, Essie Fay, George Periolat, Alexander 
Gaden and Eugene Ormonde. Every one of these ar- 
tists is a favorite, and many of them are internationally 
famous. 

Hardly a week passes but that the Universal is in a 
position to announce some coupe de maitre of suffi- 
cient importance to set the industry on ear. Either it 
is some striking innovation with respect to business 
policy or move, or the tying up of one more film star. 
Probably the greatest coup that was accomplished up 
to now was the acquisition in the latter part of Feb- 
ruary, 1914, of the quartet of comedy producers, Ford 
Sterling, for a long time the chief lodestone of the Mu- 
tual fun-makers ; H. Pathe Lehrman, who was not only 
an able director of Keystone comedies, but the pro- 
vider of most of the ideas introduced in the whirlwind 
burlesques; Fred Balshofer, skilled as an executive 
in such matters, an official of the New York Motion 
Picture Company, and Robert Thornby, who gained 
fame in Vitagraph dramas and comedies and who had 



BEN. F. WILSON 

(Edison) 



FRANCIS FORD 

(Universal) 





HARRY POLLARD 

" Beauty Brand " American Films 



WALLACE REID 

(Universal) 



Celebrities of the Screen 



of Science 



been with the Keystone for several months prior to 
the change. The comedies in which Mr. Sterling had 
become famous were the only competition which had 
annoyed the Universal. That being the case, the Uni- 
versal went out, paid the price and secured not alone 
Mr. Sterling, but his companions, thereby utterly dis- 
pelling any doubts that might have been in the exhib- 
itors' minds relative to the Universal's serious inten- 
tions of forging ahead and placing its program on a 
pinnacle absolutely unsurpassed by any other film 
company or of its ability to secure the best brains, the 
best talent in the picture field. 

A week following this, the Universal secured Anna 
Little, foremost exponent of "The Western Girl," from 
the New York Motion Picture Corporation. 

In the latter part of March, President Carl Laemmle, 
with David Horsley and others, made a trip to the Pa- 
cific Coast, and among the more important business 
transacted was the closing of negotiations for pur- 
chasing a new ranch. Universal City will be moved 
over to this new ranch. One-half million dollars it 
took to secure this new home 250 acres in all located 
in the San Fernando Valley, about ten miles from the 
center of Los Angeles. The ranch lies on the El Ca- 
mino Real (The King's Highway), this highway being 
the original road that connected the various missions 
from San Diego to San Francisco. It is half way be- 
tween the missions of San Gabriel and San Fernando, 
about a mile from the connecting electric line. Imme- 
diately on purchasing the ranch, the Universal set to 
work and built a railroad to the main line to be used 
for the transportation of studio equipment, building 
material and passenger service. The ranch has one- 
mile frontage on the Los Angeles River. This river 



52 cfte Cfteatre 

front is finely fringed with trees and shrubbery, afford- 
ing excellent backgrounds for pictures. 

Recently the Universal have commenced the pro- 
duction of big four- and six-reel features on a lavish 
scale which are to be released on its program as Uni- 
versal Special Features. The first feature under this 
brand and a sensational success was "Absinthe," made 
in France by the European Imp Company. Others 
that followed were "Samson," a tremendous six-reeler; 
"The Merchant of Venice," "Won in the Clouds," 
"Washington at Valley Forge," and "The Spy," "Rich- 
elieu," and "Neptune's Daughter." 

In connection with the production of these master 
features, the Universal have commenced a national 
campaign of advertising with an appropriation of a 
quarter of a million dollars. 

The Pacific Coast studios of the Universal Film 
Manufacturing Company constitute, from a standpoint 
of film-producing capacity, the largest assembled plant 
of its kind in the world. The year around not less than 
twenty-one thousand feet of finished film a week is 
turned out at this establishment. Fifteen companies, 
each composed of a director, assistant director, cinema- 
tographer, actors, property men and stage hands, oper- 
ate continually at an annual expense of over $1,000,000. 
In this expense is also included the maintenance of a 
scenario department, bookkeeping department, public- 
ity department and costume, scene-painting, property, 
laboratory, and transportation departments. 

The principal plant of the West Coast studios of the 
Universal is located in Hollywood, a suburb of Los 
Angeles, California. At this studio is located the larg- 
est stage in the world. It measures four hundred by 
sixty feet and will accommodate five full regiments of 



of Science 53 

infantry at one time. There is sufficient space upon it 
for the setting of sixteen full interior scenes. It is 
covered by twenty-four thousand square feet of dif- 
fusers, and in the stage floor are traps, large and small, 
some of them water-tight, which are used for the pro- 
duction of aquatic scenes. In addition to its accom- 
modations for actors, offices and laboratories, the com- 
pany maintains a sawmill, furniture shop and papier- 
mache plant. All buildings are built with an eye to 
permanence. The property and costume building is the 
most up-to-date structure of its kind in the United 
States. 

Eight miles from the Hollywood studios is situated 
Universal City in the San Fernando Valley. It is here 
that spectacular animal, Indian, Western and war pic- 
tures are produced. This Universal ranch covers an 
area of eighteen hundred acres. The collection of ani- 
mals here is composed of elephants, camels, horses, and 
cattle; lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, bears, wolves, 
monkeys, and various breeds of dogs. 

Upon this property Hindu streets or Afghan villages 
with all the local color and life of the Orient, are built 
and destroyed in a day. On occasion, thousands of 
extra men are employed here as soldiers, factory scenes 
are blown up and hillsides are dynamited. 

The West Coast establishment has grown to its pres- 
ent proportions under the administration of Carl 
Laemmle, president of the Universal Film Manufactur- 
ing Company, and under the general direction of Man- 
ager Isidore Bernstein. 

Of the motion-picture companies distributing enough 
films to constitute a prpgram, no other has had a quick- 
er growth than the Mutual Film Corporation, with. 



54 C6e C&eatre 

main offices at 71 West Twenty-third street, New York 
City. 

Although it is but a little more than two years old, 
the Mutual Film Corporation now has a strong and 
far-reaching organization with more than fifty distrib- 
uting offices in the United States and Canada and of- 
fices in several of the large cities in Great Britain and 
on the Continent. This is the concern which distrib- 
utes the output of the following producing studios: 
Thanhouser and Princess, of New Rochelle ; American, 
of Chicago and Santa Barbara, Cal. ; Reliance, of Yon- 
kers, New York City, and Hollywood, Cal. ; Komic, of 
Yonkers; Majestic, Kay-Bee, Broncho Domino and 
Apollo, of Los Angeles, and the Keystone, of Eden- 
dale, Cal. 

In addition, the Mutual Film Corporation has al- 
lied with it the Continental Feature Film Corporation, 
through which it handles its big features, of which it 
has a formidable array. The motion pictures produced 
under the personal direction of David W. Griffith, 
known as Griffith films, will, many of them, reach the 
market through the Continental. The Reliance and 
Majestic special features are also handled by the Con- 
tinental. 

To-day the Mutual Film Corporation is accomplish- 
ing big things in a big way. Its policy, as dictated 
by its president, H. E. Aitken, has been one of 
steady advancement along solid, business lines. The 
advancement has been as rapid as is consistent with 
stability, and the Mutual has had a more rapid growth 
than would be possible for a legitimate corporation in 
almost any other field of activity. The Mutual first bus- 
ied itself securing an outlet for its pictures. It went 
along quietly, without blare of drums, for several 




HARRY E. AITKEN 

President Mutual Film Corporation. 

Whose Genius for Organization Has Resulted in the Amazing Growth of the Mutual Film Corporation 



of Science 55 

months, buying an exchange here one day and one 
there the next day. At one stroke it acquired the ex- 
tensive Gaumont exchange interests in Canada. Soon 
it had established marketing facilities able to handle 
big pictures produced practically with no regard for 
expense. 

The next step was to strengthen the production end. 
This was done more quickly and decisively than ever 
before. David W. Griffith, formerly head producer for 
the Biograph Company of America, "the Belasco of 
motion pictures," was put in charge of the producing 
end of the Reliance studios at a salary said to be more 
than $100,000 a year. With him he brought many of 
the Biograph forces, actresses, actors, directors, cam- 
era men and scenic artists. 

Now the Mutual Film Corporation stands on a firm 
basis, in the producing and the marketing end of the 
motion picture industry. 

How the Mutual Film Corporation attained its pres- 
ent prominence in so short a space of time is a matter 
of much interest. To tell of its remarkable growth 
involves a short resume of trade conditions in the mo- 
tion picture business for the last few years. Inter- 
locked closely with the history of the Mutual Film 
Corporation is the career of its president and guiding 
genius, Harry Elvin Aitken. 

Harry E. Aitken, manufacturer and capitalist, was 
born at Waukesha, Wisconsin, October 4, 1877, son 
of Elvin Aitken and Sarah Hadfield. His earliest 
American ancestor was his paternal grandfather, Jo- 
seph Aitken, who came in 1840 from England to the 
United States and settled in Wisconsin. 

Mr. Aitken was graduated from Carroll College in 
1896 and began his business career in 1898 in the land 



56 c&e Cfieatre 



and colonization field in his native State. His first en- 
terprise of special note was as one of the founders of 
the Federal Life Insurance Company, of Chicago, for 
which he became the agent for the State of Wisconsin. 

Mr. Aitken's debut in the motion-picture industry 
came in 1906, when in connection with a land-selling 
campaign, he interested the Chicago & Northwestern 
Railway Company in an advertising plan whereby 
slides showing views of the land were distributed to 
motion-picture theatres. 

At this period the motion-picture industry might 
have been correctly termed "in its infancy." Mr. Ait- 
ken's brief glance into it revealed such remarkable op- 
portunities that he decided to stay. 

His first step was to open in Milwaukee the West- 
ern Film Exchange, which is still in existence. Its 
success was so great that, within two months, Mr. 
Aitken opened the Western Film Exchange in St. 
Louis and another in Joplin, Missouri. His next step 
was to purchase the control of the Crawford Film Ex- 
change and to acquire the exchange owned by George 
Kleine. 

Later Mr. Aitken allied himself with the Motion 
Picture Sales and Distributing Company, now defunct. 
Then he began his constructive work as a motion pic- 
ture producer. He opened offices in London, New 
York and Chicago, assisted in the formation of the 
American Film Manufacturing Company, purchased 
the control of the Carlton Motion Picture Laborator- 
ies where Reliance films were produced, organized the 
Majestic Motion Picture Company and opened a large 
exchange in New York. 

Upon the dissolution of the Motion Picture Sales 
and Distributing Company Mr. Aitken and others 




NORM A PHILLIPS "OUR MUTUAL GIRL" 

District Attorney Whitman and Deputy Police Commissioner Doherty in the picture 



o f S c f e n c e 57 

formed the Film Supply Company of America. At 
this time a body of capitalists, under Charles J. Kite's 
direction, purchased the Thanhouser Film Corporation 
and became allied with Mr. Aitken. 

This proved the nucleus for the formation of the 
Mutual Film Corporation. Since that time the growth 
of the Mutual has been rapid, steady and secure. 

In 1910 Mr. Aitken established in London, England, 
the Western Import Company which handles the for- 
eign business of the Mutual Film Corporation. He 
put in charge his younger brother, Roy E. Aitken. 
This concern has turned out to be one of the largest 
film selling and distributing organizations in Europe. 
It has offices in Paris, Vienna, Brussels, London and 
several other cities of Great Britain. Many other 
agencies are being established and the firm is also 
preparing to open producing studios in Europe, 

In the latter part of December, 1913, Mr. Aitken 
organized the Reliance Motion Picture Company to 
produce films for the Mutual program. The new organ- 
ization took over the Carlton Motion Picture Labor- 
atories, situated on the old Clara Morris estate on the 
dividing line between New York and Yonkers; the 
finely-equipped studio and laboratory at Hollywood, 
near Los Angeles, California, formerly occupied by 
the Kinemacolor Company of America, and established 
a new producing studio in the heart of New York, at 
Sixteenth Street and Broadway, 29 Union Square 
West, which is the only studio on Broadway. Mr. 
Aitken himself is the president of the Majestic Com- 
pany and the largest stockholder and controlling fac- 
tor in that concern. He is also an officer and one of 
the largest stockholders of the New York Motion Pic- 
ture Corporation. 



58 Cfte Cfteatre 

Big things are being accomplished by the Mutual 
Film Corporation in a big way. One of these is the 
steady policy of securing the best timber available for 
important positions. When the General Film Com- 
pany and the Kinetograph Company were both dis- 
tributing films made by the manufacturers allied with 
the Motion Picture Patents Company in competition 
with each other, Mr. Aitken seized the opportunity to 
secure J. N. Naulty as his lieutenant in New York 
City. Alfred Weiss was secured to conduct the Mu- 
tual's New York exchanges. 

In the producing end of the industry the Mutual 
Film Corporation had allied with it the foremost lights 
of the industry. Most prominent of all is David W. 
Griffith, who supervises all Majestic and Reliance pro- 
ductions and personally produces the big features 
known as Griffith films. 

The two other highest paid motion-picture directors 
have been with the Mutual Film Corporation longer 
than Mr. Griffith. They are Thomas H. Ince, Vice- 
President of the New York Motion Picture Corpora- 
tion, the man who produced "The Battle of Gettys- 
burg" and the spectacular Kay-Bee features, and 
Mack Sennett, head of the Keystone Company, and 
responsible for the Keystone comedies. These two 
men receive from sixty to one hundred thousand dol- 
lars a year each. Mr. Ince has quoted the last-named 
sum as his annual income to the writer as stated in 
another chapter. 

Among the actors and actresses the Mutual Film 
Corporation has retained the stars established through 
long association with its allied producing firms, and 
has also added many stars from other companies. 



of Science 59 

Among these are several prominent players who came 
over with Griffith from the Biograph. 

In the way of producing big feature pictures the 
Mutual Film Corporation is accomplishing much. 
These are distributed through the Continental Fea- 
ture Film Corporation, and include such subjects as 
"The Battle of Gettysburg," "The Great Leap," 
"Sappho," "The Wrath of the Gods," "Seeing South 
America with Col. Roosevelt," "The Escape," "The 
Floor Above," and "Home, Sweet Home" or "The 
Battle of the Sexes." Many other big features pro- 
duced under the master-hand of D. W. Griffith are 
forthcoming. 

Two of the best things done recently by the Mutual 
are worthy of more than passing note. On a Western 
trip Mr. Aitken took a run down to Mexico and en- 
gaged Gen. Francisco Villa, the famous general, per- 
sonally to appear in a serial moving picture of his life. 
The battle scenes were staged with especial care and 
proved most pretentious. The other brain child of Mr. 
Aitken was a plural reel feature, "Home, Sweet 
Home," produced with a cast of eighteen well-known 
photo-play stars perhaps the greatest aggregation of 
well-known players ever seen in one picture. The 
plot was so constructed that, not only did it tell an 
interesting story, but gave each player a chance to 
interpret the type best suited to his or her ability and 
in which the player is best liked. 

An interesting achievement of the Mutual Film Cor- 
poration and among the most important, is the novel 
weekly serial, "Our Mutual Girl." This picture was 
heralded by a national advertising campaign. It 
shows the adventures of a simple country girl, who 
comes to visit her aunt in the city. The aunt is a 



60 Cfre Cfteatte 

leader in New York society, and the niece is taken 
through all the interesting spots in the Metropolis 
and meets many prominent persons, besides being 
dressed in the latest styles and indulging in the latest 
fads. The pictures in this series are put before the 
public at the rate of one reel a week, and proved pop- 
ular beyond all expectation. 

The Mutual Film Corporation has impressed itself 
upon the minds of all as one of the most alert and 
progressive as well as the fastest growing and most 
stable among motion-picture concerns. 

One instance of its progressiveness may be cited in 
its adopting the distinctive slogan, "Mutual Movies 
Make Time Fly," accompanied by its trade-mark, a 
winged clock dial. This slogan and this insignia are 
well known throughout America, and mean to all 
The Mutual Film Corporation. 

The Kinemacolor Company of America, operating 
under the Urban-Smith patents, possesses the Ameri- 
can rights to the only successful method of producing 
natural color motion pictures. The films receive no 
artificial coloring whatever. 

The films for these natural color motion photo- 
graphs are taken and projected at twice the rate of 
"filter," and when projected upon the screen for ex- 
hibition, are thrown through the same filter. Photo- 
graphs are taken and projected at twice the rate of 
speed of the original black and white motion pictures ; 
thus, while the black and white motion pictures pro- 
ject sixteen pictures upon the screen every second, 
or 960 per minute, the natural color motion photo- 
graphs of the Kinemacolor Company of America are 
projected at the rate of thirty-two every second or 
1,920 per minute. 



of Science 6i 

The Kinemacolor motion pictures are actually rest- 
ful to the eye and possess none of the qualities which 
in the black and white often produce eye strain. 

Opticians state that this is due to two causes the 
first is the presence of the natural colors in the pic- 
tures, and the second is the fact that the pictures are 
thrown upon the screen at twice the rate of the black 
and white, thus giving a much "steadier" picture and 
much clearer. 

For a short period of time after its organization, 
the Kinemacolor Company of America devoted itself 
to the production and exhibition of great -picturesque 
events of current history, such as the Durbar, when 
King George of England was crowned Emperor of 
India, and the Coronation ceremonies in England. A 
little later, without abandoning this great field, the 
Kinemacolor Company of America entered upon the 
reproduction of comedies and dramas in natural col- 
or motion photography. Their plans for this were all 
laid far in advance and no public announcement of the 
fact was made until the Company had on hand more 
than three hundred comedies and dramas produced 
by their own companies. They now have five com- 
panies who are spending the winter in California, 
where they can get the benefit of the almost constant 
sunshine so necessary for the production of good pic- 
tures, and who will spend their summer around New 
York. 

Only comparatively recently has the Kinemacolor 
service been extended to any theatres except in a 
few of the very large cities, but now branch offices are 
being opened in different parts of the country, and a 
service will be given to one theatre in each city or 
town large enough to support a really good theatre. 



62 Cfre Ctieatte 

The Kinemacolor Company of America gives every 
exhibitor the sole right to present natural color pic- 
tures in his locality and thus, to use a trade term, the 
Kinemacolor pictures exhibited are all "first-run 
reels." 

The agreement under which Warner's Features, 
Inc., was organized was ratified on August 1, 1913. 
It owns and operates its own exchanges in Philadel- 
phia, Pittsburg, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Dallas, 
Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, 
Cleveland, St. Louis, Boston, Buffalo, Minneapolis, 
New Orleans, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, New York, 
Detroit, Cincinnati, Toronto, and Montreal. The com- 
pany has also an important exchange in London, Eng- 
land. 

The new Warner's is a solution of the problem that 
has been a stumbling-block to producers. Many man- 
ufacturers have undertaken and many others have been 
willing to undertake the making of pictures of the 
greatest proportions and value, but owing to the pres- 
ent combinations they could not reach the exhibitors 
with their output. On the other hand, the exhibi- 
tors have been handicapped in their efforts to increase 
their business by the stronghold in which manufac- 
turers who have had exchange interests have en- 
trenched themselves and followed their own disposi- 
tion as regards the quantity and quality of the film 
they prepared. 

The new company's operations open a new epoch 
in the motion-picture field. Exhibitors will have the 
assurance from now on that the American and Eu- 
ropean manufacturers will vie with each other in their 
efforts to meet the growing and exacting demands of 
the patrons of moving-picture playhouses for produc- 



of Science 63 

tions of excellence and originality. No motion-picture 
plays of extraordinary quality will be shelved by rea- 
son of there not being an opportunity for spectators 
to place the stamp of their approval thereon, and se- 
cure for the manufacturer the returns he deserves for 
his initiative and ability in producing the kind of film 
on which the growth of the patronage of the business 
depends. 

A number of manufacturers have been anxiously 
awaiting the opportunity of securing this outlet, and 
with their co-operation the program handled by the 
Warner's exchanges equals any source of supply now 
available to exhibitors, and gives to manufacturers the 
opportunity they have sought of successful disposi- 
tion of the productions they can make. 

A program of three three-part features is released 
weekly. This is an exclusive service that is, films 
are not rented to any two houses in the same block, 
or to any two houses in the same radius where their 
respective audiences would see the same pictures, and 
consequently diminish the box-office receipts. In 
small towns films are supplied to a single exhibitor. 

At present, there seems to be a demand for melo- 
dramatic and sensational subjects. There is likewise 
a growing market for films on the educational order. 
It is not the policy of the Warner exchanges in the 
various cities to purchase films. They are branch of- 
fices of Warner's Features, Inc., and will rent to ex- 
hibitors in their territory. Much of the success of 
Warner's Features, Inc., in building up a genuine de- 
mand for feature production is due to the able lead- 
ership of Mr. P. A. Powers, President. 

Hobart Bosworth, of Bosworth Incorporated y had a 
long career as an actor upon the dramatic stage, dur- 



Cfte Cfteatte 



ing which he acted for ten years in Augustin Daly's 
company. After that he was leading man for some of 
the best-known stars in the country, including Mrs. 
Fiske, Miss Marlowe and Miss Crosman. 

In 1909, after several years of ill health, Mr. Bos- 
worth adopted the profession of moving pictures, be- 
. cause it offered him an opportunity to use his dramat- 
ic knowledge in the open air. He has written and 
directed a large proportion of the plays in which he 
has appeared. 

Having lived a life of adventure and having been 
an out-door man, even during his theatrical experi- 
ence, he felt a fitness to direct and play a great many 
of the leads in Jack London's wonderful stories of 
outdoor life and adventure. And as the situation in 
the film world seemed to trend toward the special re- 
lease in feature form, Mr. Bosworth succeeded in in- 
teresting two Los Angeles capitalists, Frank A. Gar- 
butt, yachtsman, automobilist, aeroplanist, and H. T. 
Rudisill in securing the contract from Mr. London, 
"by which all his stories, past, present and to come, 
are to be put upon the screen by them, feeling that 
Mr. London's tremendous popularity, not only in 
America, but wherever books are read, would insure 
the success of the productions. 

The remarkable reception accorded the "Sea Wolf," 
the initial production of Bosworth, Inc., has justified 
them in their belief. "Martin Eden," "Valley of the 
Moon" and "John Barleycorn," have already been 
made. "Smoke Bellew," "Burning Daylight" and 
"Son of the Wolf" are in preparation. 

Mr. Bosworth's plan of action is not to produce as 
rapidly as possible, but as carefully. He believes that 
the day for hurry and slipshod methods in moving 




JESSE L. LASKY SAMUEL GOLDFISH HARRY REICHENBACH 

President Lasky Feature Players General Manager and Treasurer General Press Representative Jesse 

Co. Jesse Lasky Feature Film Co. Lasky Co. 




DANIEL FROHMAN REHEARSING JAS. K. HACKETT IN SCENE FROM 
"THE PRISONER OF ZENDA" 



of Science 65 

pictures is past. Every "stunt" that can be accom- 
plished by actor or rider, without loss of life, has been 
done so often that audiences are now bored by the 
most sensational films. Nothing seems to be left but 
good stories, well acted and prepared with the utmost 
faith to detail and scenic effect. In the special case 
of Mr. London's stories, the director's work is simpli- 
fied in that he has only to follow with utmost exacti- 
tude the descriptions of the author, and, wherever pos- 
sible, photograph the scenes upon the exact locations 
described by Mr. London. 

Jesse L. Lasky, long known as a producer of vaude- 
ville classics, and a comparative newcomer in the field 
of silent drama, has leaped to the front as a creator 
of big features, by reason of the plan of the Jesse L. 
Lasky Feature Play Company, which, in its prelimi- 
nary announcement, gave out the statement that it 
had already contracted for sufficient material to keep 
the entire firm busy for three years. 

The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, com- 
posed of Jesse L. Lasky, Cecil B. De Mille and Sam- 
uel Goldfish, will make twelve big productions the 
first year, the initial feature being "The Squaw 
Man" with Dustin Farnum. Following this, Edmund 
Breese in "The Master Mind" and Edward Abeles in 
"Brewster's Millions" were released. 

Each production will require a month for the mak- 
ing, and exhibitors look forward to the Lasky output 
as the supreme effort in the film world. 

Mr. Lasky will personally supervise the making of 
all films and Cecil B. De Mille will have charge of the 
direction and staging of the productions. 

Samuel Goldfish, a business man of no little repute, 
will look after the executive end of the Lasky affairs. 



66 Cfte Cfteatte 

Mr. Lasky, if he is to be measured by his past ef- 
forts, should stand at the head of the motion-picture 
field. His variety acts are the classics of their field, 
and his magnificent "Folies Bergere," the most sump- 
tuous of all amusement creations, is yet fresh in the 
memory of local playgoers. It was Jesse Lasky who 
introduced the Cabaret into America. A dozen other 
innovations can be laid to the fertile mind of this ar- 
tistic producer. 

The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company is lo- 
cated in the Long Acre Theatre. Samuel Goldfish, 
General Manager, is in complete charge. Harry 
Reichenbach, for years with Henry B. Harris and 
John Cort, will have charge of the publicity, and each 
Lasky Feature will receive nation-wide publicizing. 
The Lasky Company, with studios at Hollywood, Cal- 
ifornia, numbers one hundred and fifty persons. On 
going to press the Lasky Company announced that it 
has secured the film rights for David Belasco's plays. 

"To present photo-plays as elaborate scenically and 
as perfect in histrionism as the finest attractions along 
Broadway is the task I have cut out for myself/' de- 
clared Daniel V. Arthur in the course of a conversa- 
tion with the writer, at his offices in the Lyric The- 
atre Building. As Mr. Arthur has for many seasons 
been recognized as one of the most astute and pro- 
gressive theatrical managers in both the field of drama 
and of opera, his announced excursion into the realm 
of motion-picture production is being watched with a 
great deal of interest, and his novel and ambitious 
plans are arousing much discussion and enthusiasm. 

"There is no reason," continued Mr. Arthur, with 
the same energy demonstrated in his manner of speech 
as has always marked his achievements on Broadway, 



of Science 67 

"why motion pictures should not become the most uni- 
versal and artistic form of dramatic entertainment, as 
well as the most popular. 

"As conditions are to-day the influence of the first- 
class theatres in this country is tremendously restrict- 
ed. Even the hugest successes in New York the 
plays that run one or two years can be taken only to 
the largest cities in the country. And even then the 
inhabitants of large communities outside of New York 
and Chicago witness much cheapened presentations by 
inferior companies, while the great bulk of the people 
of the country the thousands who live in country 
places and in villages cannot see these plays because 
of the basic necessity for an opera house. 

"The motion picture, though, can invade the small- 
est communities, even the most secluded districts. Of 
course, many fine films have been produced, both in 
this country and abroad, but no motion-picture pro- 
ducer yet has ever given to motion pictures the same 
expert attention and lavish, intelligent expenditures 
that characterize play production in the $2 theatres. 
Most motion-picture actors have been recruited out- 
side the members of the profession who have won their 
laurels in the high-class theatres. Occasionally some 
"star" has been induced to appear in a film, but the 
supporting companies have never been made up of 
recognized Broadway favorites. 

"The reversal of this system is to be my first inno- 
vation. Not only do I intend heading the cast of 
every one of my photoplay productions with one or 
more stars of the utmost eminence, but every single 
player who appears in my pictures, even though more 
than 300 are utilized in a single production, will be 



68 Cfte Cfteatte 

recruited from the ranks of the best players regularly 
appearing in Broadway theatres. 

"It is useless to deny that a special aptitude is neces- 
sary for film interpretation, and a certain amount of 
experience as well, no matter how gifted a player may 
be upon the legitimate stage. So, wherever I find a 
worthy actor or actress, one who has a fine following 
upon Broadway, I intend making a fine motion-picture 
actor or actress out of them. To this end I am going 
to found a preparatory school, where special instruc- 
tion will be accorded gratis to all those actors who 
I believe would be "great cards" in photoplays, but 
who I feel are in need first of a special course setting 
before them the initial requisites of film enactment. 

"My second important innovation will be in the mat- 
ter of stagecraft. Instead of methods so generally em- 
ployed in film productions, I intend to provide even 
more elaborate and spectacular productions than have 
ever been presented on the stage, for the whole wide 
world will be my stage, and I intend to spare neither 
expense nor trouble to provide the most novel and au- 
thentic settings procurable. The interior settings will 
all be photographed in the large and fully equipped 
studio which we control in Yonkers, but the exterior 
pictures will be taken wherever on the globe the most 
satisfactory scenes can be found. If necessary, I will 
send my artist and camera experts twice around the 
earth to procure the material for a single play. 

"I am going to make it possible to transport Broad- 
way to the most remote hamlets in the United States. 
It is my firm desire to make the entire nation acquaint- 
ed with the finest plays that have ever been produced 
upon Broadway. Scarcely one person in one hundred 



of tie nee 69 

thousand can ever see the best actors in the best 
Broadway productions. I am going to send, by means 
of miles and miles of films, the greatest actors in the 
world in the greatest plays ever written into every 
nook and corner of the country, no matter how distant 
or remote or small." 

The large order which Mr. Arthur has outlined for 
himself is placed on record in this volume, and it 
remains for history to establish the fulfilment. 

During his career Mr. Arthur has managed the star- 
ring tours of Stuart Robson, DeWolf Hopper, Digby 
Bell, Marie Cahill, Kelsey and Shannon, Bessie Abbot, 
Weedon Grossmith and Grace Van Studdiford. 

The All-Star Feature Corporation is composed as 
follows : 

President Harry R. Raver, Secretary and Treas- 
urer Exclusive Supply Corporation, Secretary and 
Treasurer Itala Film Company of America, Secretary 
and Treasurer Grand Circuit Features. 

Vice-President Archibald Selwyn, Treasurer Amer- 
ican Play Company, President Selwyn & Co., Theatri- 
cal producer. 

Treasurer Philip Klein, Treasurer American Photo- 
play Company and theatrical producer, Assistant 
Treasurer Authors' Producing Company. 

Secretary George J. Cooke, President Metropolitan 
Lithograph Company. 

Director-General Augustus Thomas, Playwright 
and Dramatist. 

The company is engaged in the manufacture and 
production of the motion picture of the higher type 
the presentation of Broadway theatrical successes in 
which are featured prominent theatrical stars. Pictures 



Cfteatte 



of four, five, and six reels only are made, comprising a 
full evening entertainment in themselves. 

The corporation was organized in August, 1913, and 
has already completed the following productions : Au- 
gustus Thomas' "Arizona," with Cyril Scott in the 
leading role, supported by Gail Kane and a prominent 
cast. It is in six parts. Henry M. Blossom, Jr.'s 
"Checkers," in five parts, with Thomas W. Ross in 
the part he originated. Richard Harding Davis' "Sol- 
diers of Fortune," with Dustin Farnum in the lead, in 
six reels. Eugene Walter's "Paid in Full," with Tully 
Marshall, Riley Hatch and a Broadway cast, in five 
parts. Augustus Thomas' "In Mizzoura," featuring 
Burr Mclntosh. Augustus Thomas' dramatization of 
Charles Dana Gibson's famous series of drawings, 
"The Education of Mr. Pipp," in which Digby Bell 
plays the lead. Edgar Selwyn's adaptation of Sir Gil- 
bert Parker's "Pierre of the Plains," in which Mr. Sel- 
wyn appears in the lead. 

In preparation or for production at a later date are: 
Upton Sinclair's powerful story, "The Jungle," in 
which Mr. Sinclair himself will play the prologue. 
James A. Herne's past success, "Shore Acres." Geo. 
Bronson Howard's "An Enemy of Society." "The 
Traveling Salesman" and "The Chorus Lady," by 
James Forbes. Robert W. Chambers' many books of 
fiction. "Within the Law," the tremendous theatrical 
hit, and all of Augustus Thomas' successes. 

Every production made by the All-Star Feature Cor- 
poration is produced under the personal direction of 
Augustus Thomas, who is actively associated with the 
company. 

It is the plan of the company, before long, to en- 




AUGUSTUS THOMAS 

One of the first playwrights of the speaking stage to produce for the screen. Head of the 
All Star Film Co. 



of Science TI 

gage famed and qualified playwrights for the writing 
of original photoplays. 

This last statement is, indeed, important. Augustus 
Thomas will grasp, as few producers can, the full range 
of picture-play productions. That he will ultimately 
discard the one-time stage successes and approach the 
vital task of the new era, which will follow the ex- 
haustion of stage material, is an announcement of great 
significance. 

Much has been written, more has been said, about 
educational films. Like a cherry, the subject has been 
nibbled at, a little bit here, and a little bit there, but 
nothing of a concrete, practical nature was really at- 
tempted, in the United States at least, until the Co- 
lonial Motion Picture Corporation took hold of the 
problem in a business-like manner. This corporation 
numbers in its ranks such well known men as: 

James D. Law, President American Artography 
Company, President Colonial Motion Picture Corpor- 
ation. 

Hudson Maxim, Inventor of "Maximite," and other 
U. S. Government explosives, Consulting Engineer and 
Experimental Expert for E. I. duPont de Nemours 
Powder Company, who acts as Technical Expert for 
Colonial Motion Picture Corporation. 

Sir Gilbert Parker, Member of the British Parlia- 
ment, Novelist, Director of the Colonial Foreign De- 
partment. 

Duff C. Law, Expert Cinematographer, Inventor 
and Technical Director of the Colonial Motion Picture 
Corporation. 

John D. Dunlop, of Dunlop Brothers, Silk Manufac- 
turers, New York. 



72 Cfte Cfteatre 

Roland Phillips, Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine, 
New York. 

Rich G. Hollaman, President of the famous Eden 
Musee, Pioneer Exhibitor of Motion Pictures in Amer- 
ica, President of Grand Central Palace, New York. 

Proctor W. Hansl, President of Seth Moyle, Inc., 
Publishers, New York. 

Alfred H. Saunders, formerly Editor of both Mo- 
tion Picture News and Motion Picture World, Man- 
ager of the Colonial Educational Department. 

Mr. James D. Law, the President of the corporation, 
is known nationally and internationally as an author 
and business man, and is co-inventor with his son, 
Duff C. Law, of many improvements in motion pic- 
ture machines and apparatus, including sound synchro- 
nizing. They, together, have also invented a process 
of color photography, controlled by the Colonial Mo- 
tion Picture Corporation, so simple and yet so accu- 
rate that they can show motion photography in all 
the colors of nature, correctly, completely and econom- 
ically, without the aid of complicated machinery, and 
giving pictures of extraordinary brilliancy. 

Mr. Alfred H. Saunders has been a pioneer in the 
educational field during the past fifteen years. He has 
organized the educational department of the Colonial 
Motion Picture Corporation, by obtaining specialists 
from every university and college throughout the land, 
who will act in the capacity of Advisory Directors for 
the purpose of producing educational films, in the true 
sense of the word. These will be largely scientific and 
industrial features, comprising the whole range of 
studies from the simplest to the most complex sub- 
jects. 

Thousands of subjects are already available under 



of Science 



the above heads, and it is the purpose of the Colonial 
Motion Picture Corporation to increase these with the 
assistance of the various professors of teaching who 
will allow their negatives to be utilized for the spread 
of education through every branch. Mr. Rich G. Hol- 
laman is allied with Mr. Alfred H. Saunders in this 
work. 

This branch of the Colonial, while important, will 
not, however, absorb the whole of its activities. In 
line with their principle of having only the better kind 
of motion pictures, the corporation has secured the 
motion-picture rights to the best known literary works 
of many famous authors, including the following : 

Sir Gilbert Parker, author of "The Right of Way," 
"The Battle of the Strong," "The Seats of the Mighty." 

George Randolph Chester, author of "Get-Rich- 
Quick Wallingford," etc. 

Rupert Hughes, author of "Excuse Me," "The Old 
Nest," "Miss 318." 

Gouverneur Morris, author of "The Claws of the 
Tiger," "The Penalty." 

James Oppenheim, author of "Dr. Rast," "Idle 
Wives." 

Frederic Arnold Kummer author of "The Brute" 
"The Other Woman." 

Mrs. Wilson Woodrow author of "Sally Salt," "The 
Silver Butterfly." 

Mabel Herbert Urner, author of "The Journal of a 
Neglected Wife," "Their Married Life." 

George Bronson Howard, author of "Snobs," "The 
Double Cross," "Broadway to Paris." 

"Larry" Evans, author of "Once to Every Man," etc. 

John Fleming Wilson, author of "The Man Who 
Came Back," etc. 



Cfte Cfteatte 



Cosmo Hamilton, author of "The Blindness of Vir- 
tue," "The Door That Has No Key." 

Sir Gilbert Parker's "Seats of the Mighty" will be 
the first picture filmed by the corporation. This pro- 
duction is to be followed by an elaborate dramatiza- 
tion of Booth Tarkington's "Gentleman from Indiana," 
and by other productions of equal importance. With 
the finest photography, acting, scenery and scenarios, 
added to the prestige of famous names and productions, 
it is confidently believed that the Colonial Motion Pic- 
ture Corporation will set up a new standard of cinema- 
tography, producing films that will not be here to-day 
and gone to-morrow, but real works of art, literary 
subjects and technical masterpieces that will entertain 
and educate young and old as has never before been 
attempted, far less accomplished. In the words of 
President James D. Law, "There is room in every city 
and hamlet for a high-grade moving-picture hall or 
theatre where only the better kind of motion pictures 
will be shown, and can be shown on a financial, self- 
supporting and even dividend-paying basis." To help 
in this good work, and enable others to profit with 
them, is the aim of the officers and management of 
the Colonial Motion Picture Corporation. 

When the World Film Corporation announced their 
advent into the feature end of the motion-picture busi- 
ness,* they said they would handle nothing but what 
they considered the best of the world's output of both 
the European and American manufacturer. Up to the 
present time they have fully lived up to their promise. 
Hundreds of films have been offered them for exploi- 
tation, the vast majority of which they refused as not 



* In June, 1914, The World Film Company became allied with the 
Shubert Theatrical Company for the purpose of filming all of the stage 
successes of the latter. 




JOAN OF ARC ON TRIAL FOR HER LIFE "JOAN OF ARC THE MAID 
OF ORLEANS" 

Produced by Savoia Film Co., Turin, Italy, in five parts 




IN THE PRESENCE OF CONSTANTINE THE TRIUMPH OF AN EMPEROR 

"In Hoc Signo Vinces" (By this sign you will conquer). Five parts 



of @>c fence 75 

being up to the standard. In order to carry out this 
policy they realized that they would have to be in a 
position to market their films all over the United 
States. In order to accomplish this purpose, they have 
already opened twenty offices extending from New 
York to Minneapolis in the North; New Orleans in 
the South, and Kansas City in the West, and they an- 
ticipate having a half-dozen more offices open, extend- 
ing out to the Coast by the first of March. In order 
to reach the high standard they have set for them- 
selves, they have gathered about them a force which 
they consider the best engaged in the business. The 
question of salary has never entered into the prop^ 
osition. Their motto has been : Get the man no mat- 
ter what the cost. Every man connected with the or- 
ganization is ranked among the potential factors in 
the business. The motion-picture exhibitor has trav- 
eled along the same lines in business for several years, 
reaping the harvest of a few dollars, but never giving 
thought to the morrow, but the patrons of the motion 
pictures are demanding more and more of the exhibi- 
tor and the motion-picture manufacturer. It stands to 
reason that no firm can make pictures all of which 
are always good. As a result, an exhibitor who is tied 
up with a regular service, no matter whose service it 
is, has to take the bad with the good. Whereas the 
output of the feature men handing out a regular serv- 
ice is limited to a dozen manufacturers, the World Film 
Corporation has the pick of hundreds. They are ab- 
solutely unlimited in scope, both of manufacturer and 
subjects. Nothing is too big or too small for them to 
exploit, provided it meets the approval of the concern. 
As witness, Pasquali's "The Last Days of Pompeii," 
"John of Arc," "The Triumph of an Emperor." 



76 Cfte Cfteatre 

The unvarying standard of excellence which has 
marked the products of the Great Northern Film Com- 
pany, ever since its advent into the field of cinemato- 
graphy eight years ago, has placed it in an enviable 
position in the fore rank of manufacturers who regard 
quality as an asset precious enough to be safeguarded. 
It was the Great Northern Company that first intro- 
duced the multiple-reel subjects in this country, and 
from this beginning sprang the feature of to-day with 
its still-growing possibilities for the future. Having 
been the pioneers in this productive field of the motion- 
picture industry, the Great Northern Company, quite 
logically, has made it its aim to hold its progressive 
stride. The result has been a succession of remark- 
able photoplay productions that have been acclaimed 
by reason of the distinguished personnel of the players, 
the wise selection of subjects and photography which 
has set a standard in cinematography. 

From the first multiple-reel subject presented, the re- 
sult has been a succession of productions out of the 
ordinary. The forthcoming presentation of "Atlantis," 
adapted from Gerhardt Hauptmann's novel of the same 
name, is calculated to establish a new record by reason 
of its magnitude. The product of the Great Northern 
Company is manufactured in Copenhagen, Denmark, 
where five studios and an extensive plant are kept in 
constant service, supplying the world-wide demand for 
multiple-reel productions, absorbing photoplays, com- 
edies and scenic subjects. The principal actors and 
actresses have been engaged from the Royal Theatre 
of Copenhagen, as well as from other European cen- 
tres of dramatic art. The natural scenery in the sub- 
urbs and the country surrounding the quaint Danish 
capital, together with the rare atmospheric conditions, 



of Science 77 

supply all that could possibly be wished for in the 
production of these sterling films. Mr. Ingvald C. Oes, 
the General Manager of the Great Northern Company 
ever since the New York office was established, al- 
though comparatively young in years, is a veteran in 
the film business and has earned an enviable reputation 
as a progressive. 



78 Cfte Cfteatte 



CHAPTER IV 

Long before the vogue of the moving picture had 
reached the photoplay stage of its amazing evolution, 
"Pop" John Ince passed on, little dreaming that his 
three sons who had already passed through the vicissi- 
tudes of a precarious stage era would become famous 
and prosperous in a field where the father's teachings 
was their greatest asset. 

Those who know their Broadway of a generation ago 
will recall how John Ince was wont to promenade 
along the Rialto with his children, all of whom were lit- 
erally born in the atmosphere of the theatre. Though 
one of the most capable comedians of his time, the elder 
Ince, throughout his long and honorable career, failed 
to score the one-compelling "hit" that would have en- 
riched him. Instead, he became noted as the best ex- 
ponent of the Chinaman in the country. Often Ince 
starred in his Chinese creations, but he always seemed 
to escape the good-fortune meted out to many less 
worthy stars. For a long time he starred jointly with 
Minnie Palmer in "Our Boarding School," but the 
greater portion of his career was spent "jobbing," until, 
weary of the "road," and undoubtedly wishing to bet- 




STUDIO, SANTA MONICA, OR INCEVILLE 

(New York Motion Picture Co.) 




AN AUTOMOBILE SMASHED JUST FOR ONE SCENE AT A COST OF $500 
(New York Motion Picture Co.) 

Where Thomas Ince Holds Sway and Earns Every Penny of His Six-figure Salary 



of Science 



ter prepare for the future of his children, he established 
next door to the Broadway Theatre an agency and a 
school of acting, and it was here that the now-cele- 
brated Ince brothers learned the technic of the stage. 
Their schooling was of that kind difficult to obtain in 
modern times. All three boys began stage careers as 
infants, and the manner in which the eldest (Thomas) 
entered the moving-picture field is interesting enough 
to justify the author in presenting here a description of 
how a struggling actor in a few years became one of 
the vital factors of a great industry. The history of 
the theatre from its inception to this day will reveal 
no more amazing rise to fame and fortune than that 
of "Pop" Ince's oldest son. 

Like most actors in the older field, Thomas H. Ince 
found that after eighteen years of toil and untold hard- 
ships, during which unpaid salaries and "tie walking" 
were often recorded in his diary, his varied experiences 
had availed him nothing. His last engagement was in 
one of the cheapest vaudeville circuits, and from this 
he landed in New York one day without enough money 
to pay for a room for himself, wife and baby. While 
making a round of the agencies, Thomas came in con- 
tact with an actor who had formerly played a small 
part in one of his companies, and was informed by 
the latter that he had found a permanent berth as a 
producer of motion pictures. Ince argued that if a 
"hanger-on" could secure a directorship in this field, 
he, himself, was wasting his time acting. Finally this 
director offered Ince the usual $5 a day to enroll for a 
"try-out." Making good, the management asked Ince 
to remain, which the latter agreed to, provided he 
would be granted the first opportunity in the directing 
line. 



C6e Cfteatre 



The opportunity came quickly enough, and at a 
weekly honorarium of $60, for which Ince was, indeed, 
grateful. In two weeks one of the directors quit and 
Ince was placed in full charge of the studio. The film 
company was not one of the best grade, and Ince real- 
ized he was working for a lot of ex-clothing dealers 
who knew nothing of its artistic side; not one of the 
heads could speak English, so after a year of hard work 
with a little money saved, Ince left the studio and went 
to Los Angeles, where he obtained another engagement 
at double his previous salary. It happened that one 
day Miller Brothers' "101" Ranch Show was exhibiting 
in the city, and Ince sought out Charles O. Baumann, 
President of the New York Motion Picture Company, 
suggesting that Mr. Baumann's film company engage 
the entire "101" outfit for a series of big western pic- 
tures, with real Indians, cowboys, horses, etc. Bau- 
mann, who is credited with being a real showman, im- 
mediately entered into the project, with a final result 
wholly constructive and immensely profitable. 

Ince, now in absolute authority, revealed himself 
as a prodigious worker. It was yet a primitive period 
in film development, and he had to write his own scen- 
arios, direct the productions and "hustle props." The 
actors had to dress in tents. One little stage and some 
"near-scenery" provided the environment, for the firm, 
now so wealthy, had none too much money after this 
investment, and as they had practically no experienced 
actors, it was necessary for Ince to make leading men 
and women out of cowboys and cowgirls. They must 
have had the spark of genius, for not a few made more 
than good, while one lady, especially, who began under 
Ince in those days, has become one of the real stars of 
the screen. 



of Science si 

After six months of notable achievement, Ince ob- 
served that the different factions in the film world were 
fighting among themselves. As he himself put it, "when 
thieves fall out, honest men come into their own." Both 
sides wanted the man who had shown a remarkable 
genius as a director. That Ince also was not lacking 
in business acumen is best indicated by the arrange- 
ments he entered into during the aforesaid warfare. 
Instead of a salary, Ince was given a 50 per cent, in- 
terest in the company, and was elected Vice-President 
and General Manager. Now he has under his direction 
close to 400 persons. The company controls 20,000 
acres of land leased for motion-picture purposes, and he 
now directs his operations from the filmtown known as 
Inceville-by-the-Sea, in Santa Monica Canyon, Cali- 
fornia. 

Here is turned out every week 10,000 feet of finished 
product. The pay roll is $15,000 a week. They have 
their own electric light plant, private telephone sys- 
tem, raise their own cattle and have a fine truck gar- 
den an industrial village, in fact. 

Ince has started to make the big features he has been 
dreaming about for a long time and has incorporated 
a company in which his own name alone is featured. 
Thus we have, as far as it has developed, the career of 
a man who began directing photoplays at a weekly 
salary of $60. Mr. Ince reluctantly admits that his 
annual income is now close to $100,000. I quote him 
here verbatim: 

"I am afraid, Mr. Grau, you will think this is rather 
inflated. Perhaps you had better not publish the fig- 
ures. I tried to answer your question truthfully. 

"I think my rapid rise should provide incentive for 
others. There will always be great opportunities for 



Cfte Cfteatte 



directors. There is much to learn, however, as the art 
is vastly different from the stage, and a director should 
have knowledge of photography to obtain the best re- 
sults. Opportunities like mine do not come to one 
every day, but big salaries will always be paid to di- 
rectors, and that, too, fifty-two weeks in the year." 

I am tempted here to extemporize on the favorite ex- 
pression of Mrs. General Gilfroy, in that delicious sat- 
ire of other days, "The Mighty Dollar," viz., "Shades 
of 'Pop' Ince, look down upon us." 

Of Mary Fuller* there is little to be written at this 
time, for here we have the photoplayer whose per- 
sonality and achievements are as familiar to the gen- 
eral public as to the writer. Perhaps the most interest- 
ing phase of her film career is the manner in which 
the Edison star has held aloof from all efforts to induce 
her appearance in the vaudeville theatres, despite that 
in one instance a contract was offered to her which 
called for a four-figure weekly honorarium. 

It is not in the province of the writer to attempt to 
review the many portrayals of a Mary Fuller or a Marc 
McDermott ; therefore, if less is written here anent their 
varied achievements than of other players less cele- 
brated, this is solely due to the fact that their fame has 
required magazine and newspaper writers to recite 
practically every phase of their artistic and personal 
careers. 

But of Mr. McDermott I cannot be certain that he 
has been fully credited with the part he has played in 
delving into the classics of literature and perpetuating 
on the screen the all-compelling genius of the world's 
greatest poets. 

I have sat in a playhouse more than once, when for 



* She leaves the Edison Company in July, 1914, to join the Universal. 





* I 

SI 



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twenty minutes this great silent actor would be de- 
picted on the screen sitting in a chair with a book in 
his hand, moving scarcely a muscle, yet through sheer 
facial expression and utter repression of theatrical ef- 
fects, the art of McDermott held an audience, none too 
intellectual, as spellbound as one may possibly hope to 
achieve even in these days of wondrous science, and 
this, too, without an ally save the intermittent flash- 
ing of a line from the immortal verse of a Tennyson on 
the screen. 

Perhaps Mr. McDermott may achieve world-wide re- 
nown as a result of such productions as "The Man Who 
Disappeared," but it is not a reflection on Richard 
Watson Childs' literary effort to cherish the hope that 
a true artist like McDermott may be utilized less for 
thrillers wherein he may easily be replaced and his 
artistry preserved for that vital era of the picture play 
when such as he alone can establish what the new art 
really stands for. 

New wonders of the film studio are being revealed 
so persistently that even the miracles of long standing 
are often overlooked. I have often heard men high 
in authority on the artistic side of the theatre express 
themselves in terms like this: 

"It is all very well to boast about the young players 
who come before the camera without stage experience 
and quickly achieve fame and fortune as well as lead- 
ing stellar positions, but how much of this is due to 
the director? 

"You do not, however, gaze upon the spectacle of 
a director of photoplays who has 'made good' who has 
not had stage experience and plenty of it, at that." 

For a long period I was much impressed with the 
truisms of these expressions, but research, such as the 



84: Cfte Cfteatte 

present volume has necessitated, has cast such theo- 
ries to the winds. Elsewhere in the volume the career 
of Lawrence Trimble, expert author and producer of 
photoplays, is fully described. Mr. Trimble came to the 
Vitagraph studio to prepare a series of articles for a 
magazine and remained there for years without ac- 
complishing his task. Instead he became a celebrated 
director and is now turning out photoplays in which 
Florence Turner is featured. Mr. Trimble never was 
connected with the theatre in any capacity. 

And now comes before me the unusual achievement 
of George W. Terwilliger, whom I recall on the edi- 
torial staff of the "Dramatic Mirror" and who after- 
ward started the "Morning Telegraph's" motion pic- 
ture department under the pen name of Gordon Trent. 
While on the "Telegraph" Terwilliger wrote scenarios 
between issues, as the paper was published on Sun- 
days only. These he sold to the Biograph Company 
and they were good enough to be directed by that 
master of picture craft, D. W. Griffith. 

From there he joined the Reliance Company as sce- 
nario editor, also writing one story a week. Later 
Terwilliger saw a chance to better himself with the 
Lubin Company. Here he turned out two plots a 
week, but one day he approached General Manager 
Lowry. Terwilliger said to the Lubin business head: 
"I don't believe it requires an actor or even a stage 
manager to produce a photoplay. Give me a chance 
and I think I can prove it." 

Lowry, from what I have heard of him from men 
who are in a position to know whereof they speak, is 
a man who believes that the motion-picture art is yet 
to find its greatest geniuses. That these may not be 
discovered until the idea now prevailing as to stage 



of Science 85 

experience being absolutely essential is proved a fal- 
lacy. 

"Anyhow" (as Bobby Gaylor would say) Lowry 
did give Terwilliger a chance, and the best proof of his 
capacity is the fact that his second production was 
"The Cry of the Blood," a three-reel masterpiece, 
written as well as directed by the man who never was 
connected with the theatre save as a writer or, rather, 
as a critic of distinctively professional publications. 

I believe that given a man of a high order of intel- 
lect who has an intimate knowledge of photography 
and who is gifted with an ability to "think in pictures" 
he will prove a greater asset to the film producer a 
year from now (if not much sooner) than the stage 
manager who comes to the studio with no other Qualifi- 
cation than his stage experience. 

Wilfred North, a Vitagraph director, while a long 
time associated with the stage, does not believe his 
stage knowledge has been the greater asset in direct- 
ing photoplays. Says Mr. North: "The director must 
see with the eye of the camera." And the day may 
be near when moving-picture productions (not photo- 
plays) are directed by the world's greatest minds 
wholly independent of the art of acting, and there are 
now men directing in the studios who are so well pre- 
pared for that day that they will welcome it. Mr. 
Griffith's remarkable success has resulted from his 
fearless and revolutionary methods. But for him the 
day of reckoning for the new art would not be so near. 

Realizing that the two questions were as vital as any 
he could ask, the author put these up to the famous 
director, D. W. Griffith, and this recognized authority 
on the photoplay responded thusly: 

"You ask me : 'Do you think the stage and its craft 



86 C8e Cfteatte 

are the best means of productivity for the camera 
man?' No, I do not. The stage is a development of 
centuries, based on certain fixed conditions and within 
prescribed limits. It is needless to point out what 
these are. The motion picture, although a growth of 
only a few years, is boundless in its scope, and endless 
in its possibilities. The whole world is its stage, and 
time without end its limitations. In the use of speech 
alone is it at a disadvantage, but the other advantages 
of the motion picture over the stage are so numerous 
and powerful that we can well afford to grant the stage 
this one point of superiority. The conditions of the 
two arts being so different, it follows that the require- 
ments are equally dissimilar. Stage craft and stage 
people are out of place in the intense realism of mo- 
tion-picture expression, but it may well be that a little 
motion-picture realism would be of immense advantage 
to the stage. 

"To your second question, 'After the plays of other 
days are exhausted, who will supply the needs of thirty 
thousand theatres?' I would refer you to the opinion 
expressed in the foregoing paragraph. The plays of 
other days are not essential to the motion picture, and 
I am not sure that they are not proving a positive 
harm. If motion-picture producers had no access to 
stage plays, they would be obliged to depend upon their 
own authors for their material, and, since the picture 
dramas that would thus result would be composed en- 
tirely for picture production, they could not fail to 
much more nearly reach a perfection of art than could 
ever be hoped for while writers and directors are try- 
ing in vain to twist stage dramas into condition for 
picture use. When the plays of other days, and of 
these days are exhausted, as they will be, motion pic- 



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tures will come into their own. They are valued now 
only for advertising purposes, and, when a stage play 
is reproduced in pictures with any success, it is inevit- 
ably found that often the plot and always the manner 
of treatment have been entirely departed from. 

"D. W. GRIFFITH." 

The receipt of Mr. Griffith's letter coming as it did 
just as this volume goes to press, indicates that the 
present writer is supported in his theories theories he 
has given expression to in magazines and in the public 
press by men who have helped to make the motion- 
picture art what it is to-day. And if such authorities 
as Mr. Griffith are correct in their viewpoint, the pres- 
ent stage movement in filmdom will be followed by the 
vital era of the new art itself. 

The photoplay depicting criminal life in various 
phases is about as widely discussed by writers in the 
press and magazines as any subject the camera man 
has embraced, yet the consensus of opinion indicates 
that censorship such as now obtains in this country 
is wholly inadequate to exercise any control of the 
widely varied outlets through which the crime photo- 
play may have "got by." 

Even where censorship is most rigid the productions 
of objectionable plays dealing with crime and viola- 
tions of law and order are not less prolific than in those 
sections of the country where the control is vested in 
leagues, created in recent years by representative bod- 
ies of state exhibitors, who have banded together for 
uplift of the industry which has endowed their mem- 
bers with a lucrative occupation. 

The writer, wishing to present in the current volume 
the views of some one experienced in criminal proced- 



88 C6e Cfteatte 

ure, yet who has also some knowledge of the motion- 
picture art and its influence to prevent or even to create 
criminal tendencies, approached William J. Burns, the 
celebrated detective. I had considerable difficulty to 
impress this gentleman with the idea that he might ex- 
press himself beneficially. Mr. Burns has, himself, ap- 
peared in moving pictures and is fairly familiar with 
the technical side of film making, and I thought that 
because of this fact he must have some decided views 
on the power for good or evil or both possessed by 
the authors, directors, players and producers individ- 
ually and collectively. Said Mr. Burns : 

"I would say the motion-pictures' possibilities for 
good are unlimited. The mental attitude of the aver- 
age spectator at a photoplay house is receptive in seek- 
ing what might be called a deviation from mental or 
physical strain. The brain craves for 'something dif- 
ferent/ but the action must divert the mind to new 
thoughts. 

"I am sorry to say," Mr. Burns continued, "that in 
many instances the motion-picture people accept and 
produce narratives and plots which are so transparent 
in character, void of possibility or actual occurrence, 
that they really detract from the good that is seemingly 
sought to accomplish. This I have noticed when the 
film is one depicting the commission of crime. The 
ease and alacrity with which the crime is apparently 
committed requires so little effort that a person with 
criminal tendencies would drink in the situation with 
such a ravenous appetite, owing to the receptive con- 
dition of the mind, that the desire to simulate the star 
character could not be resisted, and almost before he 
would be aware of it, would have embarked upon a 
career of crime." 



t>f Science 89 

Mr. Burns also pointed out that films showing the 
successful evasion of capture and escapes from prison 
are presented with the idea of emphasizing the genius 
of the criminal in this respect, and the effect on the 
spectator criminally inclined, but not yet wholly lost, 
is most destructive. 

Mr. Burns believes in censorship provided a high 
order of intelligence shall characterize the make-up of 
such a board, and he seemed to think that this was 
needed solely because of the advent of so many pro- 
ducers attracted by the lure of quick profits, and in 
this view the great detective is so correct that it is 
hoped that the established film concerns will them- 
selves agitate some system of control that will prevent 
film production from reaching the level that once was 
a notorious feature of stage offerings before discipline 
and rectitude were established through organization. 

& ., ef, 

The photoplay author of the grade to qualify for 
the future needs of the producers is none too plentiful. 
In truth, the best writers are now firmly intrenched in 
the studios on large guarantees as to salary. The heads 
of the larger film companies are looking ahead, too- 
taking advantage of the overflux of stage plays adapted 
to the screen to prepare for the day when this source 
of supply will be exhausted or perhaps unwelcome. 

Up to a year or two ago, the free-lance photoplay- 
wright was welcomed, at least to the extent that it 
was hoped a new genius would come forth to be imme- 
diately "signed up" for one of the studios for its sce- 
nario department. Practically all of the prolific photo- 
play authors who have many produced and released 
successes to their credit are now either on the salaried 



90 CJje Cfteatre 

staffs of the large producers or else have arrangements 
to write exclusively for these. Moreover, despite the 
known fact that hundreds of men and women without 
previous experience as writers have succeeded in sell- 
ing scenarios, nevertheless such authors as have made 
their impress emphatic and enduring nearly all hail 
from the field of the theatre or from the editorial sanc- 
tum. 

This is so true that one may not find, save in some 
rare instance, an established writer of photoplays de- 
voting himself entirely to scenario work, unless under 
contract to the producers. Even such prolific authors 
of photoplays as Epes Winthrop Sargent, Roy S. Mac- 
Cardell, Captain Charles Keiner, and Russell E. Smith 
are actively engaged in other fields. All are experi- 
enced writers of fiction for magazines and newspapers. 

The distinctly theatrical writer has achieved promi- 
nence as a photoplaywright, and more than one erst- 
while writer for the publications devoted to the stage 
and its people has qualified as director also. As stated 
elsewhere in the volume, the "Dramatic Mirror" has 
sent from its editorial staff to the film studio such now 
well-known authors of photoplays as Frank Woods, 
Calder Johnstone, and George W. Terwilliger (the lat- 
ter is also a director). 

Bannister Merwin, Captain Leslie Peacocke, Mark 
Swan, Charles M. Seay, Emmett Campbell Hall, Larry 
Trimble, George F. Hennessy, E. Boudinot Stock- 
ton, W. A. Tremayne, Lawrence S. McCloskey, and a 
dozen other representative photoplaywrights have all 
written for the stage or for the magazines, and it must 
not be forgotten that about one-half of the scenarios 
of the established film companies are prepared by the 
photoplayers themselves. 



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Mary Fuller, Gertrude McCoy and Bessie Learn, all 
with the Edison Company, are experienced writers of 
photoplays, and nearly all of the Edison male players, 
such as have been with that company several years, 
add to their income materially through an ability ta 
turn out compelling scenarios. While in the Vitagraph 
Company no week goes by that at least two of the re- 
leases do not reveal the names of Vitagraph players 
as authors. At least twenty members of the acting 
forces write photoplays. 

All of the ladies holding important positions in the 
scenario departments of the big studios were able fic- 
tion writers before entering filmdom. Elizabeth V. 
Breuil, Marguerite Bertsch, F. Marion Brandon, and 
Louella Parsons, the first two with the Vitagraph, the 
last two with Eclair and Essanay respectively, were ac- 
cepted story writers, who quickly grasped the technic 
of the photoplay and became in short order practically 
the most important executives in the studios, occupy- 
ing the same position and holding the same authority 
as the editor-in-chief of the story magazine. 

Monte Katterjohn, who was one of the first to write 
photoplays for the Vitagraph Company, and who has 
retired from a long service to the Universal Company 
as its scenario editor, was and still is a prolific contrib- 
utor to the best magazines. Mr. Katterjohn's success 
in the last few years is the best illustration of the type 
of author to find in the present vogue of photoplays a 
profitable vocation, and it is such as he that will come 
forth with renewed vigor and with a far greater finan- 
cial reward when the producers are confronted with a 
demand from 30,000 photoplayhouses for something 
more vital and original than picturized versions of more 



92 Cfte Cfteatte 

or less successful stage plays. Mr. Katterjohn is only 
twenty-three years of age. 

Although Bannister Merwin has not written for the 
stage up to now, this author, at present with the Lon- 
don Film Company as its artistic head, has had his 
hands full to supply the scenarios for producers here 
and abroad, yet it is known that he is working on a 
fairy tale to be presented as a spectacle in a London 
playhouse early in 1915, and if one may judge from 
the outcome of Captain Leslie Peacocke's "Neptune's 
Daughter," originally conceived and prepared for a 
stage production, and yet to be produced as such, it 
will not be surprising if the Bannister Merwins and 
Leslie Peacockes figure conspicuously in stage produc- 
tivity a year or two hence. 

As Mr. Blackton so clearly indicates in his contrib- 
uted article in the present volume, the great need of 
to-morrow, aside from what he so aptly calls the "life 
portrayal," is original multiple-reel photoplays con- 
ceived and written by the world's greatest fiction au- 
thors, who will embrace their task now with an abun- 
dance of confidence with an assured financial reward 
not possible as recently as two years ago, and with but 
one obligation on their part, namely, that they under- 
take their task with the screen alone in mind. 

The writer is penning these lines at the end of May, 
1914, when progress and expansion is assuming such a 
pace in filmdom that the problem as to what will de- 
velop before this volume is off the press has entailed 
no little temptation to resort to prophecy. However, 
more than one authoritative prediction has come from 
the big studios to the effect that long before the year 
1914 has run its course the very last of the "stars" of 



of Science 



literature will have capitulated to the lure of the new 
art. 

Not all of the most desired acquisitions from the lit- 
erary calling will come forth solely from great financial 
incentive. If this were the only aim the sensational 
success artistically and financially attending the screen 
efforts of Rex Beach, Harold MacGrath, and a half 
dozen of their colleagues famous as fiction writers, 
would sufHce to induce a veritable stampede of the 
studios by authors of world-wide fame. 

But there is looming on the motion-picture horizon 
the natural aftermath of the astonishing success of the 
serial photoplay first introduced by the Edison Com- 
pany with the "Mary" series and followed later with 
the sensationally successful "Kathlyn" series, both con- 
ceived by famous fiction writers and the last named 
creating an almost general affiliation between the film 
producer and the magazine and newspaper publishers. 

The price paid to Harold MacGrath for the manu- 
script of the twenty-seven-reel production of "Kath- 
lyn," presented in thirteen instalments, is said to have 
been $12,000, while his contract for another serial pho- 
toplay, entitled "The Million-Dollar Mystery," pro- 
duced late in June, 1914, by the Thanhouser Film Co., 
of New Rochelle, calls for a much larger compensa- 
tion, and the magnitude of this serial production may 
best be imagined when it is stated that a $10,000 prize 
is to be awarded for the best solution of the mystery 
in 100 words. 

The combination of Harold MacGrath and Lloyd 
Lonergan (artistic head of the Thanhouser Company) 
is one that may well attract attention, for here we have 
two magazine writers who have already proved that 



94 Cfte Cfjeatre 

their genius lends readily to the constructive side of 
the motion-picture art. 

Bannister Merwin is a name that has been displayed 
on the screen long before the present custom of credit- 
ing photoplaywrights with their achievements, and the 
day is near when such as he alone will provide scen- 
arios. When the present vogue of stage adaptations 
ends, the real photoplay author will come into his own. 
Mr. Merwin has written many Edison successes. His 
best photoplays follow: "Home, a Thanksgiving 
Story," "While John Bolt Slept," "A Concerto for the 
Violin," written in collaboration with Mrs. Merwin; 
"The Sunset Gun," "The Antique Brooch," "Her Royal 
Highness," "The Dean's Daughters," and "All for His 
Sake." Mr. Merwin is now in London, preparing for 
forthcoming productions with the London Film Com- 
pany of "The Menace," and "Child O' My Heart." 

It will be interesting to watch the efforts of such 
authors as Bannister Merwin, who have never written 
for the stage, but who represent, in the writer's opin- 
ion, the future ammunition of the film producer. 

Emmett Campbell Hall is noteworthy not only be- 
cause of his eminent position as a photoplaywright - 
a position which enables him to command a salary 
considerably better than that received by a cabinet 
officer but because he is probably the only author 
who, having already attained success in the field of 
general literature, had the foresight and courage to 
devote himself exclusively to the new art of photoplay 
writing, and this at a time when thirty dollars was 
regarded as a good price for a scenario. Events have 
fully justified his faith in the future of the motion- 
picture play, however, in the development of which 
he has been no inconsiderable factor. Mr. Hall's man- 



of Science 95 

uscripts are in the most comprehensive sense photo- 
plays, and not mere outlines or scenarios. More than 
four hundred of his stories have been released, almost 
all of the first-class studios having participated in their 
production. More recently, however, he has contrib- 
uted exclusively to the Lubin Company, the high dram- 
atic and literary standard of whose releases has be- 
come famous. Mr. Hall's great value lies not so much 
in a large output, but in the quality of his material, 
and the fact, unusual even among the most successful 
writers, that he can be absolutely depended upon to 
produce the highest quality photoplays at fixed inter- 
vals. 

Roy L. McCardell, author and newspaper writer, 
first became identified with moving pictures in April, 
1899. 

Mr. McCardell had suggested the colored comic sup- 
plement to the "New York World" in 1893, and in 
1896 left "Puck" to start the first publication of this 
kind with Morell Goddard, then Sunday editor of the 
"World." It was Mr. McCardell who first brought the 
work of R. F. Outcault to the attention of Mr. God- 
dard, and together these three are responsible for the 
getting up, illustrating and issuing of the first colored 
comic section issued with any Sunday newspaper. 
This was for the "New York World," in November, 
1896. Mr. Outcault, one of the trio, afterward became 
famous through his "Yellow Kid" and "Buster Brown" 
comic supplement pictorial series. Mr. Outcault, by 
the way, is also now interested in moving pictures, 
and so is Mr. Goddard, through his association with 
the Hearst publications and the Hearst affiliations with 
the new science. 

Meeting H. N. Marvin, the Vice-President of the Bi- 



Cfte Cfreatte 



ograph Company, in April, 1899, Mr. McCardell was 
offered the position of scenario writer for the Bio- 
graph and Mutoscope the latter the familiar penny- 
in-the-slot moving-picture machine. During his stay 
with the Biograph Company, Mr. McCardell originated 
some three hundred moving pictures. Here he also 
formed business and social relations with many men 
subsequently famous in moving pictures Messrs. 
Marvin, Long, Marion, McCutcheon, and, later on, 
Rock, Smith, and Blackton of the Vitagraph, and Ed- 
win Porter, then of Edison and now of the Famous 
Players. After a year's pleasant association with the 
practical side of moving-picture taking with the Bio- 
graph Company, Mr. McCardell returned to newspa- 
per work for the "World," creating his famous 
"Jarr Family" series and other newspaper features. 
He still retained his connection with moving pictures 
as a free-lance scenario writer, and has been steadily 
identified with the progress and growth of the new 
science. Altogether, he has given, at this writing, over 
eight hundred picture stories to the screen. 

Marc Edmund Jones, one of the few photoplay au- 
thors who make that their sole vocation, is a compara- 
tively new arrival in the literary field. He was born 
in St. Louis, Mo., October 1, 1888, and was brought up 
and educated in Chicago, 111. In 1908 he left school 
and started to work for the Pullman Company, work- 
ing up to the position of storekeeper. In 1911 he re- 
signed to become associated in the management of a 
small company in Santa Barbara, Cal., and remained 
there until 1912, when he returned to Chicago and en- 
tered the employ of the Western Electric Company. 
He resigned from this company in January, 1913, to 
devote his entire time to writing moving-picture plays. 







PATHE FACTORY AT BOUND BROOK, N. J. 




PATHE STUDIO, JERSEY CITY 
Where " The Perils of Pauline " was Filmed and Rehearsed 



of Science 97 

He wrote his first photoplay in October, 1911, and 
followed this with three more; but all four were re- 
jected promptly. At a later date, he was persuaded to 
submit one of the four a second time, and this led to 
his first sale (Essanay). But his next efforts were all 
rejected, and he lost interest again. Some six months 
later he visited a moving-picture plant for the first 
time, and this resulted in the fatal attack of the photo- 
play-writing fever. He started to work in earnest in 
July, 1912. 

He has been prominently identified from the start 
with the different movements for the benefit of the 
photoplay author. When it was suggested that "get- 
together" circles of writers be formed, he organized 
the first of these The Chicago Inquest Club. He was 
in New York to help organize the parent inquest club, 
and has recently organized the Los Angeles circle. 
He was the first photoplay author to have a man ar- 
rested for the theft of a scenario, and when the case 
was decided against him he agitated the matter in the 
trade papers, finally persuading a number of the more 
prominent writers in Los Angeles to attend the meet- 
ing which resulted in the formation of the Photoplay 
Authors' League. 

He was among the first to take the stand that the 
photoplay author must be a technical expert in all mat- 
ters of photoplay production, in order to arrange the 
material in his stories in the most effective manner, 
and to follow this with careful study. He has directed 
and played in scenes and has designed and originated 
a number of effects. He was among the first to an- 
nounce his belief that the author will be of more im- 
portance to the film than the players and the director. 



98 Cfte Cfteatre 

Because of this he has refused many offers of positions 
as editor, staff writer, and director. 

He is not a prolific writer, and averages less than a 
script a week. But every script sells, each one is writ- 
ten carefully for the company that purchases it, and 
his releases are almost invariably successes. Among 
his most successful releases are "Twilight" (Essanay), 
"The Wood Fire at Martin's" (Selig), "Sunlight" (Es- 
sanay), "In the Firelight" (American), "Slipping Fin- 
gers" (Selig), "Withering Roses" (Beauty), "Millions 
for Defence" (Vitagraph), and "The Town of Naza- 
reth" (American). 

The Photoplay Authors' League was organized in 
Los Angeles on February 27, 1914, by a group of rep- 
resentative writers who met primarily to see what ac- 
tion could be taken following the decision of a local 
judge that a photoplay manuscript was valueless. In 
March the organization was perfected and officers 
elected for the first year as follows: President, Frank 
E. Woods ; Vice-Presidents, Hettie Gray Baker, Rich- 
ard Harding Davis, and Ernest A. Dench; Treasurer, 
Richard Willis ; Secretary, Marc Edmund Jones. The 
members of the Board of Control are: Hettie Gray 
Baker, Marc Edmund Jones, Russell E. Smith, F. Mc- 
Grew Willis, Richard Willis, William E. Wing, and 
Frank E. Woods. 

The purposes of the league are : 

To take every possible means of gaining recognition 
for the art of photoplay writing, and to gain better 
recognition for its authors. 

To aid as far as possible in encouraging and devel- 
oping a better grade of authorship for the photoplay. 

To knit together in a compact, effective, and power- 



of Science 99 

ful organization of national and international scope the 
recognized photoplay authors. 

To give its members and all other photoplay writers 
whatever protection the power of the league will en- 
able it to secure. 

To strive to gain for photoplay manuscripts the priv- 
ilege of copyright registration without publication, as 
is extended to the manuscripts of dramatic and dra- 
matico-musical compositions under the copyright laws 
of the United States at present. 

To publish once a month a bulletin announcing new 
membership, reporting new laws and other matters ac- 
complished for the benefit of its members, and contain- 
ing a complete forum for the exchange and dissemina- 
tion of the experience and ideas of its members. 

To give an opportunity of copyright protection until 
such time as new legislation is secured, through the 
medium of the bulletin in which the publication of 
photoplay synopses and hence copyright shall be al- 
lowed, upon payment of a small fee. 

It is not the purpose of the league to be of any serv- 
ice in a social way, to regulate prices, to influence the 
sale of photoplay manuscripts, or to take any arbitrary 
or aggressive stand with manufacturers. 

It is not the purpose of the league to establish a res- 
ident membership either in Los Angeles or elsewhere, 
or to hold meetings for the benefit of its resident mem- 
bers in any locality. 

Active membership in the league consists of photo- 
play authors who have ten produced photoplays to 
their credit as author. Associate membership consists 
of authors having sold one photoplay manuscript. 



ioo Cfte C&eatre 



CHAPTER V 

The development of the motion-picture art, particu- 
larly as to its theatrical side, has been on such a scale 
that the writer has been confronted with space prob- 
lems in any effort to adequately recite and fairly ap- 
praise the scope and influence of even the few most 
prominent institutions which in 1914 began to vastly 
enlarge and improve the screen output, as a result of 
the simultaneous advent of the two- and three-hour 
photoplay in playhouses of the first grade, and at dol- 
lar prices of admission; also resorting to theatrical 
methods of booking and advertising. 

The movement has come with an impetus so com- 
pelling that it is not surprising to hear at every turn 
the direst predictions of the aftermath, but theatrical 
history is replete with evidence of the ability of the 
great public to quickly adjust the evils of all crazes, 
as they have developed in theatredom. The laws of 
supply and demand never were called upon to regulate 
the conditions in the amusement field to the extent 
that the year 1914 will be utilized to bring about an 
equilibrium between the spoken play, or what is called 
the legitimate theatre, and the theatre of science and 
invention. 



e f t f t n 1 1 



Here we have perhaps the most interesting, and 
surely the most vital, phase of present-day amuse- 
ments. The future of the theatre, as conducted since 
the inauguration of the Christian era, is at stake. To 
attempt to deny that this condition exists in the United 
States is to ignore the realization of the prophecies 
of less than three years ago. To-day such prophecies, 
based on the laws of proportion alone, if applied to the 
possibilities of the motion picture as a theatrical at- 
traction not necessarily assuming that photoplays 
will constitute the greater motion pictures of to-mor- 
row would indicate that the problem is nearing solu- 
tion. There is an intricate question now seriously agi- 
tating the amusement field from coast to coast "Are 
we due to relegate the player in the flesh to the film 
studio, in pursuance of the laws of modernism of a 
scientific era?" Or will there come forth at the cru- 
cial period so clearly at hand a crop of expert show- 
men (there is no other term to apply in this instance) 
such as the field of the theatre has lacked in recent 
years, who will grasp the greatest opportunity that 
has confronted the theatrical manager and play pro- 
ducer in fifty years, and by recognizing that the mo- 
tion picture vogue has created theatregoers out of 90 
per cent, of mankind, be provided with a greater incen- 
tive and a more valuable asset in the conduct of their 
operations than at any time in the world's history? 

Assuming that a genuine effort is made to entice the 
many millions of newly created theatregoers (the ma- 
jority of whom were attracted by the low prices in the 
first instance, but are gradually forced to increase their 
expenditure for entertainment) into the theatres where 
plays and players are presented in the old way, the 
day may be near when such of the producers as have 



Cfte Cfteatte 



interests in both fields will awake to the significance of 
a condition that reveals 90 per cent, (instead of 10 per 
cent, as recently as a decade ago) of a populace as 
theatregoers. 

And there is much to indicate that with the adjust- 
ment of admission prices to a scale almost equal with 
the two modes of public entertainment, that the film 
magnate, possessed of the showmanship instinct, and 
provided with playhouses and widely distributed stock 
companies, recognizing the trend of the motion pic- 
ture to materially add to the patronage of the spoken 
play, will himself enter the older field and demonstrate 
the correctness of the writer's viewpoint. 

No one believes that there is the least danger of 
the motion-picture play replacing the spoken play as 
an entertainment, but that the former has routed off 
the boards all but a few of the traveling companies 
and has driven cheap melodrama entirely from large 
and small cities alike, is admitted; and now that the 
rosters of the film studio include more well-known 
players than the speaking stage with the very last 
of the producers in the older field, Charles Frohman, 
capitulating to the lure of the camera man a condi- 
tion exists wherein the season of 1914-15 is due to wit- 
ness a complete change in the theatrical map. 

Whether the experienced theatrical managers now 
affiliated with the film industry take the initiative to 
induce the millions of amusement patrons created by 
the photoplay to become patrons of the so-called regu- 
lar playhourse, or whether the effort will be made by 
the gentlemen who have amassed fortunes in the newer 
field, and who are now in an impregnable position 
to make such a move, it seems certain that before 
the year is ended, as a result of the many affiliations 



of Science 103 

between the influential interests in both fields, a high- 
ly developed plan of apportioning the "lay-out" in the 
nation's theatres will be in operation. And then the 
question as to whether fifty million photoplaygoers 
can be enticed to divide their expenditure between 
the two methods of public entertainment will be an- 
swered, perhaps for all time. 

But there is one phase of this unique situation on 
which the prosperity of the theatre, as conducted along 
older lines, is at stake, that the showman Will have 
to reckon with, and this phase represents unquestion- 
ably the more vital issue namely, "Is the present- 
day tendency to present pictorial adaptations of more 
or less successful plays of other days the best use to 
which the motion-picture art may be utilized?" 

Is the theatrical movement which already compre- 
hends a complete presentation on the screen of past 
stage productivity a realization of the highest aims 
and greatest possibilities of a new art, which is just 
beginning to attract the attention of the world's great- 
est scientists and mechanics, and which is also induc- 
ing the investment of enormous capital by hard-headed 
men of the world of finance, to whom the theatre as it 
was never appealed ? 

The two first screen productions to achieve a world- 
wide vogue, after being released by American manu- 
facturers, were so nearly actualities, at least such was 
the impression created, that one may hear more to-day 
about "The Life of a Fireman" and "The Great Train 
Robbery" than will be heard as many years hence 
of the greatest film achievements of 1914. Yet these 
were not "actualities"; but the realism depicted even 
in that primitive period caused more than one film 
producer to specialize in productions wholly beyond 



Cfte Cfteatte 



the scope of a four-walled playhouse. If the records 
were published, it would be found that Paul Rainey's 
"An African Hunt" has attracted the public to a great- 
er extent, at higher prices of admission and for a 
more prolonged consecutive period, than any fictional 
theatrical or semi-theatrical release that came later. 

I may find few to endorse my views, nevertheless 
I hold that it is such productivity of the camera man 
and here the term is used advisedly that will event- 
ually prolong the amazing prosperity in filmdom. The 
realities of life not only prove the most compelling at- 
tractions with the public, but will enable one to point 
to the influence of the motion picture in the national 
life. The pictures of Captain Scott's unfortunate ex- 
pedition to the South Pole illustrate as nothing else 
can the possibilities of a heaven-born new art, and 
when the final results are achieved from many ex- 
peditions of intrepid men and women in this year of 
1914 some of which are conducted secretly, others 
requiring as much as two years of research and untold 
hardships for all concerned then will be witnessed 
perhaps the spectacle of the two-dollar-a-seat motion- 
picture production, without an actor, without even a 
director, and without scenic or stage accessories. 

There is no assumption that such productions can be 
evolved with the frequency requisite for exclusive use. 
No one dreams that in this century the photoplay, 
speaking literally, is to be wholly replaced by real-life 
films; but there is much to justify the belief that the 
greatest productions of the screen will be due to the 
unparalleled daring and persistent research of men 
and women bent upon revealing to mankind that which 
has never been seen save by the few explorers and 
scientists themselves. 



fl ( Science 105 

Men to whom the theatre is wholly without appeal, 
men emboldened by divine incentive, are now on their 
way to lands where a civilized human being never 
ventured before, and it is these Henry M. Stanleys of 
the second decade of the twentieth century who will 
perpetuate the vogue of motion pictures, and when 
the public is invited to gaze on such productions the 
impression created will be somewhat similar to that 
which one might have in seeing "A Million Bid" to- 
day, if the spectator had not entered a photoplay house 
since the days of "The Chase." 

Toward the end of 1913, the influence of the motion 
picture in shaping and revealing public sentiment was 
aptly illustrated through the experience of Hal Reid, 
erstwhile apostle of melodrama, author of a score of 
thrillers, and present-day all-round film promoter. Mr. 
Reid had been with various producing concerns, in 
the capacity of director and scenario editor, without 
achieving the unusual. Evidently Mr. Reid believed 
that the vicissitudes of one Harry Thaw would make 
a compelling subject, and as Mr. Reid once wrote 
and produced a play in which the slayer of Stanford 
White was sympathetically pictured, h was able to 
obtain the aid and co-operation of Thaw himself. 

Proceeding to Sherbrooke, Canada, and other Can- 
adian and New Hampshire cities, Mr. Reid secured less 
than 500 feet of film, yet in a half dozen of New York's 
vaudeville theatres of the first grade, for an entire 
week, the audiences were limited by the capacity, and 
twice daily in each the spectacle of the crowds cheer- 
ing the alleged madman was on view. It was at this 
time that several of the big city dailies reversed their 
attitude toward Thaw, and it is generally conceded 
that these Thaw films and the manner they were re- 



106 Cfte Cfteatre 

ceived convinced many and converted others into the 
belief that Thaw had been punished enough. Another 
phase of the Thaw pictures, interesting by itself, was 
the demonstrated fact that, provided copies enough 
were printed, half of the hundreds of millions of the 
world's picture patrons could see the exhibit inside 
of 60 days. 

Herbert Brenon, one of the best of directors who 
now are so vital a part of motion-picture develop- 
ment, told the writer that he got his best points for 
his work from the newspapers, and I sincerely believe 
that, as the present vogue of stage plays reaches an 
end, there will come on the scene an entirely new 
group of determined men and women who will write 
solely for the screen. These will come forward only 
when the producers realize that such talent and genius 
as they possess must be accorded financial recognition. 

This day of recognition for the author should come 
within a year ; but the first producer to grant a royalty 
on all income the producer himself receives will start 
an era of screen achievement as yet inconceivable, 
and then the photoplay author will be the envied of 
the entire literary calling, for his earnings will be pro- 
digious. George Broadhurst has admitted he earns 
$100,000 a year. I expect to see far greater annual 
earnings than this recorded in filmdom in 1915; but 
I am not sure the big reward will go to writers who 
ignore the significance of Mr. Brenon's admission as 
to where he gets his best points. 



In these days of realism, when the limitations of the 
stage are inducing play producers and players alike to 
intrench themselves in the film studios, one may 




Dan Weaver L. M. Note Wm. N. Selig Collln Rid William Morris Harry Lauder 

This Picture is Noteworthy for the Fact that It Contains the Only Likeness of Col. W. N. Selig That Has Been 

Published. 

Courtesy of the "Moving Picture World" 

WILLIAM N. SELIG, WILLIAM MORRIS AND HARRY LAUDER IN THE 
SELIG STUDIO, LOS ANGELES, CAL. 




CHARLES KENT AS "DANIEL" IN "DANIEL IN THE DEN WITH THE LIONS' 

A remarkable though actual scene in a Vitagraph production 



o f 1 1 e n c e 107 

well marvel as to where the limit line is to be drawn 
in the effort to outdo previous demonstrations of in- 
trepidity that is now so characteristic of modern film 
productivity. 

Few of us believe even now that the amazing revela- 
tions on the screen are not mostly due to the tricks of 
the camera, and still fewer would accept as a truth the 
published statements of the hair-breadth escapes of 
players of both sexes on whom the director is wont to 
rely whenever the scenario calls for reckless daring, 
where the danger to be encountered is such that, but 
for the apparent viewpoint of the spectator as to the 
illusions of the camera, the suspense of an audience 
would be immeasurably greater than it is; but un- 
doubtedly the actual "dare-devil" nature of several re- 
cent screen productions, if fully revealed to the aver- 
age audience, and accepted by it on the principle that 
"the camera cannot lie," the wildest cravings for 
realism, even in this era of sensational productivity, 
would be satisfied. 

Nevertheless, there seems to be a certain magnetic 
influence surrounding the film studio that will induce 
men and women of the stage to risk their very lives 
that the achievements of the producer of photoplays 
may be greater than what has gone before. So true 
is this that I could name more than one player now 
famous for intrepid performances on the screen whose 
stage career was wholly barren of the slightest sensa- 
tional incident; in fact, the most startling exploits as 
I am privileged to see them on the screen are partici- 
pated in by players long identified with the stage along 
classic and dignified lines. If anything was charac- 
teristic of such actors it was suppression. 

Perhaps no photoplayer of to-day has had a more 



108 C&e Cfteatre 

varied film experience than Charles Kent, and if there 
is anything in the line of daring that this Vitagraph 
player has not attempted during his years of service 
to that company I would like to know what it is. Yet 
this same Charles Kent on the speaking stage was 
very much similar to the great Coquelin, or our own 
John Gilbert of other days. Fancy John Gilbert going 
into a cage where three more or less man-eating lions 
are to be his sole company? 

When I saw the lithographs of the Vitagraph pro- 
duction of "Daniel," and recognized my old friend 
Kent in the title role, I did not wait till this photo- 
play was exhibited in my home town, but went to the 
city expressly. After seeing "Daniel" I told Mrs. Grau 
of my experience, and took her that night to the city 
where I saw it a second time. We both agreed that 
such a performance could, by no stretch of imagina- 
tion, be what it seemed to be. The more I thought 
of it the more skeptical I became. Assuming the most 
favorable conditions to prevail I could not name a 
player, past or present, who would undertake what 
Kent did, provided there were no "tricks." 

I determined to write to Mr. Kent, whom I had not 
seen in the flesh in nearly fifteen years. I called upon 
the veteran actor to tell me the truth, not thinking 
at the time to make any use of the information. But 
after reading Mr. Kent's letter I was emboldened to 
make it a part of this volume, if only to reveal the at- 
titude of the player toward the film producer as com- 
pared with that which usually obtains between actors 
and managers in the older field of the theatre. 

"800 E. 14th St., 

"10 Dec., '13. 

"Dear Grau Yours received. It was no fake. 



of Science 109 

Neither were the animals 'doped/ I prayed to God 
to protect me and went into the cage. Picked out 
'George* because he looked the kindest; played the 
scene with my heart in my mouth, and came out of 
the cage, and then I began to tremble, and did so for 
two hours. 

"I had just recovered from a severe attack of pneu- 
monia and I thought if God did not want me 'then' he 
would not want me a few weeks later. As I said, I 
prayed before I entered the cage, and I felt incased 
by about two foot of something, and strange to say 
before the picture was taken the lions walked around 
me and did not come within two feet of me. I thought 
it was the presence of the great 'Something* that 
watches over us all. It was my 'duty* to the dear Vita- 
graph Company to 'do it* and I 'did* it. Though I 
must say I don't think another man in the company 
would have risked his life in the same cause. 

"Trusting you are well, and with the compliments 
of the coming season, believe me, sincerely yours 
Charles Kent. 

"P. S. I was thrown into the den from above. The 
den was enclosed by an iron railing for the protection 
of the 'crowd outside/ If the beasts had been so in- 
clined they could have had a hearty meal, for I was 
certainly 'alone/ C. K." 

After reading this letter can anyone wonder any 
longer at the extraordinary condition now prevailing 
in the amusement world? If Mr. Kent would under- 
take such an exploit in sheer appreciation of "the dear 
Vitagraph Company," why marvel because Mary Pick- 
ford refuses fabulous offers to induce her to change her 
environment or because three of our best stage di- 



no Cfte Cfteatte 

rectors have joined the Famous Players' Film Com- 
pany. 

Was it not the great Nazimova, herself, who pro- 
claimed that whatever her disappointments have been 
in her stage career, she was encouraged that the day 
was near when the new art would reach such a stage 
in its progress that the thoughtful actor will at last 
have an adequate means of expression for his genius. 

* * * 

The season of 1914-15 is likely to witness a com- 
plete change in the aspect of the entire film industry. 
Heretofore what is known as the exchange system has 
controlled the output almost entirely. Such concerns 
as the General Film Company and what was called the 
Motion Picture Sales Company (now extinct) abso- 
lutely controlled the distribution of ninety per cent, 
of the releases up to two years ago. The General Film 
Company's position has been seemingly impregnable. 
Rumors of a break in their ranks have been plentiful 
from its inception to this day, but such changes as 
have been recorded have been wholly insignificant. 
While as illustrating its standing in the industry it has 
been the aim of practically all of the large film pro- 
ducers who have come into the field since the organiza- 
tion of the Motion Picture Patents Company, and its 
ally, the General Film Company, to become affiliated 
with the latter, to-day such of these as "Kinema- 
color," "Famous Players," "Kleine-Cines Quo Vadis," 
and the Klaw and Erlanger films are "booked" through 
the G. F. Co., which is to say to motion pictures what 
the United Booking Offices is to vaudeville. 

The Motion Picture Sales Company was, like "Gen- 
eral Film," the medium of booking or distributing for 
the group of independent manufacturers of film, 



of Science m 

which organized in 1908, following the formation of 
the so-called "film trust" in the same year; and it will 
be observed that the independents' mode of business 
procedure was much like that of its rival, both as to its 
holding company and the method of distributing its 
product, but, unlike the well-disciplined and firmly en- 
trenched G. F., the Motion Picture Sales Company was 
"in wrong" almost from the outset, though through its 
offices a tremendous volume of business was done, but 
friction came principally from two groups of gentle- 
men, and the warfare these indulged in probably has 
had no parallel in the history of "the show business." 
This warfare first brought about the dissolution of 
the Sales Company and the formation of two compet- 
ing bodies, one called the Film Supply Company, and 
these in turn gave way ultimately to the two strong 
organizations of to-day, namely, the Universal and the 
Mutual. The development of both of these groups of 
independent manufacturers has been truly extraordi- 
nary, yet whatever ground has been gained by either 
represents a survival after the most bitterly fought 
series of legal and physical combats ever recorded 
of an industry replete with sensational incidents in its 
progress. 

The contests for supremacy between the theatrical 
syndicates and the old-time pitched battles between the 
rival circus magnates were in line for Carnegie peace 
medals when compared with the endless warfare still 
prevalent in filmdom. The principal participants in 
the various legal and physical encounters were men 
who have done constructive pioneer work in the de- 
velopment of the motion picture, men who have made 
fortunes in the last ten years and most of whom own 



C6e Cfreatte 



or represent the largest film concerns in this country 
to-day. 

Perhaps these battles provided a greater incentive 
for notable achievement as manufacturers of film than 
any other influence one may name. Certain it is that 
such men as Carl Laemmle, P. A. Powers, Charles 
Hite and Messrs. Baumann and Kessel, who were vig- 
orously arrayed on one side or the other, have come 
forward in the last two years with an impetus that 
must be consoling. Surely, none there are who will 
question their status in the industry. The career of 
Laemmle is perhaps the most remarkable of the many 
meteoric dashes to the front that have been so interest- 
ing a part of film history. A fire pictured on a film 
helped to make him a millionaire. 

Laemmle is 47 years old, is given to soft hats and a 
clinging handshake and speaks with a slight German 
accent. 

"My first grasp on the basic foundation of film mak- 
ing came from seeing a fire filmed on the screen," said 
Laemmle recently. "I discovered that an average of 
eighteen per cent, of all the raw material which en- 
tered my factories was being wasted; now I have re- 
duced it to two per cent., and propose to eliminate 
all waste this year." 

Laemmle got into the film business through his ad- 
miration of the nickel as an article of barter. He land- 
ed in New York in 1884 a raw German boy of 17, with 
his $50 patrimony in his pocket. Soon he reached Chi- 
cago. The largest salary he ever received was $18 a 
week. To this he added a little by rising at 3 A. M. 
each Sunday and taking a train to a village twenty 
miles away, where he sold the Sunday papers. He 
gave up his $18 position in a wholesale jewelry house 











LILLIAN WALKER ("DIMPLES") 

(Vitagraph Co.) 



PEARL WHITE 

Who created "Pauline" in "The Perils 
Pauline." (Eclectic-Pat he) 





MARGARET SNOW 

(Thanhouser Co.) 



WINIFRED GREENWOOD 
(American Film Co.) 



c t Science 



to go to Oshkosh as cashier for a clothing house at 
$15 a week because he argued that as a jeweler he had 
no future. In four years he became manager, with 
an interest in the profits. Said Laemmle : 

"I believed myself to be a nickel genius and I plan- 
ned to establish a chain of five-cent stores. I found 
a business where I could make nickels multiply." Hav- 
ing saved $3,000, Laemmle went to Chicago. One 
rainy night he dropped into a five-cent theatre. Be- 
fore he left he knew all that the proprietor knew about 
the business. The next day he hired an experienced 
man to prospect for a good location for a moving 
picture theatre, and was on his way to Oshkosh to 
draw out of the bank his $3,000. In six weeks after 
he opened the first theatre he had two others in Chi- 
cago. In six months he owned a film exchange, and in 
two years he was a manufacturer. Money fairly rained 
upon him. The nickels were multiplying at an incal- 
culable rate. Laemmle regards his success as due to 
an insistent inquisitiveness in matters financial. From 
his employes he always demanded a daily report so 
that he knew to a dollar what yesterday's profits or 
losses were. From the outset he was a telegraph fiend, 
using the wires instead of the mails, beating his com- 
petitors. His early training as a buyer and seller 
helped him beyond comprehension when he became a 
tremendous film trader, and, most of all, he knew how 
to advertise. 

In the film world they call it "Laemmle luck"; in 
fact, the magnate himself in his advertising persistent- 
ly refers to Laemmle luck, but to-day the reference is 
inadequate and wholly unjust to himself, for here is a 
man whose achievements of the last two years place 
him among the captains of industry of a tremendous 



C&eatre 



business era. Moreover, there is nothing to indicate 
that he will not continue as a dominant figure on an 
overwhelming scale as long as he is identified with the 
vast industry which he has helped to make what it is 
to-day; not through luck but principally because of 
ceaseless toil and partially because of a personality 
electrically magnetic at times and ingratiating always. 

It must be understood that while theatrical methods 
in the booking of feature films have been in evidence 
for several years in a few instances, the changes that 
are likely to become permanent before the year is ended 
will have been created by what is now called the 
"Broadway Movement." 

When "Quo Vadis?" broke records throughout the 
country, attention was naturally directed to the man- 
ner in which the colossal Kleine-Cines production was 
exploited and as Mr. Kleine left the booking to Messrs. 
Cohan and Harris, the great financial results were gen- 
erally attributed to a resort to theatrical booking meth- 
ods, and also were the main incentive for the erection 
by Mr. Kleine and his associates of the new and com- 
modious photo-playhouse in the heart of New York's 
theatre zone. Moreover, the unexpected public re- 
sponse to the Vitagraph Company's bid for Broadway 
honors and the attitude of the important press in ac- 
cording to the inaugural night the same space con- 
sideration that is usually given to the dedication of the 
so-called legitimate theatre, all contributed to open the 
eyes of film men to the need of adopting new methods 
to exploit the costly productions which now seem alone 
to carry a large appeal. 

It is now thought that the feature film productions 
will be gradually separated from the long-established 
exchange system though there are still thousands of 




GEORGE KLEINE 

One time optician who, because of high ideals and great enterprise, has become a tremendous 

factor in the film industry. Producer of "Quo Vadis," "Antony and 

Cleopatra," etc. 



of Science 115 

little theatres throughout the country where the ex- 
change system of bookings is as potent as ever but 
the film industry has assumed such tremendous pro- 
portions in the past year that the belief is quite gen- 
eral that for the first time in twenty years the local 
managers of opera houses and halls in cities of 50,- 
000 population or under are due to secure a plethora 
of attractions. What this means of itself will be ap- 
parent to any one familiar with the truly ghastly box 
office records in the one-night stands in recent years. 
The Messrs. Shubert plan to divide quite equally their 
stage and film productions, and hope as a result to 
solve the most serious problem, that of providing at- 
tractions for their theatres outside of New York. 

So tremendous is the film output likely to be within 
the year that one must not marvel if the aspect of the 
great industry undergoes material changes over night. 
At the moment there are several factions operating 
under a complex, ill-disciplined mode of business pro- 
cedure. At any moment can come an upheaval such 
as has always followed the unorganized hap-hazard 
way of operating in the amusement field. 

From all this confusion resulting from ninety per 
cent, of the nation's showmen entering the film field, 
some arrayed against the established interests, others 
with them, there must arise a commanding figure of 
the Edward F. Albee type, who will so amalgamate the 
warring faction, eliminating the fakirs, as only a clear- 
ing house can, and so systematize the overwhelming 
screen productivity probably by some gigantic book- 
ing institution, such as obtains in vaudeville; then 
business rectitude and economic laws will combine to 
regulate a line of endeavor expanding so rapidly and 



Cf)e Cfaeatre 



absorbing so extensively as it marches on to its final 
goal, that even he who runs may read. 

Picturedom is looked upon by many as the New 
Eldorado. Many misguided fools are rushing in where 
experienced angels fear to tread. Many theatrical con- 
cerns are now "going into the moving picture busi- 
ness" and they blithely announce their intention to up- 
lift the motion picture and show the public some real 
stage productions done in pictures. Some that 
have come to light so far have been very sad affairs, 
as is but natural. The average theatrical man makes 
just about the same brand of pictures as the average 
picture producers made five years ago. To again quote 
the invaluable Shaw: "Vital art work comes always 
from a cross between art and life." 

The art of the picture is to convey an impression 
of absolute realism in a manner artistic. The theatri- 
cal stage manager has been proven to be utterly use- 
less in picture production until he has unlearned all 
the traditions of the stage and acquired an entirely 
new technique. It is unfortunate that many stock- 
jobbing, security-selling schemes are being offered to 
investors and the public under the magic "movie" 
name. Many royalties are being promised that will 
never be paid, and of many of these cardboard houses, 
great will be the fall thereof. "A word to the wise 
is sometimes money in pocket." 

The following statistics, furnished by Mr. Frank L. 
Dyer, late president of the General Film Company, 
give some idea of the magnitude of the industry: 

There are about 14,000 moving picture theatres in 
the United States ; there are 700 in Greater New York, 
and in addition 200 airdomes during the summer sea- 
son. 



of Science 117 

Over $20,000,000 was paid by exchanges to film man- 
ufacturers during the past year. Over $25,000,000 was 
paid by theatres to exchanges for the rental of films; 
$275,000,000 was paid by the public in admissions. 
There is about $25,000,000 invested in manufacturers' 
plants in the United States and fully $50,000,000 in 
finished negatives in stock. The money invested in 
motion picture theatres is estimated at $120,000,000. 
About 25,000 people are employed in connection with 
manufacturing, and probably 175,000 employed in the- 
atres. The amount of film used in the United States 
alone in one year is over 200,000,000 feet, or almost 
40,000 miles, and, as there are 32 pictures to each 
foot of film, this aggregates 3,200,000 separate photos 
of each man, woman and child in the United States, 
and, with all this, or the possibilities of this vast, 
all-embracing art, the surface has hardly been 
scratched. Europe is the accepted leader in things ar- 
tistic, but it is universally conceded that American 
motion pictures are the best in the world and is proven 
by the fact that more American films are sold and ex- 
hibited in Europe than of their own product. When 
America stands in the foremost artistic and literary 
ranks, as she undoubtedly will in another decade, mo- 
tion pictures will have been one of the most powerful 
contributing causes. 

All summed up in a paragraph, the answer is with- 
out a STORY motion pictures would be what they 
were styled at their inception, a novelty or a fad. So 
literature is indissolubly linked with the future and 
success of the greatest of the Allied Arts, the "Life 
Portrayal" or "Thought Visualized" is perhaps better 
than all "Literature Realized." 



118 C6e C&eatre 



CHAPTER VI 

As recently as four years ago, as far as this country 
is concerned, players of reputation on the regular 
stage were so reluctant to become affiliated with mov- 
ing pictures that the producers were forced to rely 
on what then was a rather narrow source of supply, 
namely, the provincial stock companies; yet the se- 
lections were, indeed, creditable, and to this day some 
of these young men and women have not only main- 
tained their lead as photoplayers, but not a few of 
the real stars of the screen of to-day are the same in- 
dividuals who in the early years of the 20th century 
entered the studios bent upon conquest in what to 
them was, indeed, a difficult yet new and interesting 
art. 

One must comprehend that even John Bunny has 
been a photoplayer but a little over three years. He 
came to the Vitagraph Company at a time when 
the stage calling was in such a precarious condition 
that the man who is now famous all over the world 
was quick to accept a weekly honorarium of $40. 
Bunny had been an actor for twenty-six years. His 
average salary was about $100 a week. He had been 
often promised more than this, but so unstable was 
the business procedure and often the engagements 



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were so short and so varied that Bunny fairly jumped 
at the chance to enter the field which he had observed 
closely, and as he put it himself, "Either I must make 
good on the screen or else starve to death." 

John Bunny's twenty-five years on the stage was 
much like the average stage career. That he never 
reached stellardom may be due to lack of managerial 
acumen. Certain it is that many play producers in 
the older field would permit him to write his own con- 
tract for a starring tour in the near future, and one 
has stated that he would be quite willing to grant the 
same terms if Bunny changed his name, indicating 
that, apart from his fame as a photoplayer, his value 
is now recognized. 

A year ago the late William Hammerstein as was 
his wont paid Bunny $1,000 a week to appear in mon- 
ologue. The Vitagraph star was kept a second week 
and later was rebooked. Moreover, as Mr. Bunny 
has persistently been offered a far higher honorarium 
for a prolonged tour of vaudeville and can become 
a Broadway star in a play expressly written for him, 
and has refused all such offers, it is reasonable to sup- 
pose that he is not earning much less than the presi- 
dent of the United States. Such has been the result 
so far from the plaintive appeal of the great laugh- 
maker made three and a half years ago, an appeal for 
permanent work and a surely paid salary of $40 a 
week. 

Many there are who believe that the photoplayers 
should not appear in person, at least not in the the- 
atres where their artistry is revealed on the screen, 
yet there is nothing to indicate that such appearances 
in the flesh detract from the player's appeal. Bunny 
certainly was a compelling attraction during the in- 



120 C&e Cfteatte 

augural period of the Vitagraph Company's own play- 
house, when the high-priced seats were sold days in 
advance, attracting a class of playgoers quite similar 
to that of the two-dollar-a-seat theatres. Bunny was 
accorded by the Vitagraph Company an additional sal- 
ary for his personal appearance so largely in excess of 
his regular compensation that it is hardly likely that 
the dainty silent drama in which he and two of his 
colleagues appeared would have been kept on the 
boards for two months if the idea itself had not been 
successful in fact, as illustrating the desire to see the 
idols of the screen in the flesh, the Vitagraph Theatre 
program will include this feature indefinitely, merely 
changing the productions and the players, a plan that 
presents possibilities for the perpetuation of a nearly 
lost art, that of real pantomime, such as was so ar- 
tistically offered at Daly's Theatre two decades ago in 
"L'Enfant Prodigue." 

Charles Kent was perhaps the first actor of the high- 
est rank to become a permanent member of the Vita- 
graph Stock Company, his advent therein antedating 
Bunny's by several years and no better evidence of the 
stability of the Vitagraph stock policy can be referred 
to than the spectacle this fine actor's film career re- 
veals. For more than seven years Kent has been one 
of the pillars of the Vitagraph structure. He has 
seen in that period a growth of the film company's 
operations nothing short of extraordinary. When he 
entered the Brooklyn studio the Vitagraph had but one 
studio, and its stock company numbered perhaps a 
dozen persons. To-day Mr. Kent is one of a score of 
noted leaders in a widely distributed stock organiza- 
tion, including more than 150 men and women, not 




A MILLION BID 




SCENE FROM "A MILLION BID," THE PHOTOPLAY NOW WIDELY DIS- 
CUSSED BECAUSE OF ITS REALISM 

In the Vitagraph Theatre, New York 

Two Scenes from a Notable Vitagraph Production 



of Science 121 

one of whom is lacking the requisites for a prolonged 
Vitagraph career. 

This big body of players represents by no manner 
of means the final growth of a colossal plan to enter- 
tain the world's gross population simultaneously. The 
number of well-known players who can command a 
larger compensation than was their's on the stage is 
surprisingly small, though, of course, the inducements 
becoming greater as the productions become more im- 
portant and numerous, the present year will greatly 
add to the list of accepted screen stars. 

But such achievements as those of Bunny and Kent 
are far fewer than those of photoplayers who came into 
the new field with either no stage experience or so lit- 
tle that they are entitled to recognition as products 
of the new art. Charles Kent, from the outset, dis- 
played a keen conception of the art of the photoplay 
from practically all of its angles. Furthermore, he is 
held fast in his artistic aspirations through an almost 
reverent devotion to the three gentlemen he so loyally 
serves. Elsewhere in the volume the reader will be 
provided with ample proof of this assertion. 

Mr. Kent not only plays the leads in countless 
photoplays, but not infrequently portrays a minor role 
with such consummate artistry that one may compre- 
hend the significance of Commodore Blackton's ex- 
pressed ambition to create within the Vitagraph studio 
as model a stock organization and with as lofty ideals 
as have made the name of Augustin Daly immortal in 
stage history. As Mr. Kent is the author of many 
photoplays, in not all of which he appears, and as he 
was for six years also one of the Vitagraph's chief di- 
rectors, his influence as a whole in the company's de- 
velopment will be apparent. 



122 Cfte Cfteatte 

Maurice Costello's film career was not unlike John 
Bunny's, and he, like his mirth-making colleague, has 
been a member of the Vitagraph Stock Company since 
his debut on the screen. I recall the handsome Cos- 
tello as a popular leading juvenile, with various stock 
companies, and have always maintained that the now- 
celebrated photoplayer was due to reach New York's 
theatre zone. Such as he invariably, too, have quickly 
scored when metropolitan opportunity was theirs. As 
it happened, Costello made his impress instanter in 
filmdom, because he invested each portrayal with a 
sort of realism that has always impressed me as wholly 
untheatrical ; in fact, it is this simulation of "the ac- 
tuality" that illustrates the very essence of the motion 
picture art. Few there are who possess this quality, 
and strangely enough, it is to be found less frequently 
among experienced actors such as Costello than in the 
"studio product," such as Carlyle Blackwell and J. 
Warren Kerrigan, two young men who played to- 
gether a few years ago in "Brown of Harvard." Neith- 
er accomplished anything of note on the stage, but 
both are veritable stars of the screen, and like Cos- 
tello, they are handsome, manly, and have mastered 
the technic of the theatre of science. Each has written 
many successful photoplays and all have incomes now 
five times greater than the best they ever had in the 
older field. 

In the Vitagraph Company are a few players who 
have achieved a far greater fame in the few years they 
have been identified with it than in all their prolonged 
stage careers. Van Dyke Brooke's influence in the 
Brooklyn studio is probably as great as Kent's, and 
that is the best tribute I can pay to an actor of the 
old school, who after a quarter of a century's combat 



of Science 323 

with the hardships of a precarious calling, found fame 
and financial reward, so hard to acquire in his earlier 
career, almost from the very outset of his Vitagraph 
advent. 

Like so many others, Brooke has been in the Vita- 
graph Stock Company for several years. I saw him 
portray Armand Duval in "Camille" nearly thirty 
years ago. The performance, aside from Brooke, was 
so primitive that I wondered how he came to be in 
the cast. I never saw him again in the flesh, but a 
score or more of his film creations are recorded in my 
diary. Most of these were written and directed by 
him, for Brooke is, indeed, prolific as an author, ver- 
satile as an actor, and a real genius in staging what 
the Vitagraph aptly calls its "life portrayals." It is, 
indeed, an inspiring spectacle to witness that of the 
patriarchs of the stage finding in the theatre of sci- 
ence a new vogue for their artistry with largely in- 
creased compensation and enabled to enjoy in the 
evening of life that domesticity that was never theirs 
in the older field. If the craze for moving pictures 
has entailed hardships for the managerial element and 
has changed the theatrical map from coast to coast, 
this is due greatly to the reluctancy of theatrical busi- 
ness men to recognize the opportunity before the pub- 
lic demanded a better return for its money paid at 
their box offices. 

And now with these theatrical managers following 
the lead of Daniel Frohman and reducing their produc- 
tivity for the stage to embrace the more popular field, 
the actor is due to enjoy a period of prosperity, with 
a far greater demand for his services than has ever 
existed in this generation. 

William Humphries is another of those experienced 



Cfte Cfteatre 



actors whose prolonged career on the stage was about 
on an even plane, scoring many notable successes, but 
always escaping stellar honors, though I recall 
Humphries as a co-star in "More Than Queen," with 
Julia Arthur when he distinguished himself by a por- 
trayal none of us will ever forget, but when this sterl- 
ing actor joined the Vitagraph Company he became 
almost instantly one of its greatest assets. Again may 
be noted the triple service so frequently in evidence in 
the film studio, for Humphries, like the Messrs. Kent, 
Costello, and Brooke, writes many of the photoplays 
he appears in, and directs so many Vitagraph produc- 
tions in not all of which he acts himself, that lately 
he is seen on the screen too rarely. 

Of all the Vitagraph players with long careers on 
the regular stage to their credit, Sydney Drew is per- 
haps the best known, because he has been appearing 
uninterruptedly in the older field for more than thirty 
years and was practically the last to capitulate to the 
lure of the studio. Mr. Drew came to the Brooklyn 
studio in 1913 direct from a vaudeville career wherein 
with Mrs. Drew, he appeared almost consecutively, for 
more than seventeen years, yet in all that time Mr. 
Drew did not require more than four playlets, one of 
these, "When Two Hearts Are One," had a practically 
uninterrupted vogue of ten years, and I venture to 
state if Drew ever does return to vaudeville, this ve- 
hicle will be demanded by the managers. 

I was particularly interested in Mr. Drew's coming 
into picturedom, fully aware of the significance of the 
advent therein of a man of his varied talents, who had 
always invested his stage work with what is called 
character drawing. There are many persons of high 
rating in the theatrical world who believe that Sydney 



of Science 125 

Drew is a better actor, generally speaking, than 
the idolized John Drew. As the latter is due to ap- 
pear on the screen, this is a question that may, after 
all, be decided by the tremendous photoplay public. 

I am reminded here of a rather abrupt answer to 
this question given by a still-living Southern man- 
ager, who in one season had booked John and Sydney 
Drew with separate companies about six weeks apart. 
When this manager came to New York in the summer 
to book attractions, he was stopped on Broadway by 
a professional friend, who ventured to discuss con- 
ditions in the South. Said he : 

"I see you played both John and Sydney Drew in 
Mobile. Which attracted the best?" 

"Well, that's easy," retorted the Southerner. "John 
Drew but Sydney didn't." 

Any controversy as to the relative artistic qualities 
of the brothers Drew, if decided in the film studio, 
may have a final result quite similar to others which 
changed conditions in the amusement field have creat- 
ed. In one Western studio, appearing in minor roles, 
is a former stage celebrity who less than five years 
ago employed his present director at a weekly salary 
of $25, while the director referred to is also the star 
of the productions in which both now appear, the lat- 
ter finds in his pay envelope each seven days a check 
written in four figures. While this is an exceptional 
case, remarkable changes of this nature may be noted 
in almost all of the larger film organizations. 

As for Sydney Drew, when he decided to enter the 
newer field about a year ago, he was fully aware of 
the fact that his hard-earned reputation would count 
for Httle. To the writer Drew stated that he was at- 
tracted by the goal of "building up something"; in 



126 Cfte Cfieatte 

fact, was impressed with the idea that he would have 
to "show 'em." Mrs. Drew was still living, but in 
bad health, and the change of environment meant that 
the family would all be occupied in the same line of 
endeavor, for Mrs. Drew was prolific in adapting plays 
to the screen and evolving original scenarios as well, 
while S. Rankin Drew, the idolized son almost from 
the outset, scored with his film work. 

That Mrs. Drew's demise has removed from picture- 
dom an author whose genius found expression in the 
theatre of science was best illustrated in the amazing 
success of "A Million Bid," which was adapted from 
Mrs. Drew's play, "Agnes." The influence of the 
Drews in the Vitagraph institution was apparent to 
all who attended the premier of the Vitagraph The- 
atre. I know of several critics and stage folk who 
were wont to "drop in" at the Vitagraph Theatre 
at least once a week, while "Goodness Gracious!" 
was on the program. In all his career Sydney Drew 
never revealed himself as a low comedian to greater 
advantage. In this production, which gave blase New 
York playgoers the "time of their lives," Clara Kim- 
ball Young gave a performance that has not been ex- 
celled on stage or screen in modern times. 

"A Million Bid" was directed by Ralph Ince, one 
of three brothers, all directors. Ralph Ince rarely acts, 
himself, save in the Abraham Lincoln photoplays. 
James Young directed the excruciatingly funny "Good- 
ness Gracious." He is the same James Young who 
starred in "Brown of Harvard." With him during his 
starring tours were the two "matinee idols" of filmdom 
Carlyle Blackwell and J. Warren Kerrigan. All 
three to-day are influential factors in the photoplay 
field as directors, authors and stars. 



of Science 



In the enormous roster of the Vitagraph players, 
one may observe an abundance of unfamiliar names; 
at least, to the general public, but whose finished char- 
acter drawings stamp them instanter as graduates of 
the theatre along older lines. In the Vitagraph- Lieb- 
ler film production of "The Christian," the John 
Storm of Earle Williams presented an interpretation 
almost wholly different from the well-remembered 
portrayal of E. J. Morgan, yet in the first-night audi- 
ence there were many long-time professionals who not 
only expressed a preference for the photoplayer, 
though a unit in the belief that the superb text of the 
spoken play was not "put over" concretely in the vis- 
ualization; nevertheless not one of these gentlemen 
was familiar with Mr. Williams' stage career. 

Practically the same discussion was in evidence dur- 
ing the intermission following the presentation of "A 
Million Bid." This time the inquiries were confined to 
the two "leads," Anita Stewart and Harry Morey. 
The critic of the largest circulated morning newspaper 
insisted that he had never seen either on the stage 
during his more than thirty years' incumbency on New 
York dailies. As for Miss Stewart, she has never ap- 
peared on the stage at all, but Mr. Morey has had a 
long career on the boards. No one who saw him in 
"A Million Bid" and also in "Wild Beasts at Large" 
can doubt that, like so many other successful photo- 
players, he has had prolonged "stock" experience. 

But how are we to explain the versatility of Anita 
Stewart, who has created so wide a range of charac- 
ters? Here, indeed, is a striking illustration of genius 
finding expression first in the film studio. Three years 
ago Miss Stewart was unknown even in filmdom. To- 
day as a screen star she has a following so large and 



128 Cfte Cfteatte 

in so many countries that were she tempted to con- 
vert her popularity into cash, her earnings would be 
on a par with that of the prima donnas of grand opera. 

But there is that something about the new art which 
holds the youthful idols of the people so fast that one 
rarely may observe the flitting about from one studio 
to another, so characteristic of stage business proce- 
dure. Undoubtedly Miss Stewart is a level-headed girl 
who recognizes that she is what she is to-day greatly 
because of the scientific factors that obtain in an en- 
vironment to which she is passionately attached. 

Miss Stewart is the sister-in-law of Ralph Ince, and 
the latter is as a rule the director of the productions in 
which she appears. If Mr. Blackton and his artistic 
colleague, Mr. Smith, can formulate a policy of con- 
duct of the Vitagraph's vast stock organization that 
will establish the permanency in the ranks of those 
youthful players who so quickly reveal adaptability to 
the motion picture art, they will have a school of act- 
ing fully as important in this era of the theatre as that 
of Augustin Daly, who developed the careers of a 
score or more of players who became a vital part of 
stage history of the last half of the nineteenth century. 

At all of the Vitagraph Premieres a social atmos- 
phere such as Commodore Blackton is wont to invest 
all Vitagraph gala nights with contributed a glamour 
to these affairs which so impressed Alan Dale, the 
critic of the "New York American," that he has be- 
come a veritable "fan" himself. Truly, the intimacy 
that is established at these inaugural gatherings is in- 
spiring. It was a picturesque spectacle, indeed, when 
in a truly realistic manner some two score of the best 
known of the Vitagraph players faced the audience, 
bowing to the applause one after the other. So de- 





J. SEARLE DAWLEY 

Director of the first Famous Players productions 



LLOYD B. CARLETON 

Director Feature Films (Lubin Film Co. 




FREDERICK A. THOMPSON 

Director and Producer of Famous Players Co. 




RALPH INCE 
Director 



RALPH INCE AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



of Science 



ceiving was this novel introduction that more than 
one of the spectators thought that the players were 
present in the flesh. 

As a fact, this was true in that nearly all of the 
ladies and gentlemen were seated throughout the audi- 
torium imparting to the eventful occasion just the sort 
of glamour that would have attracted half of Greater 
New York to the playhouse had this feature been ad- 
vertised in advance ; but there were present, too, not a 
few persons who did not hesitate to deplore the per- 
sonal presence of so many screen favorites, claiming 
that it was calculated to destroy the illusion, that it 
would tend to impress the photoplay patron with the 
idea that, after all, his idols were much like ordinary 
mortals in fact, merely human. 

At the premier of "The Christian" at the majestic 
Manhattan Opera House, the principals in the cast 
were conspicuously on view in the boxes, and the spec- 
tacle of John Storm, holding a reception first in one 
box and then in another just before his great scene 
with Glory Quayle, when, while mentally unbal- 
anced, Storm is revealed as a brute in minister's garb, 
the majority of the audience was intensely interested, 
many apparently not comprehending the meaning of 
so unusual a sight. 

The closest scrutiny on the part of the writer failed 
to discover the presence of Harry Northrup, whose 
portrayal of Lord Robert Urie, in "The Christian,'* 
was surely very artistic. For once, the role of a vil- 
lain was enacted for the benefit of the ensemble. 
Northrup emphasized the repulsive side of the charac- 
ter with little need of subtitles or inserts. Here was a 
demonstration of silent acting worth going far to wit- 
ness. The shrug of a shoulder, the consummately ar- 



130 Cfte Cftcatre 

tistic use of a monocle, and the never apparent effort to 
create sympathy for Storm and Glory by empha- 
sizing his villainy, represented the nearest approach to 
a pantomimic triumph which in another age was called 
"plays without words" that the motion-picture art has 
ever recorded. 

James Lackaye is one of the recent additions to the 
Vitagraph players, but who quickly demonstrated his 
fitness for pictorial plays. Etienne Girardot came to 
the Brooklyn studio even more recently. The latter 
has as yet not had a chance to create a character of 
the calibre of "Charley's Aunt,'* but on the other hand 
has shown that he is exceptionally versatile. 

The ladies of the Vitagraph stock company have 
nearly all had stage careers, though quite a number 
who were hardly known on the stage became celebri- 
ties through their screen work. Edith Storey came to 
the company as a child already experienced in the vi- 
cissitudes of the theatre. This young lady has under- 
taken about everything in the line of intrepidity that 
a moving-picture actress must always be prepared for. 
When New York audiences were applauding her 
Glory Quayle, Miss Storey was three thousand miles 
away from the Manhattan Opera House, rehearsing 
before the camera a daring series of pictures. When 
asked why she takes chances of this nature, her reply 
was characteristic of the modern photoplayer. Said 
Miss Storey : "One is led on through sheer enthusiasm, 
prompted greatly, too, by a desire to please the direc- 
tor and, above all, the heads of the institution to whom 
we all owe our advance in the ranks." 

This remark of Miss Storey's recalls to my mind 
that when Florence Turner, "the Vitagraph Girl," left 
the organization after the most prolonged consecutive 




THE CHRISTIAN" 




"THE CHRISTIAN" 

Two Scenes from "The Christian" a Vitagfaph-Liebler Production 



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service in film history, I expressed regret to Commo- 
dore Blackton, who was quick to justify Miss Turner's 
ambitions to convert her fame into cash by way of 
vaudeville. "Besides," said Mr. Blackton, "there are 
other Vitagraph girls coming on." 

Lillian Walker's personality is of the type that rarely 
fails to conjure on the stage ; yet I have the lady's word 
for it that she discovered quickly that she lacked that 
great essential for a stage career a resonant voice 
nevertheless, in my own experience in the theatre, I 
never knew the Lillian Walker type of actress to fail, 
even if a good speaking or singing voice was lacking. 
Therefore, it is not surprising that almost from the day 
of her advent in the Vitagraph studio Miss Lillian 
has been a prime favorite. 

But Lillian Walker has scored as she has in filmdom 
for other reasons than her beauty. The lady takes her 
work very seriously, and is, after all, an artiste whose 
widely varied portrayals run practically the entire gam- 
ut of characterization. One need only inquire of Miss 
Walker's artistic colleagues to learn that "Dimples," 
as she is affectionately called, is always the lovable, 
ingratiating woman who rarely has a grievance, and 
who has repeatedly appeared on the screen in minor 
and ungrateful roles without a protest. More than once 
this beautiful woman has portrayed a repulsive old hag 
artistically and with not an inkling of a desire to reveal 
her true self. This is true art, and there is so much of 
it at the Locust Avenue Studio that it is about time 
someone undertook to explain from whence the Vita- 
graph's artistic expansion emanates. 

J. Stuart Blackton and Albert Smith brought with 
them to the Vitagraph organization at the outset the 
qualifications of the artist and the inventive genius. 



132 C&e Cfjeatte 

Both are adepts in every phase of the motion-picture 
art. While Blackton, as he became wealthy and influ- 
ential, has developed a veritable passion for uplifting 
policies, Mr. Rock's qualifications are more toward the 
Vitagraph's business expansion than its artistic or me- 
chanical development. One of the first of the pioneers 
to enrich himself as an exhibitor of films, he is to-day 
as incessant a toiler as one may find in the entire film 
industry. Together these gentlemen form a triumvi- 
rate which in this year 1914 is merely indicating 
that the vital era of their vast productivity is at hand. 

The Kalem Company was one of the very earliest of 
film-producing houses to present the now common 
"features," requiring thousands of feet of film and in- 
volving prolonged preparation and vast expenditure. 
Its production of "From the Manger to the Cross," as 
stated in another chapter, was unquestionably the most 
ambitious undertaking that had ever been attempted 
by an American producer, and there are those who be- 
lieve that even at this late day a metropolitan showing 
with due regard to environment and appropriate musi- 
cal accompaniment, would result in a prolonged public 
response, not only in the Metropolis, but throughout 
the country, where other pictorial productions of the 
biblical spectacle have attracted great crowds, particu- 
larly during the present year. 

The Kalems have been noted for a reluctancy to 
change the personnel of their stock companies, though 
adding to the numbers materially as the vogue of their 
productions demanded expansion. Nevertheless, most 
of the stars of the Kalem productions either began with 
that organization, or else have been with it for sev- 
eral years. Alice Joyce was undoubtedly a great at- 
traction almost from the day she began to pose before 



of Science 



the camera, and here we have a true illustration of the 
motion-picture actress. Miss Joyce had no stage ex- 
perience whatever. Like Anita Stewart, Dorothy Kel- 
ly, Margaret Gibson, and Naomi Childers (all Vita- 
graph players), Miss Joyce revealed adaptability to the 
new art, and within a year after her advent in the Ka- 
lem studio had created a tremendous public following. 
An' extremely beautiful girl, with a refinement of ar- 
tistic demeanor rarely observed on the speaking stage, 
Miss Joyce has in many ways shown a singular aver- 
sion for such customs as have been characteristic of 
the "new celebrity" in the field of the theatre. For in- 
stance, the young lady has remained with the Kalems 
in the face of offers that a Metropolitan Opera House 
diva might envy. And Alice Joyce has persistently 
refused offers to "star" on the speaking stage, fully 
cognizant that these offers are inspired through her 
success with the Kalems. Whether Miss Joyce, like 
Lillian Walker, is aware of some disqualification for a 
stage career, I cannot say. Miss Walker told me that 
her speaking voice was so thin that the other players 
could not hear her cues ; but in the case of Miss Joyce, 
if one may judge from her splendid pantomimic ex- 
pression of speech and the very distinct movement of 
her lips, there is nothing to indicate that she could not 
become a valuable addition to the stage. 

Alice Joyce, as Rosalind, under a director like Be- 
lasco, may yet be a possibility. At least, one Broad- 
way manager has expressed confidence that the Kalem 
star would, under competent exploitation and expert 
coaching, turn out to be a second Adelaide Neilson. 

William Hermann West, of the Kalem company, has 
been with that organization for several years. If he 
has ever acted for any other film company, I am not 



134 Cfte Cfteam 

aware of it. Mr. West's long stage career was princi- 
pally devoted to comic opera, and that statement re- 
calls the fact that there are not a few former light opera 
favorites profitably engaged in film work. Henry Hal- 
lam, long with the Kalem company, not so long ago 
was a Casino tenor, who created many important roles 
in comic opera. Tom Ricketts, of the American Film 
Company one of the best directors of to-day was the 
comedian of one light-opera company for more than 
ten years. Later, Ricketts had his own opera com- 
pany, and was regarded as one of the best stage direc- 
tors in the operatic field. Peter Lang, long with the 
Lubin Company, sang heroic operatic characters with 
the Bostonians and other organizations. Julia Cal- 
houn, of the same organization, is the widow of Kirk- 
land Calhoun. Both were principals of the Calhoun and 
other opera companies. The Calhouns were members 
of the Grau Opera Company, under the writer's di- 
rection in the early nineties. 

Louise Beaudet, of the Vitagraph Company, was a 
comic-opera queen in the 80's. Few careers of stage 
celebrities provide greater or more varied achievement 
than that of the "Lady dainty" of a generation ago, 
whose sensational success in Lecocq's "Le Petit Due" 
(in which she assumed the title role in English, and 
later in French), at Booth's Theatre, in New York, 
was not forgotten by the critic, Alan Dale, when the 
screen revealed Miss Beaudet at the premiere of the 
Vitagraph Theatre. In that first-night audience there 
were many others who had wondered what had be- 
come of the little artiste who, in "Madame Fifi," gave 
a performance of an extremely difficult role which in 
any other hands would have been repulsive. 

Louise Beaudet is yet in her prime, and I have ob- 





HARRY T. MOREY 

(Vitagraph) 



LOUISE BEAUDET 

(Vitagraph) 




AN ACTUAL STUDIO SETTING 

(Vitagraph) 



c f Science 135 

served that as a photoplayer she is gradually being ac- 
corded a greater prominence, which fact must eventu- 
ally bring about an opportunity such as has not been 
hers in many years. The Vitagraph's directors have at 
their call a truly great artiste, whose rendition of a 
score of prima-donna roles were not nearly as notable 
as were her portrayals of parts like Lady Macbeth, 
Juliet, Portia, Ophelia, and the like; and if the 
camera does not lie, there is not the slightest indica- 
tion that the art of Louise Beaudet is less existent or 
less compelling at this time. 

Ruth Roland, of the Kalem Company, is one more 
of those youthful women whose unblemished physical 
charms lend particularly to screen work ; but Miss Ro- 
land is also an actress. Whether this unctuous com- 
edienne owes her fame entirely to the camera man, I 
am unable to state; but hers is a face not easily for- 
gotten, and I cannot recall the lady's appearance on the 
regular stage. But it is only a truth to state that in 
the photoplay field there is no more winsome personal- 
ity. Like many of her colleagues, Miss Roland has 
been called upon repeatedly to embark in expeditions 
wherein almost every feat of daring imaginable has 
been indulged in; but in this lady's instance the spec- 
tator is impressed at once by her athletic physical ap- 
pearance, expert equestrienneship, and a tendency to 
feel at home in the water, whether it be an intrepid 
dive into the high seas or the manning of sea craft from 
stem to stern amidst precarious surroundings. 

Rosemary Theby, now with the Lubin Film Com- 
pany, in a career of less than three years' duration, no 
part of which was spent on the stage, has illustrated 
once more how different are the conditions in the two 
fields of entertainment. Miss Theby joined the Vita- 



136 Cbe Cfjeatte 

graph Company in 1911, and was almost instantane- 
ously accorded important parts. It is hard to believe 
that this painstaking artiste never even studied for the 
stage; yet she has become one of the foremost stars 
of the screen. It is a singular fact, too, that despite 
her youth and physical attractions, the directors have 
invariably cast Miss Theby for what are called adven- 
turess roles, perhaps because of no alternative in that 
this type of character is usually poorly presented on 
the screen. After leaving the Vitagraph, Miss Theby 
played leads and heavies for the Reliance Company, 
where, under Oscar Apfel, she made rapid strides, re- 
vealing marked versatility. 

Crane Wilbur, of the Pathe organization, had an im- 
portant stage career, and for a period had his own 
company on tour; but this virile, impressive player 
found far greater favor with the public when he be- 
came a film star. At the time of this writing, Mr. Wil- 
bur is appearing in the Pathe-Eclectic production, "The 
Perils of Pauline," and as a result of a forceful por- 
trayal and an amazing national publicity has become 
one of those celebrities of picturedom whose fame ex- 
tends throughout the world and whose face is known 
to half of mankind at least. 

Blanch Sweet is the name of a former Biograph play- 
er, whose fame would be far greater to-day but for 
the long-time policy of that organization to place an 
embargo on personal publicity. But when D. W. Grif- 
fith left the Biograph Company to become conspicuous 
as the $100,000-a-year director of the Mutual brand of 
films, he took with him to Los Angeles a number of 
youthful screen favorites, all of whom have now be- 
come recognized as of stellar timber. 

That Miss Sweet represents to a great extent the 



f C 1 1 tt 1 1 137 

Griffith idea of what a photoplayer should be, is appar- 
ent from the fact that the young lady's portrayals are 
vested with a naturalism so far away from the average 
stage interpreter of characters that one may under- 
stand Mr. Griffith's theory, that the photoplayer to 
achieve the best results is the one who has nothing to 
unlearn. Miss Sweet has achieved equal success in 
light and serious characters, and has been particularly 
happy in historical roles, her "Judith of Bethulia" 
standing out as one of the best conceived portrayals of 
the modern photoplay era. 

Mabel Normand is now better known than many of 
the stage stars with prolonged careers to their credit. 
Yet it is only since she left the Biograph Company, 
less than two years ago, that her name was revealed to 
the millions of patrons of the photoplayhouse to whom 
she was endeared. In her Biograph days, Miss Nor- 
mand displayed marked versatility, in that while com- 
edy roles predominated, frequently she was enabled to 
portray characters of sterling quality, requiring ability 
to simulate varied emotions. And it was in one of 
these portrayals that I was first brought to realize the 
significance of Mr. Griffith's contribution to the art of 
photoplaying that of the so-called "close up." 

Now that Miss Normand is winning added renown 
with the Keystone brand of films, there must be many 
like myself who, while grateful for the intensely 
amusing releases of that comedy-producing organiza- 
tion, would welcome just a little variation in the style 
of Miss Normand's vehicles, for no one can doubt that 
the intensity of her dramatic expression, so evident in 
her Biograph days, must have developed during her 
prolonged experience in the West. Long before I 
knew her name, I was impressed with Miss Normand's 



138 CSe CSeatre 

intelligent grasp on what Max Reinhardt is pleased to 
call "pantomimic characterization." 

Pearl White, one of the most beautiful women before 
the public to-day, like Miss Normand, has revealed a 
wide range of portrayals, with comedy predominating. 
Yet while with the American branch of the Pathe 
Freres organization, Miss White frequently was seen 
in serious, if not pretentious, characters. Expert as a 
horsewoman, intrepid to an extent that has earned her 
many encomiums from the camera man and some con- 
solation for the resultant hardships endured, it is not 
surprising that she was selected to create the name role 
in the Eclectic-Pathe serial photoplay, "The Perils of 
Pauline," a production that has provided Miss White 
with an opportunity to indulge in about every feat of 
daring that the prolific scenario writer could conceive. 

In the Thanhouser organization, the gifted and 
youthful photoplayer has been in evidence from the 
very outset of this company's progressive productivity. 
Such a trio of prepossessing and talented young ladies 
as are now cast for the Thanhouser leads reflects no 
little credit on Lloyd Lonergan, who is the artistic 
head of the New Rochelle institution. These three 
players are now featured, which is significant in view 
of the fact that as recently as two years ago the names 
of even the representative photoplayers were not re- 
vealed. 

The Thanhouser policy, however, has been progres- 
sive and stimulating at all times, its founder having 
come into the new field direct from a prolonged stage 
experience in the West, where Edwin Thanhouser 
achieved an enviable reputation through his conduct of 
model stock companies. The influence of Edwin Than- 
houser, following the advent of the photoplay era, can- 




CHARLES J. KITE 

President Thanhouser Film Corporation; Vice-president Mutual Film Corporation; 
President Broadway Rose Gardens 



of Science 139 

not be overestimated. His retirement from the institu- 
tion that bears his name has never been adequately ex- 
plained, but it is only fair to state that he was the first 
producer to delve deeply into historical literature ; and 
he presented on the screen a far higher grade of pro- 
ductions in 1911 than was to be witnessed in that year 
elsewhere. Moreover, Mr. Thanhouser was the first 
producer to present in one production an array of well- 
known names, the presentation of "Nicholas Nickleby" 
entailing the longest cast of actual players up to that 
time. No less than six stars, all of whom were still 
potent on the speaking stage, were cast for roles. Not 
one of these was featured, and at least two assumed 
minor roles a concession too rarely on view in the 
older field. 

It is therefore to the credit of Charles J. Hite and 
his associates that when they assumed control of the 
Thanhouser plant the policies of the founder were per- 
petuated, which accounts for the wealth of youthful 
and talented players to-day at the disposition of the 
company's directing forces. Marguerite Snow, Flor- 
ence La Badie, and Muriel Ostriche represent the trio 
of stellar figures, previously indicated by the writer. 
All have had stage careers. Miss Snow, however, must 
be set down as a Thanhouser "find," and the lady will 
admit she found herself in that organization. To those 
who can recall the widely varied portrayals to her 
credit, there is no need of qualification; but it so hap- 
pened that I was privileged in one evening to witness 
two Thanhouser productions which revealed Miss 
Snow as a real "stock" acquisition. In the first release 
as a New York.tough girl in "Little Old New York," 
one could enjoy that rare treat: A big city life por- 
trayal that was truthful, unexaggerated, and never of- 



140 Clje Cfjeatre 

fensive; yet^Miss Snow used not a particle of "make- 
up" and as a result of adept pantomimic expression 
"put it oyer" without as much as one insert or subtitle 
that included any explanations of this particular char- 
acter. "Slang" such as is a requisite for this type of 
play was wholly tabooed, the director evidently desir- 
ing to experiment with clean pantomime suggestive of 
country and city life. In this he succeeded surely. 

The second production of the evening was "Carmen," 
a superb and accurate presentation of the operatic ver- 
sion without adequate musical accompaniment. Un- 
doubtedly this release was intended to require an elab- 
orate musical setting. Nothing that has been presented 
since has contributed to a greater extent to the motion 
pictures' scope of interpretation. Here, indeed, was an 
opportunity to at least see the great operatic spectacles 
over which the nation has raved, without paying pro- 
hibitive prices for seats. Had the musical side of the 
production been what it undoubtedly was intended to 
be, the importance of the effort as a whole was unques- 
tionable. (At a later day the writer viewed the Than- 
houser production of "Tannheiiser," with the Wagner 
score providing the musical accompaniment.) 

Miss Snow, as "Carmen," showed an amazing con- 
ception of so difficult a role for one whose environment 
has been removed from important creative opportunity. 
Not even the all-compelling influence of the present- 
day director can account for such a portrayal, and if 
this is a tribute, it is nevertheless forthcoming, and 
that, too, from one who has seen and heard all of the 
"Carmens" of two generations. Miss Snow is not a 
Calve dramatically, nor an Olga Nethersole, but as an 
illustration of studio achievement this performance was 
representative. 



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Pearl Sindelar has established a record as a photo- 
player so unusual that wholly apart from her two years 
with the Biograph and Pathe organizations replete as 
they were with noteworthy achievement this lady has 
the unique reputation of being the first screen star who 
not only has come to Broadway from the film studio 
to assume an important role on the stage, but she is 
still playing the "leads" for the Pathe organization in 
the days when there are no matinees at George Co- 
han's theatre, where Miss Sindelar has replaced Louise 
Dresser in that overwhelming success, "Potash and 
Perlmutter." 

Miss Sindelar has been on the stage since she was 
ten years old. For several seasons she was a "head- 
liner" in the vaudevilles ; but her success as a film star 
has been far greater than her dramatic and vaudeville 
efforts. That she was engaged by so astute a man- 
ager as Al. H. Woods to play an almost star role is 
proof that the excursion from the Broadway playhouse 
to the film studio and vice versa can be conducted by 
real artists with grace, dignity, and profit. 

Mary Pickford had an experience quite similar to 
Miss Sindelar's, save that while Little Mary has gone 
from the stage to pictures and back again to the stage, 
there is no information available that she posed before 
the camera during the greater part of the run of "The 
Good Little Devil." At no time did Miss Pickford pre- 
fer the stage, however. 

In four years "Little Mary" has not only become a 
veritable queen of the photoplay world with her earn- 
ings increased tenfold, but she had the distinction of 
creating the leading role in a Belasco production be- 
cause of her success in photoplays. It was with Mr. 
Belasco that Miss Pickford became proficient as an 



142 Cfte C&eatrc 

actress, and when she returned to his management di- 
rect from her screen triumphs her pay envelope con- 
tained an increase of 1000 per cent over that previously 
accorded to her by the same producing manager. Yet 
Mary was not happy, despite overwhelming publicity 
and all of the honors meted out to a successful star in 
a Broadway production. 

Besides, the call for her return to the film studio was 
insistent. Whether Miss Pickford's desire to resume 
her film career was effective in curtailing the vogue of 
"The Good Little Devil" as a stage attraction or not, it 
is certain that its production as a photoplay, with Little 
Mary in her original role of the blind girl, had a tre- 
mendous appeal with photoplaygoers. One may only 
conjecture as to what measure of success would result 
in the event that the spoken play will be revived with 
Miss Pickford as the star. 

This is one phase of the present theatrical situation 
that is more widely discussed than any other because 
of the many stage stars and productions now relegated 
to photoplay exploitation. Daniel Frohman and others 
experienced in both fields have stated that the result- 
ant effect of the movement has been to enlarge the 
public following when these stage favorites returned to 
the older field. It would be interesting, indeed, to ob- 
serve the outcome of a well-developed plan to convert 
the popularity of a Mary Pickford into a gold-laden 
theatrical attraction. 

The success of John Bunny, Francis Bushman, and 
Florence Turner, when appearing in vaudeville or in 
person in photoplayhouses, despite all the discussion 
as to the advisability of such procedure, has not as yet 
indicated any decline in their vogue as film stars ; but 
these are real film stars, not merely temporary con- 




MRS. FISKE AS "TESS" 
(Famous Players Co.) 




MARY PICKFORD IN "IN THE BISHOP'S CARRIAGE' 

(Famous Players Co.) 



' 






of Science 



verts, therefore the question as to the significance of 
the theatrical procession from Broadway's theatre zone 
to the film studio, being that this is really a 1914 move- 
ment, will be fully comprehended when the season of 
1914-15 is in full swing. 

There is no question but that despite the tremendous 
salaries paid to certain legitimate stars to appear in 
vaudeville, the aftermath of such engagements has not 
been constructive. Ethel Barrymore, for instance, was 
paid $3,000 a week in vaudeville (not so long ago the 
writer paid the Barrymore family, including the late 
Maurice Barrymore, $400 a week). Her earnings for 
part of one season were close to $100,000 ; but, consid- 
ering her youth, this was a risky capitulation to the 
lure of a temporary harvest. 

The writer has always maintained that certain stars 
and well-known stage folk are immune from any ill 
consequences attending these temporary changes in en- 
vironment. For instance, an Eddie Foy or a George 
Cohan, or even an Elsie Janis can make these excur- 
sions from one field to the other and back again with- 
out the least loss of prestige. In my vaudeville days 
the spectacle of an Elsie Janis receiving $125 a week in 
one season and $3,000 the next was not uncommon. 

But I never knew of any great dramatic stars retain- 
ing their full vogue after a vaudeville excursion, and 
most of these stars had short careers in the "two a 
day." "Once around" was the most to be hoped for, 
and the most of them were humiliated by an almost 
uniform desire on the part of managers to "cut" the 
weekly stipends or to even cancel their engagements 
after the first two or three vaudeville managers had 
the benefit of their fame and drawing power. 

This subject is treated here because of the near ap- 



144 c&e C&eatre 

proach of similar conditions in filmdom wherein the 
writer hopes to establish a clarified viewpoint for those 
whom such conditions might influence. 

Mrs. Langtry never attracted a paying audience to 
an American playhouse after she accepted $2,500 a 
week in vaudeville. May Irwin was wont to pack the- 
atres all over the country, but from the very day that 
she accepted $2,500 a week in vaudeville and for a 
very few weeks, too her vogue, even in New York 
City, as a legitimate star declined ; and this, too, in the 
face of the known fact that her last play was her best. 

Not one grand opera star who appeared in vaude- 
ville through necessity or convenience ever found the 
public or the managers receptive thereafter. Tavary, 
Mantelli, Del Puente, Italo Campanini, Suzanne 
Adams, Zelie De Lussan, and a dozen others not only 
had short careers in vaudeville, but they never again 
faced the public in the field where they earned their 
fame in America. Strangely enough, while the great 
Bernhardt added nothing to her prestige through her 
advent in filmdom, her vaudeville triumph was un- 
equivocal an amazing illustration of an extraordinary 
woman and an unapproachable artiste. 

Because the subject is a little removed from the basic 
theme of the current volume, the writer is reluctant to 
embrace it to the extent that he feels the present the- 
atrical conditions warrant ; but if the above statements 
serve to provide incentive for a greater discernment in 
seeking a change of artistic environment, the effort will 
not have been in vain. Nor is there any reason why 
the gentlemen who control the destiny of modern 
vaudeville should resent the writer's views in this all- 
important matter; they know that the majority of their 
"Monday acts" (meaning stars who sell their fame as 



of Science 



legitimate players and singers for a greatly increased 
honorarium) are wholly box-office attractions, and in- 
variably the man who books them ignores their very 
existence arranging the rest of the program as if the 
"headliner" was an "extra." 

The day is approaching when men like E. F. Albee 
and Martin Beck will realize that the public is wiser 
than it once was, and I am sure it is time that the facts 
were revealed ; for it is certain that the very announce- 
ment of a certain type of star (especially if it be a 
woman of uncertain age) as a vaudeville attraction 
starts a retrograde movement in her career. 

Here we have an illustrative instance: A world-fa- 
mous operatic star was offered $2,500 a week for a long 
season in vaudeville, starting in September, 1913. By 
the time he reached the negotiating point the contract 
was tendered at $2,000, and, instead of a season's en- 
gagement, three weeks were granted. The singer was 
now helpless and involved, hence he signed ; and, open- 
ing almost unheralded, scored a sensational success. 
His contract was extended for seven more weeks. 

But at the end of ten weeks there came a quietus a 
desire to "cut" the salary in half, in fact. The singer 
was astonished, but when he tried to procure a route 
for concerts, as was his wont in previous years, the 
response was not encouraging; so the singer accepted 
a long tour at JUST HALF what he was granted a few 
weeks before, and the managers who secured his sig- 
nature at $1,000 instead of $2,000 a week admitted they 
had the cities where the singer was best known to the 
public. 

Is this not a lesson for stage and film stars alike? 
Perhaps conditions are and will be different as a result 
of the general affiliation of the stage and screen work- 



Cfre Cfteatte 



ers, but to make a reputation is one thing, and to pre- 
serve it is another far different and far more vital. 

In April, 1914, an important film-producing company 
conceived the idea of taking the public into its confi- 
dence in a manner so revolutionary and so calculated 
to dispel the illusions of photoplaygoers that the sub- 
ject is serious enough for discussion in these pages. 
Undoubtedly the success of the personal appearance of 
John Bunny and associates in a silent play at the Vita- 
graph Theatre provided the incentive for the presenta- 
tion of "The Baited Trap" at the Republic Theatre. In 
this last production, the "Imp" players, headed by King 
Baggot, appeared in person, even speaking their lines; 
but this was the least serious phase of the innovation. 

What can have possessed so intelligent a producer 
as Carl Laemmle to reveal to the general public "how 
moving pictures are made" is something few persons 
interested in the future of the new art can comprehend. 
In the instance of Mr. Bunny's public appearance, J. 
Stuart Blackton provided a dainty and artistic play 
without words which gave to the inaugural program at 
the Vitagraph Theatre just the diversion needed; but 
at the Republic Theatre King Baggot and his associ- 
ates, while undoubtedly providing a novel entertain- 
ment, seemed to merely emphasize the fact that, after 
all, the maze of scientific phenomena over which mil- 
lions of "fans" were mystified was merely the work of 
ordinary humans and simple mechanics. 

It is well that this ill-advised innovation found a 
small vogue in a big city playhouse of high grade. To 
have presented such a spectacle as a companion offer- 
ing to the truly artistic "Samson," was in itself an 
amazing incongruity. If the gentlemen who have been 
enriched through the remarkable growth of a God- 



of Science 147 

given new art wish to put to a test the public's loyalty, 
let them continue to reveal the secrets of the film stu- 
dio. Even now, the majority of film patrons know 
what they never should have discovered, namely, that 
the pictures are not taken consecutively. A year ago 
95 per cent of the public which patronizes the nickel 
and dime theatres were kept in suspense by their igno- 
rance of the very things revealed through "The Baited 
Trap" production, and as to what percentage of these 
millions of new theatregoers hold the illusion that pho- 
toplayers are superhuman or at least not merely hu- 
man may quickly be learned if the country is flooded 
with such productions as "The Baited Trap." I would 
like to have Mr. Edison's views on this subject, and it 
is hoped I will be privileged to present them in this 
volume before issue. (Note). Mr. Edison's response 
to my letter was as follows : "I certainly believe that 
such exhibitions are ill advised and harmful to the in- 
dustry as a whole; moreover, if persisted in, they will 
sound a retrograde movement." 



Cfteatre 



CHAPTER VII 

Vivid dynamic compelling thus has Romaine 
Fielding been described. Prodigally gifted in him are 
found the perceptions of the artist, the acumen of the 
man of business, and the powers of execution dowered 
only to one created to command. 

Romaine Fielding was born in Corsica, came to this 
country when a child, and was educated at the Univer- 
sity of Minnesota. For twenty years he played on the 
stages of this country and England, and when photo- 
play finally claimed him it was to give Fielding that 
high place which it accords the chosen few. His thor- 
ough training had fitted him to assume any character, 
however complex, and through the medium of the mute 
drama his talents have matured and found fullest ex- 
pression. 

Two years have seen him the head of the Lubin 
Studio of the Northwest, and during that time he has 
struck a pace that the photoplay art alone could reveal. 
He writes his own stories, plays the principal roles, 
directs his productions, and manages his own com- 
pany. Fielding's offerings are today called classics. 

There is a magnificient breadth to his stories with an 





ROMAINE FIELDING 

Director, author and star, Lubin Film Co. 



OSCAR APFEL 

Director Lasky Film Co. 





"TOM" MOORE 

Of Washington, D. C., erstwhile vaudeville 
performer, now a magnate in filmdom 



MRS. " TOM '" MOOR L 

To whom a fair share of the credit is due for 
Mr. Moore's amazing success 



of Science 149 

underlying psychological insight into the human mind, 
subtle, yet keen. Fielding scorns the obvious, but his 
ideas are never those of the visionary. The commer- 
cial success of his films is never obscured by the striv- 
ing after the odd. In each of his plays there is a defi- 
nite message. The merely routine tale the hack pro- 
duction is yet to be sponsored by Romaine Fielding ; 
the man who, wherever he goes, finds himself the lode- 
stone to men, women and children of all classes. He 
is another Pied Piper of Hamelin, but his music comes 
not from a reed, but his heart. It is Fielding's optim- 
ism, his soundness of character, his tender sympathy, 
and royal goodfellowship that answer for his irresist- 
ible appeal. On the screen, aside from his gifts as an 
actor, he is not the shadow the husk of a man that 
many players become when the camera translates their 4 
personality. When Romaine Fielding acts it is from 
the very core of his manhood. 

This, then, is the writer's tribute to a man and actor 
whose remarkable development has been such that, al- 
though Fielding was associated with myself in busi- 
ness a quarter of a century ago, and I have never seen 
him since save on a screen, I did not know he was the 
same man until a few days ago he recalled the past to 
me in a letter. 

And now when I look back recalling the young ac- 
tor's struggles and vicissitudes it seems as if Romaine 
Fielding, who unlike other great directors and authors 
of photoplays, appears in all of his own productions, 
is after all merely a product of the theatre of science. 
Can it be possible that his twenty years on the stage 
was wasted? It would seem so, for here we have a 
man who entered the film studio without fame as 
actor, stage director or author, and instantly in the 



150 Cfte CScatre 

new field he became a star in all of three branches. I 
would call Fielding the Richard Mansfield of filmdom. 

Beauty, grace, feminine charm these are but the 
foundations upon which Miriam Nesbitt has built her 
successful career. Serious purpose, unflagging energy, 
and careful study have made her one of the foremost 
dramatic actresses appearing in photoplays. 

She was particularly fortunate in her preparation for 
a theatrical career, having attended school in Chicago, 
where she was born, and in St. Louis. She then went 
to Mary Sharpe College, Winchester, Tenn., and to the 
Wheatcroft Dramatic School. It was during a per- 
formance of the students of this school that Miss Nes- 
bitt came under the eye of the Frohmans. Their esti- 
mation of her unusual ability is apparent from the fact 
that she was immediately engaged as James K. Hack- 
ett's leading woman. That the confidence which these 
experienced managers placed in her was justified is 
proven from the fact that Miss Nesbitt has never 
played anything but leading parts since. 

Among those with whom she has appeared are Hen- 
ry E. Dixey, Chauncey Olcott, and William H. Crane. 
She has played in such notable productions as "The 
County Chairman/' "The Embassy Ball," "The Road 
to Yesterday," "The Traveling Salesman," and in the 
original London production of "Peter Pan." 

It was in 1910 that Miss Nesbitt swore allegiance to 
the photoplay, joining the Edison Company. Two sum- 
mers as the star of the Edison English players gave 
Miss Nesbitt an excellent opportunity to display her 
genius in a wide variety of roles, ranging from Welsh 
peasant girls to princesses. There were many excep- 
tional films made during these two trips abroad, in all 
of which Miss Nesbitt assumed the leading role. They 



of Science 151 

include "The Necklace of Rameses," "Stanton's Last 
Fling," "A Daughter of Romany," "The Antique 
Brooch," "The Foreman's Treachery," and "The Coast 
Guard's Sister." 

Probably the best instance of Miss Nesbitt's power 
as a dramatic actress is her wonderful characterization 
of Mrs. Lyons, in "The Price of the Necklace." In this 
thrilling story of the Stock Exchange, the scenes after 
the failure of the bank, when Mrs. Lyons is giving her 
ball, call for the utmost nicety of treatment. The quar- 
rel between husband and wife and the final softening of 
Mrs. Lyons' heart by the pleading of the destitute 
widow are unsurpassable in their opportunities, and 
Miss Nesbitt rises to the veriest heights of dramatic 
expression. 

Francis X. Bushman, Essanay's leading man, was 
the winner in the hero contest recently conducted by 
"The Ladies' World 3 " magazine. In an interview he 
said: "My friends throughout the country worked 
hard for me. Not a day passed that I did not receive 
many letters, enclosing votes that they had either so- 
licited or purchased themselves. My tour throughout 
the Central States, I believe, helped wonderfully. Dur- 
ing my spare time I talked at two hundred and fifty 
theatres in and around Chicago. Now that I have won 
the contest, I shall strive to give the best that is in 
me. It thrills, moves and can readily be transformed 
to the screen." The character of John Delancy Cur- 
tis, which Mr. Bushman will create for the screen, is 
the "hero" on which "The Ladies' World" contest was 
based, and millions of readers of the fiction story are 
eagerly awaiting the film production. Mr. Bushman's 
ancestors date back nearly three hundred years in the 
state of Virginia. Two were governors of Virginia, an- 



152 Cfre Cfteatte 

other governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore. 

Mr. Bushman was born January 10, 1885, in Nor- 
folk, Virginia. He attended grammar school in that 
city, and when but nine years of age made his first 
stage appearance. His sister, who was then playing 
the lead in "The Lady of Lyons," permitted him to 
take part in the mob scene. He thought this a great 
honor, and was on hand every night to help make his 
"sister's success." He later went to Annendale College 
in Southern Maryland, where he put the finishing 
touches on his education. 

At night he played juvenile leads in a Boston stock 
company. His heart and soul were in his work and 
he soon became the regular leading man. Shortly af- 
terwards he was engaged to play the lead in the trav- 
eling production "At Yale." He made a great success 
in this play, and during the next two years played 
juvenile leads in "The Queen of the Moulin Rouge," 
a Broadway production, and "Going Some." He then 
returned to stock work and played leads in Portsmouth, 
Camden, Columbus, Rochester and Washington. 

It was at Camden, New Jersey, that an Essanay pro- 
ducer happened to see him. He saw the great possi- 
bilities in the young actor and immediately communi- 
cated with him in regard to becoming a photoplay star. 
His stock engagement closed that Saturday night, and 
Sunday Bushman was on his way to Chicago to play 
leads in the Essanay Eastern productions. Wednesday 
of that week found him playing the role of a convict in 
"Lost Years," the title of which was very apropos, as 
he saw that he had lost years in not taking up motion 
picture work Ion? before. His employers were more 
than pleased with his work in this picture, and in the 
ones following he continued to improve. His untiring 



of Science 153 

efforts in working to get the correct interpretations 
of the characters he was given to portray, combined 
with his stock personality, made his rise to stardom 
very rapid. 

Lottie Briscoe has been on the stage since she was 
four years of age, and has had the good fortune dur- 
ing that time to have been in the companies of the 
leading actors of the past fifteen years. She made her 
first appearance with McKee Rankin in "Nobody's 
Wife," in 1896, playing on her first appearance a part 
of forty-two pages. After that she starred for three 
seasons as Editha in "Editha's Burglar" (in which role 
the writer first saw her act), and then went out for a 
preliminary trip with Russ Whytal, as his co-star in 
"For Fair Virginia," which proved such a success that 
it was brought into New York and made her a Broad- 
way star at the age of seven. 

At the conclusion of that run Miss Briscoe was next 
engaged by Augustin Daly to support Miss Ada Rehan, 
making her first appearance at Daly's Theatre as 
Puck in "A Midsummer-Night's Dream." She was a 
great pet of Mr. Daly's, who, after the rehearsals were 
over, would draw up a chair for Miss Rehan and then 
get little Lottie to come on the stage and sing to him 
song after song in German and French. One engage- 
ment led to another, and from Daly's she joined Rich- 
ard Mansfield, to whose careful tuition and direction 
she probably owes most of her excellent stage technic. 
She played the Prince in "Richard III," and under 
Mansfield's management was the original Essie in 
George Bernard Shaw's first production in this country 
of "The Devil's Disciple." Mr. Mansfield became 
very fond of her and wished to adopt her, but her moth- 
er, who always traveled with her, refused to listen to 



Cfte Cfreatre 



this suggestion, but up to Mansfield's early and lament- 
ed death he treated her as his own daughter. Lottie 
always traveled and lived in his private car with her 
mother and tutor, and it was Mansfield's delight to 
write original little dramas in which all the characters 
were played by the two. Even at this early age she 
was fond of having her own way, for she always would 
insist on making an entrance down a set of steps which 
must be red, and Mansfield must appear as an artist 
with a flowing black tie. He used to vary this amuse- 
ment by giving her imitations of all the well-known 
vaudeville artists, accompanying himself on the 'cello. 
After the death of Mansfield Lottie starred in "My 
Friend from India," and was Dick in "The Two Lit- 
tle Vagrants." Then the late B. F. Keith engaged her 
for "stock" work and she was for years under this man- 
agement in Providence, Columbus, Milwaukee, Pitts- 
burgh and Philadelphia, where at the Chestnut Street 
Theatre she played ingenue leads. It was from here 
that Mr. Spoor, of Essanay Film Company, engaged 
her as the first star of that company. After playing her 
year's engagement with the Essanay Company, Miss 
Briscoe took an extended trip to Europe and on her 
return was engaged by the Majestic Motion Picture 
Company before she stepped off the boat, having been 
engaged by wireless; making a rather good combina- 
tion: wireless telegraphy and speechless acting. This 
contradiction of terms, however, is no novelty to Lottie, 
as for years she has been used to smokeless powder. 
Leaving the Majestic she went to the Imp, and from 
there she joined the Lubin forces in 1911, where she 
is now playing leads as co-star with Arthur Johnson. 
Miss Briscoe was honored in an unusual manner by 
the New York "Times" in 1913, when in a nation-wide 



of^cience 155 

contest to reveal America's most beautiful woman the 
Lubin star was the only stage or film player included 
among the winners, the judges being such artists as 
Penrhyn Stanlaws, Harrison Fisher and Philip Boileau. 

Arthur Vaughan Johnson was born in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, in 1876, of parents in no way connected with the 
theatrical profession. He was educated at Kemper 
Hall, a military school, in Davenport, Iowa. As, 
Tybalt, in "Romeo and Juliet," Mr. Johnson made his' 
first appearance at the age of nineteen. He remained 
on the stage fourteen years, playing many parts and 
laying the foundation of that sound technique which 
was to serve him in such good stead later on. He has 
played almost everything in Shakespeare and the class- 
ics, as well as Sherlock Holmes and the modern drama. 
For many years he was leading man with Robert B. 
Mantell, Marie Wainwright, and Sol Smith Russell. 
His association with the latter star gave him that sym- 
pathy and understanding of character roles which mark 
his work on the screen to-day. 

Six years ago Mr. Johnson was led to enter the mo- 
tion-picture field chiefly because of the summer lull in 
his engagements, and he immediately established him- 
self as a Biograph favorite. After absorbing all the de- 
tails of his new work, and having learned the difficul- 
ties of acting before the camera, he accepted an offer 
made by the Reliance Company, with whom he re- 
mained a short time. Mr. Lubin, who wished to 
strengthen his company, made Mr. Johnson induce- 
ments sufficient to tempt almost anyone to leave New 
York, and for the past three years he has been enlisted 
under the Lubin banner. He has just completed his 
second year as director of every photoplay in which he 
plays the leading part, and has succeeded in making his 



156 C6e Cfteatte 

efforts in the former capacity as rich in individuality 
and human appeal as his work as a player has always 
been. 

Lloyd B. Carleton, of the Lubin Company, Phila- 
delphia, began his career as a director and producer of 
plays when a child. He built theatres and scenery out 
of cigar boxes, and painted cardboards, with paper 
puppets for actors. And also wrote and rehearsed lit- 
tle plays in which his playmates took part and the 
neighbors were audience. The scenery moved on 
grooves, and the lighting was done by tiny oil lamps. 
At the early age of nine years he showed mechanical 
and dramatic ability. As a member of the Seventh 
Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y., he was one of the founders 
of the Dramatic Club, and took part in many of their 
productions. After a short career as a lawyer, Mr. 
Carleton joined an art school, from which he gradu- 
ated with honors. But the call of the stage was too 
strong, and he became a member of the Charles Froh- 
man Company, playing with Henry Miller, Annie Rus- 
sel and Virginia Harned. He was in Miss Maude 
Adams' Company when she made her debut as a star 
in "The Little Minister," and remained with her in 
all her productions, until he was sent by Mr. Frohman 
to Australia to produce "Peter Pan" for J. C. Wil- 
liamson, with Tittel Brune as the star. Since then he 
has directed The Percy Haswell Stock Company, The 
George Fawcett Stock Company, The Davison Stock 
Company of Milwaukee, and The Hunter-Bradford 
Stock Company. Mr. Carleton became prominent by 
the production of "Lorna Doone" for Harry Hamlin of 
Chicago at the Grand Opera House. Becoming inter- 
ested in the moving-picture productions and having ex- 
perimented for years in camera work and its possibili- 



of Science 157 

ties, he entered the moving-picture field, first with the 
Biograph Company, later with the Thanhouser Com- 
pany, and for the past two years with the Lubin Man- 
ufacturing Company as one of their foremost directors, 
making many of their most artistic and dramatic fea- 
tures. 

Harry Handworth first saw the light of day on June 
30, 1878, in New York City. At an early age he grad- 
uated from the public schools and entered high school. 
Much against his parents' wishes, he left school short- 
ly afterward to start a business career. At nineteen he 
went into business for himself; but the call of earlier 
days, the smell of grease paint, had been so thoroughly 
inoculated into his system that he thought himself des- 
tined to fill the shoes left vacant by the great and only 
Edwin Booth. Throwing business worries to the wind, 
he sallied forth to conquer the world. Daily he haunt- 
ed the dramatic agencies, but without avail; his 
mother encouraged, but his father discouraged, but 
Harry promised to show his doubting father if he ever 
secured the chance. Making the rounds of the agen- 
cies every day for a whole summer soon taught him 
little tricks, and he soon landed with a one-night-stand 
production. Its life was short and sad, and soon he 
found himself making the rounds of the agencies. Sev- 
eral of the company he was associated with thought 
well of him, and introduced him to the agents. His 
next venture was with a farce-comedy production, illy 
named "The Lovers* Dilemma." But let us draw the 
curtain for a short space and play some sad music. 
The show opened in Gloversville, N. Y., at 8:15 p. m. 
and closed at 9 : 15 p. m. the same night. The audience 
went wild over the "star" in fact, they waited outside 
the stage door to embrace him ; but he, thoughtful one, 



158 C6e C&eatre 

went out through the front of the house. His name 
will be kept a secret. He has since then become, and is 
now, a leading man on Broadway. 

"Jake" Speis, the erstwhile dramatic agent, next 
thought well enough of young Handworth to place him 
with the "Country Editor." That attraction also 
stubbed its toe after a short run, and silently faded into 
oblivion. Several seasons of successes and failures fol- 
lowed, when he signed with Joe Murphy, in the fol- 
lowing year, and played Jack Biddle in a "Desperate 
Chance." Next he was starred in "The Gunner's 
Mate." In 1905 he organized and headed his own stock 
company, and met with great success, directing all his 
own productions. In 1909 he noticed the advances 
moving pictures were making. The handwriting on 
the wall was plain to him. He clearly saw how dram- 
atic productions must suffer by the inroads being made 
by the then despised film industries. Many theatrical 
managers and actors sneered, and tried to ridicule the 
picture game, but in their hearts they trembled at the 
onrushing Goliath. They put their backs to the wall 
and tried to fight it off. They lost no opportunity to 
slur it in their current plays. The managers even re- 
fused to engage actors for their productions who had 
ever worked in moving pictures. Such was the condi- 
tion of the film business only five, four, and even three 
years ago. What a change a few years has brought 
about! The photoplay has swept through the amuse- 
ment field like a prairie fire, wiping out those who 
would not see, creating new and fertile fields for those 
managers who kept their ears to the ground. This 
has brought about a general improvement in the class 
of film brought before the public. The cream of the 
theatrical producers are engaged in the filming of their 



of Science 159 

plays. Interest in pictures has been stimulated, finer 
theatres for the projection of pictures have been erect- 
ed, and the industry is booming all along the line. 

Mr. Handworth became one of the first directors en- 
gaged by Pathe Freres, when that firm opened its 
American studio in Jersey City Heights. He was re- 
sponsible for many of its brilliant successes, and to-day 
stands firmly entrenched as one of the foremost pro- 
ducers in America. Recently he severed his connec- 
tion with Pathe, and entered the field for himself, or- 
ganizing "The Excelsior Feature Film Company," with 
studio located at Lake Placid, New York. His first 
picture under the new regime will be a four-reel fea- 
ture, "The Toll of Mammon," now in preparation. If 
care, thought, study, and ability count for anything, 
success will surely crown his efforts. 

Octavia Handworth was born December 25, 1888, 
the year of the great blizzard, in a small brick build- 
ing still standing on Fifteenth Street, near Seventh 
Avenue. As a child, she showed great aptitude for 
music. Her parents decided to encourage her, and at 
nine years of age she was sent to Copenhagen to study 
under masters. At twelve she returned to this coun- 
try, and Herr Bancke became her instructor. Great 
progress was made, for a year later we find her giving 
recitals in Brooklyn, where she then resided. A great 
future seemed in store for her. At the piano she 
showed wonderful technique, and her voice grew in 
strength and volume as the years went on. At sixteen 
she accepted an engagement with an opera company. 
The following year she was engaged by Weber & 
Fields for a minor part. Lee Shubert heard her sing, 
and became interested, but the dramatic stage shortly 
after claimed her, and she signed with a stock com- 



160 C6e Cfleatre 

pany to play parks during the summer season. Sev- 
eral seasons in stock at Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, 
Missouri; Chicago, and other cities followed, which 
gave her ample opportunity to perfect herself in the 
higher art. A season with A. H. Woods next fol- 
lowed, and at twenty she saw the wonderful possibili- 
ties of the silent drama. The Vitagraph engaged her 
for several pictures, and while here Miss Handworth 
realized the splendid opportunities the camera offered 
to the finished artist the outdoor work, ever changing 
scenes and locations, and last, but not least, her long- 
ing for a permanent home and a year-round engage- 
ment could at last become a reality. 

Pathe, about that time, decided to produce pictures 
in America, and Miss Handworth was immediately en- 
gaged to play the leads, and her success has been mar- 
velous. The several hundred roles she has been called 
upon to portray have received her closest attention to 
detail. She was one of the first photoplayers to realize 
that every move and look must mean something, and to 
improvise lines that had a direct bearing upon the story 
the film was to tell. Among her favorite pictures are 
"A Wrecked Life," "The Nation's Peril," "The Simple 
Maid," "The Secret Formula," "The President's Par- 
don," "The Schoolma'm," "The Climax." Her name 
and face are familiar the world over. Daily she re- 
ceives scores of letters from her admirers, praising her 
work on the screen. Many of these letters are written 
in strange languages, and bearing postmarks from In- 
dia, Russia, Australia, and even Japan and China, all 
of which are answered and a photograph enclosed. 

This year Miss Handworth will be featured by the 
Excelsior Feature Film Company, and her many 
friends will see her at her best in "The Toll of Mam- 





OCTAVIA HAND WORTH 

''Excelsior" Star 



MABEL NORMAND 

Keystone Comedies 




FRANCEL1A BILLINGTON 

(Majestic) 




ETHEL CLAYTON 

(Lubin) 



Four "Reel" Stars of To-day 



o f S c i e n c e 



mon," a four-reel feature, which gives her ample op- 
portunity to display her genius before the camera. 

Giles R. Warren entered the ranks of the theatrical 
profession in 1889, playing eccentric comedy roles un- 
der the tutelage of John Stapleton, who was then man- 
aging and directing a stock company in Chicago. Mr. 
Warren continued in this field until 1910, playing a 
range of parts from comedy roles to heavies in many 
companies, including Augustin Daly's, Potter & Bel- 
lew, "Checkers," and "The Eternal City." He was 
stage manager with "Checkers" the first two seasons, 
with Thomas W. Ross in the stellar role. 

In 1910 Mr. Warren joined the "Imp" forces as sce- 
nario editor, at the time the company included King 
Baggot, Florence Lawrence, and Owen Moore, with 
Harry L. Solter as director. From the "Imp" Mr. 
Warren went to Lubin, where he remained for a year, 
conducting the scenario department. At the expira- 
tion of this time, he was engaged by P. A. Powers to 
write scenarios for the Powers Motion Picture Com- 
pany, and left that concern to join the Victor Com- 
pany, which Mr. Powers organized to feature Florence 
Lawrence. Mr. Solter, Miss Lawrence's husband and 
director, being forced, on account of ill health, to take 
a lengthy vacation, Mr. Warren was placed in charge 
of the direction of her pictures, in addition to writing 
all of her scenarios, until she left the company. He 
then continued his direction, featuring Fritzi Brunette 
and Owen Moore, until the consolidation of the Victor 
with the Universal. Since that time he has been writ- 
ing and producing three-reel films for Warner's Fea- 
tures, Inc. 

Marion Leonard is probably the first person in the 
motion picture business who attained celebrity through 



162 C6e Cfreatte 

her work on the screen. Her first engagement as a 
ccreen actress was with the Kalem Company, but after 
appearing in two pictures for them she was imme- 
diately engaged by the Biograph Company and re- 
mained with the Biograph for nearly four years. Dur- 
ing this engagement she played the leading female roles 
in nearly two-thirds of the Biograph productions. She 
was induced by the independents to leave the Bio- 
graph, the salary given her for this purpose being of 
rather dazzling proportions. Miss Leonard remained 
with the Reliance Company for a year and left only 
because the fatigue of a hard season's work compelled 
her to take a trip abroad. She remained in Europe 
about six months and was again brought back by the 
independents in order to strengthen their programs, 
appearing during two years with the Rex and Monopol 
Companies. The terms at which she negotiated this 
new engagement placed her in control of her studio 
and since that time Miss Leonard has always con- 
ducted her own business and is to-day in connection 
with Stanner E. V. Taylor, her producer, the owner 
of her own studio and all the output thereof. 

While with the Biograph Company, Miss Leonard 
married the playwright of that company, Stanner E. 
V. Taylor, and from the time she left that company 
Mr. Taylor has been her producer as well as play- 
wright. Miss Leonard has always kept her private 
life separate from her public appearances, and though 
repeatedly offered small fortunes to appear personally 
before audiences, she believes that as a motion picture 
actress the public should see her and know her on 
the screen only. 

Miss Leonard has a charming and sweet personality 
and when not absorbed in her work is devoted to litera- 



of Science 



ture, music and automobiling. A dainty little farm 
in Jersey also occupies much of her time in the sum- 
mer months. She is an Ohio girl by birth. 

Miss Leonard's views as to the obligation the 
screen favorite owes to the producer by confining her 
appearance before the camera are interesting, indeed, 
for if there is one star in filmdom who could com- 
mand "big money" in vaudeville, she surely is that 
one. Ethically Miss Leonard is wholly correct in the 
views she expresses, but the tremendous popularity of 
the screen stars offers no little temptation to convert 
into cash; moreover, this popularity is of the kind not 
easily eliminated. 

S tanner E. V. Taylor, playwright and producer of 
the Marion Leonard films, first entered the motion 
picture business as playwright to the Biograph Com- 
pany. During the four years he was with this com- 
pany Mr. Taylor wrote eighty per cent, of the plays 
produced by that company and was the first play- 
wright in the motion picture business ever to be regu- 
larly retained by a producing company in that capac- 
ity. Mr. Taylor left the Biograph to become play- 
wright to the Reliance Company, and shortly after was 
induced by Messrs. Kessel and Baumann to take 
charge of their productions, since which time he has 
been producing as well as writing all of his own plays. 
After leaving the Biograph, Mr. Taylor was connected 
in turn with the Reliance, Rex and Monopol Com- 
panies, and is now identified with Miss Leonard in the 
Marion Leonard Studio, where all the Marion Leon- 
ard productions are produced. Prior to entering the 
motion picture business Mr. Taylor was in turn news- 
paper man, actor and then playwright. 

He is a member of the Friars, but finds his princi- 



Cfte Cfteatte 



pal recreation in reading, the theatre and automobiling. 

Mr. Taylor was born in the West and prior to com- 
ing to New York had the audacity to think that Chi- 
cago was the center of the universe. 

Paul Panzer was born in Wurzburg, Bavaria, the 
well-known university town. He studied at the Uni- 
versity of Wurzburg and also took a course in vocal 
music at the Conservatory of Wurzburg. He served 
in the army and when he left the country was lieu- 
tenant of the artillery in reserves. He left Germany 
to take a position as administrator of a coffee planta- 
tion in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After three and one-half 
years spent there he came to this country twelve years 
ago. Inasmuch as he has been a leading spirit in club 
theatricals in Germany, he naturally drifted into the 
dramatic profession and secured an engagement with 
Augustin Daly. 

He played in "San Toy," "The Geisha," "The Coun- 
try Girl" and "Singalee." He became stage manager 
for Mr. Daly. About five years ago he became inter- 
ested in moving pictures and for a while was an inde- 
pendent producer and director. 

Receiving, however, a flattering offer from Pathe 
Freres, he joined their stock company in Jersey City, 
where he has been now for three and a half years, play- 
ing leading parts. 

Mr. Panzer has varied his work by lecture tours on 
the vaudeville stages in houses where they show mov- 
ing pictures and has achieved great popularity in his 
lectures. 

Close observers have regarded it as a strange ten- 
dency, that of comic opera and musical comedy artists 
scoring as photoplayers ; almost every recruit from the 



of Science 165 

musical field has become an established favorite in 
filmdom. 

From Oscar C. Apfel's very first entrance into the 
theatrical world he has always, in one way or another, 
been connected with stage management. Beginning 
in 1901 with a company playing a season of forty- 
seven weeks of one-night stands, Apfel was unani- 
mously elected as "Props," besides playing three parts. 
The next season he was promoted, being stage man- 
ager with a real company, playing weeks' stands. 
From then on he has always been connected with the 
stage end, the best schooling having been made under 
the direction of the late Will Dean, of the Belasco 
forces, with whom Apfel was associated for several 
seasons in stock work. 

His ambition, however, was to direct. This ambi- 
tion was realized when placed in charge of the Chicago 
Opera House Stock Company eight years ago by Mr. 
D. H. Hunt. Success in Chicago led to other engage- 
ments in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, 
Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Toledo, San Francisco 
and other cities. It was hard work, but Apfel liked it. 
The berth of a stage director in stock companies is 
not a bed of roses, but the constant change, the thrill 
of the opening performance, always drew him back. 

The "movies" had interested Apfel for some time, 
so in 1911, he had an interview with Mr. Plimpton, of 
the Edison Company. He (Mr. Plimpton) didn't 
know whether a dramatic director would make a good 
picture director or not. Neither did Apfel, so both 
agreed to take a chance. It was a long chance, for 
Apfel directed with the Edison Company a year and 
a half. 

What appealed most, was the opportunity to give 



166 C6e Cfteatte 

free reign to the imagination. You were given an 
idea, plot or story, and then left to work out your own 
scenario, and, of course, upon that rests the success 
or failure of the picture. 

Apfel started in making his own scenarios from the 
beginning, and of the hundreds of pictures produced, 
the scenarios have always been his own, in addition to 
which he has written a great number of original sce- 
narios. 

The rapid changes taking place in the film world 
took Apfel to the camp of the Mutual Company, where 
he produced the Reliance features for over a year. 
Leaving the Reliance, he joined the Pathe forces for 
a short time, when an opportunity to enter the real 
feature field presented itself in shape of an offer from 
the Jesse L. Lasky Company, with which he is now 
associated, producing well-known plays with well- 
known stars. 

It was Oscar Apfel who imparted to the Reliance 
productions the individuality which contributed more 
to the "Independent" cause than any single factor one 
may name. 

I recall a number of these productions, in which 
Irving Cummings and Rosemary Theby rose to fame, 
and undoubtedly it was the progress made under Apfel 
that induced the Reliance Company to expand to its 
present status. 




ADAM KESSEL, JR. 
Founder New York Motion Picture Co. 
Remarkable Product of a Great Industry 



t i t n 1 1 167 



CHAPTER VIII 

On May 21st, 1909, the Bison Company released 
their first picture, "A Disinterested Son's Loyalty." 
How they came to take this name of Bison was when 
Mr. Adam Kessel, Jr., was paying a restaurant check 
and saw the Buffalo head on a $10 bill. He decided 
then and there to call this new company the Bison. 

The New York Motion Picture Corporation then 
consisted of Adam Kessel, Jr., President; Chas. O. 
Baumann, Secretary and Treasurer. 

Adam Kessel also at that time owned the Empire 
Film Company, and Chas. O. Baumann branched out 
with the International Film Exchange, which ex- 
changes handled the output of the General Film Com- 
pany. Kessel refused to sign a licensed agreement, 
so they cut off his film supply. He had to get film 
elsewhere. Kessel & Baumann got in touch with a 
a camera man who was making film in a small way 
at that time, and bought out the interest of his con- 
cern and started to make pictures for their own ex- 
changes. They sold 18 copies of their first picture, 
"A Disinherited Son's Loyalty," and were really the 
first manufacturers to supply exchanges with posters. 



168 Cfre Cfteatre 

They also were the first to send out film on a cash 
basis in order to enable them to raise money to con- 
tinue making pictures. 

After a few releases they made the one-reel picture, 
"True Indian's Heart." Of this they sold thirty-five 
copies, which was wonderful for a beginner, and they 
have the distinction from that day of never having 
failed with a release. They then began making pic- 
tures in Los Angeles, and were really one of the first 
to see the benefits of Southern California climate. 

Kessel & Baumann got together with Cochrane, 
Laemmle, Herbert Miles and Powers, and formed the 
Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company. The 
result was the independent film business was put on a 
sound basis. This group was then enabled to get 
enough money to fight the Motion Picture Patents 
Company, with the result that they won in the end. 

After the Sales Company was sailing along nicely, 
Kessel & Baumann started to expand, and, in Novem- 
ber, 1911, signed a contract with Miller Brothers to use 
their "101 Ranch" equipment, consisting of Indians, 
cowboys, horses, cattle and all other paraphernalia. 
From then on they began making pictures in Califor- 
nia at an enormous weekly expense, and supplied 
Thos. H. Ince with one of the greatest layouts of any 
motion picture concern in the world. Ince, from the 
beginning, made good. 

In January, 1912, Chas. Kessel, managing the ex- 
changes of Messrs. Kessel & Baumann, which by this 
time had increased in number to five, they having 
bought out the Imperial Film Exchange, then owned 
by "Bill" Steiner, was taken into the New York Mo- 
tion Picture Company, and along about April, 1912, 
Messrs. Kessel & Baumann saw the advantages of put- 




CHARLES O. BAUMANN 

Founder New York Motion Picture Co. and the first Film Magnate to produce for the Stage 



of Science 



ting out good film, and felt they were hampered by the 
Motion Picture Distributing and Sales Company, be- 
cause they were not allowed to expand. They then 
joined forces with Swanson of the Rex, Laemmle of the 
Imp, Powers of the Powers Company, and J. Brula- 
tour of the Eastman Company, and formed what is 
now the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. 

In June, 1912, the New York Motion Picture Com- 
pany withdrew from the Universal and began releas- 
ing through the Mutual Film Corporation, and at the 
same time sold its string of exchanges to the Mutual 
Film Corporation; and just about this time Messrs. 
Kessel & Baumann made one of the greatest moves 
on record in the industry, that is, the signing up of 
Mack Sennett, who was sent out and started the 
famous Keystone Company. 

In the Spring of 1913, after the reorganization, the 
New York Motion Picture Corporation was formed i 
Adam Kessel, Jr., President; C. O. Baumann, Vice- 
President; Chas. Kessel, Secretary; C. J. Kite, Treas- 
urer; H. E. Aitken, Asst. Treasurer. They are now 
turning out and releasing 9,000 feet of negative a 
week. In the year of 1913 they turned out over 21,- 
000,000 feet of film. 

The "shoestring" of business has worked more 
miracles in the motion-picture "game" than in all other 
professions combined^ Like "the days of gold," the 
poor man of yesterday is the "multi" of today. 

In this particular case, a near-camera, a few feet of 
film and energy personified in the form of W. N. Selig, 
were to prove to the world that there were dif- 
ferent qualities even in financial "shoestrings." Un- 
like the majority of suddenly-wealthy, he persisted in 
continuing a master of commercialism, holding his 



170 Cfte C&eatre 

course as steadily after the flood tide of competition 
had developed as during that earlier period when the 
famous diamond brand of the Selig Polyscope Com- 
pany was master in a clear field. 

Every one knows what W. N. Selig did in the East. 
His twin plants in Chicago, so magnificent in their ap- 
pointments that they forestalled the demand of years, 
magically engulfed the back room and pitiful stage 
where the noted manufacturer began his career in the 
film business in 1896. His plants in Europe and Eng- 
land followed. From every standpoint the Selig Poly- 
scope Company was equipped with offices, plants, 
studios de luxe, and other necessities for all time. 
Elbert Hubbard, the sage of East Aurora, referred to 
the performer of these things as "the marvel of mod- 
ern business." 

And yet a visit to Los Angeles, Cal., proves that the 
wizard has just begun wizzing; that "energy personi- 
fied" still is on the job. Not content with the vast and 
complete equipment of the East, Mr. Selig has begun 
operations in Los Angeles, which, from a studio stand- 
point, will far outdo all efforts of the past and will add 
to the famous sight-seeing places of the continent, a 
studio which easily will reign supreme among the 
world's motion-picture places. 

Already this location is known as the Selig Zoo. 
When the company installed a studio at Edendale, 
among the hills of Los Angeles, it attracted immediate 
attention for its beauty, luxury and general superi- 
ority. Built in Mission style, with its patio, siesta 
nooks and great glass-enclosed studio, it marked the 
climax of studio construction here for the time being. 
None have approached it as yet. 

But the Selig Zoo, another pet project in the busy 



of Science m 

mind of Mr. Selig, was due to cheat its sister studio of 
its laurels. Beginning quietly by the purchase of a 
great acreage beside beautiful Eastlake Park, Mr. 
Selig added $500,000 to his expenditures in the single 
move. Then the Selig menagerie began to make itself 
known, first in wonderful pictures, next to the general 
public. The animal inhabitants increased until, with 
more on the way from the jungles, there is a rare col- 
lection at hand at present costing $264,000. 

India collaborated with the "Dark Continent" and 
the jungles of South America in complying with this 
latest fad of the film genius, until the Selig Zoo is a 
crazy-quilt of animaldom. More than two score lions 
roar within the great enclosure. Nine enormous tigers, 
fourteen panthers, jaguars, a dozen leopards, a pack of 
wolves, four pachyderms, a pair of inquiring giraffes, 
water buffalo, sacred cows, Russian boar hounds, yaks, 
zebra, bear, sloth, and fifteen camels add to the mer- 
riment about feeding time. 

Then there are animal acts which run into fortunes ; 
trained ponies; Sultan, the highest priced nag which 
ever pranced and performed for royalty or the public; 
vari-colored cockatoos and other jungle birds. To 
attempt further details along this line would involve 
unnecessary space. 

With this modest groundwork, Mr. Selig already 
has his million-dollar studio and Zoo under construc- 
tion. Animal cages of solid concrete; administration 
buildings, offices and stages of artistic design; band 
stands and printing rooms all will lend attractiveness 
to the Lincoln Park of the West when completed in 
the near future. 

One of the best-known landscape artists of the coun- 
try is engaged for plans for beautifying the grounds in 



172 C6e CDeatre 

keeping with the pretentious building scheme. While 
the public will enjoy park, menagerie and picnic privi- 
leges in the fore of this wide-spreading place, eight 
directors, with their acting hosts, will film dramas, 
allegories, comedies, thrilling Westerns and famous 
productions in the working half of the enormous place. 
Here will be found sets and locations for all classes of 
plays, from the primeval to the last word in modern 
presentations. Jungles, morasses, forest effects, bat- 
tle fields all will be at hand for the busy producers. 

Already six companies are at work there. For more 
than a year animal productions, which became world- 
famous over night, have been filmed at the incomplete 
Zoo. Here are seen such notable players as Kathlyn 
Williams, whose "Adventures of Kathlyn" were put 
on within this wondrous enclosure. With her is seen 
Thomas Santschi, the two being the originators of 
Selig animal pictures, pioneering the way for all fol- 
lowers in this dangerous profession. Tom Mix, the 
cowboy actor, and his daring after-riders and perform- 
ers, also are leading the strenuous life before Zoo 
cameras. The producers include some of the most suc- 
cessful in the profession, while, as a side line, Mr. Selig 
has added a corps of famous authors to prepare photo- 
plays for the screen. Mr. Thomas A. Persons is the 
general manager. 

The Zoo, one of six great establishments operated 
by the "wizard," will soon have a combined expense 
and payroll of $350,000 annually a hint of W. N. 
Selig's energy afield in the West. 
$> ^ & ^ 

Probably no other merchant prince of America has 
ever accomplished so much in so short a time, or has 
been so remarkably successful since reaching America 




THOMAS SANTSCHI 



CHARLES CLARY 





KATHLYN WILLIAMS BESSIE EYTON 

Four Selig Stars 



of Science 



as has Siegmund Lubin, whose name is known 
throughout the universe and wherever the cinmato- 
graph is in use. 

Scientists, merchants, statesmen, men of art and let- 
ters will go down to posterity as having achieved re- 
markable successes. Lubin will be always remem- 
bered as the genius who combined dramatic power 
with the wizardry of finance and made it possible to 
commercialize the film industry and place it upon a 
plane of remarkable efficiency so that those who 
wished to invest their capital in the business could 
find there a stable, successful undertaking. 

Starting in a most obscure way in his own optical 
store which he established in Philadelphia soon after 
his arrival in this country, Mr. Lubin began to per- 
fect his ideas as to the cinematograph. When he had 
progressed to the extent of perfecting a suitable ma- 
chine, he devoted himself to the camera, and when he 
had what he wanted he started to take the pictures 
himself as an experiment. 

In those days greater liberties were taken as to de- 
tails in the way of production, and often now when 
this picture genius steps into his studios and sees the 
efforts of some of the latter-day directors and their 
temperamental efforts, he silently wonders what they 
would have done a dozen years ago, had they not pos- 
sessed the facilities which they do at the present time. 

It was not long before every one in Philadelphia be- 
gan to know of Lubin and Lubin films. His reputa- 
tion grew as the business prospered; and keen to dis- 
cern the future of the industry, Mr. Lubin engaged 
in the exhibition business, and four of the most beau- 
tiful picture-houses in the city, located on Market 
Street, the city's greatest transient thoroughfare, made 



Cfte Cfteatte 



for him a small-sized fortune. This a decade before 
other producers who are to-day doing the same thing 
on Broadway. 

Besides the fortune, Mr. Lubin had a greater repu- 
tation than he ever before possessed. Every dollar in 
profits went back into the production of films and 
with it came the same increased profits. The larger 
plant and the greater productions that began to come 
from the Lubin studios continued to lead the way for 
other American producers, until to-day Lubin films 
are in use in every country upon which the sun shines, 
and the export business of the company of which Mr. 
Lubin is the head is as great as the output for domes- 
tic exhibition. 

The greatest evidence of the Lubin foresight was 
the fact that he built a plant large enough to manu- 
facture the films not only made in his own studios but 
is now also turning out regular releases of four of the 
largest film companies in America to-day. The Lubin 
plant is still growing by leaps and bounds, and, if 
needed, the two factories could to-day turn out two 
million feet of film every twenty-four hours. 

Manufacturers have talked about the film industry 
as being still in its infancy. While they have talked, 
Siegmund Lubin has studied and built. What his 
plans for the future are no one but himself knows. 
It is no uncommon sight to see him send for one of 
his executives and unfold to that official plans for the 
future that are simply staggering in their resource- 
fulness, and after the executive has reported back 
with the cost of the new undertaking, the plan is either 
put into operation, or filed away in that wonderful 
storehouse, ready for development when the mind of 




SIEGMUND LUBIN 1 

One of the pillars of the film industry, a man beloved by employees and respected by his 
competitors 



of Science 



the master film producer regards the time propitious 
for its use. 

The Philadelphia factory has been told of so many 
times that its history is not new. When Mr. Lubin 
purchased the magnificent 500-acre estate of the late 
John F. Betz, it was the first time that a film producer 
ever owned outright a millionaire's palace and all the 
grounds about that go to the making of everything 
that is princely and regal. Its purchase gave him 
facilities and equipment together with the atmosphere 
that one could need for the production of the most 
beautiful pictures that the art can produce. 

But it was not alone in the artistic side of the busi- 
ness that Mr. Lubin hoped to see the great Betzwood 
plant at its zenith. Only recently the Philadelphia 
Water Department suffered from a broken main, and 
every manufacturing establishment had its supply cur- 
tailed. Imagine what such a loss would mean to the 
Lubin Company. With hundreds of releases of their 
own and other companies held up because of the ac- 
cident, the new factory at Betzwood was there ready 
to relieve the congestion. 

The entire factory was switched to Betzwood. Rail- 
road fares of the factory force amounted to $600 for 
three days' work, and every release went out on time 
and the company saved a loss of $35,000 a day. Had 
Mr. Lubin not seen ahead at least a dozen years and 
had a supply of chemically pure artesian well-water, 
absolutely free from all chemical impurities, at Betz- 
wood, miles away from the pollution of a city water- 
shed, his business for three days would have been so 
crippled that the prestige of the Lubin plant would 
have been materially curtailed. 

Eight automobiles running hourly back and forth 



176 Cfte Cfteatre 

from the Philadelphia plant to the Betzwood factory, 
a distance of twenty- three miles, took the films that 
were printed in Philadelphia and developed at Betz- 
wood. It cost extra money to keep to the schedule, 
but the films went out on time, every Lubin release 
went out on schedule, every film of other manufactur- 
ers was delivered when it was promised, and every 
outgoing steamship that was booked to carry the Lu- 
bin films had their consignment when it was due. 

It is matters of detail of this sort that continually 
show the resourcefulness of Mr. Lubin. It is not with- 
in the power of man to say that this remarkable man 
will always be able to meet all the exigencies of every 
occasion, but if brains can make perfect equipment 
and efficient personnel of his wonderful enterprise, 
then Siegmund Lubin is going to continue to be the 
dominant factor in the film industry as long as he con- 
tinues to enjoy the life which has so far been won- 
derfully blessed by a Divine Providence. 

Great problems have been worked out in the de- 
velopment of the industry. Mr. Lubin is one of the 
firm believers that the motion picture will continue to 
be a greater factor than ever in the educational world. 
He looks to the day when its use in the class-rooms 
is going to be the universal affair. He has watched 
the industry grow, and is ready at all times to meet 
the demands which will be made upon him. His suc- 
cess has brought him a considerable personal fortune, 
but with his success has also come the confidence of 
the financial world, and whatever the great producer 
needs for his future developments is his for the asking, 
and with such a genius as he at the head of the indus- 
try, it is small wonder that thousands of men are will- 
ing to invest millions of capital in an industry that has 



of Science 



proved to be one of the most remarkable in the history 
of the world. 

As the film business has been an epoch-maker, so 
Siegmund Lubin and his remarkable success are 
marked indelibily upon the history of the "Theatre of 
To-morrow," and whenever the historians of the cen- 
turies to come tell of the story of the cinematograph 
and its glories, such history without the name of Lu- 
bin as a "master mind" will be like the story of the 
Battle of Waterloo without its Wellington, or of Get- 
tysburg without its Meade. On June 14, 1914, the 
Lubin plant was damaged by fire ; loss about a million 
dollars. Work on new building began at once. 

Many master minds of the motion-picture manufac- 
turers have for some time back been concentrated upon 
the educational features of this industry and the pos- 
sibility for research it offers. Siegmund Lubin, of 
Philadelphia, is paying much attention to this depart- 
ment. He has given us pictures of the crab, oyster, 
sardine, milk, turtle, turpentine, orange, grapefruit, 
peanut and sponge industry, the making of hay, the 
evolution of the grain from the cornfield to the staff 
of life, the ostrich farm, the sport of catching jewfish, 
the making of pottery, scenes over the sea celebration 
which will become a matter of history and aviation 
warfare practice with the aeroplane and biplanes in 
full action at the garrison. Again, the inoculation of 
tuberculosis and suchlike vital diseases from our pop- 
ulation. Recently the celebrated Dr. Weisenberg gave 
an important lecture at the local clinic of Scranton. 
The lecture was freely illustrated by pictures made by 
Mr. Lubin, giving vivid scenes taken in important san- 
itariums devoted to insanity and nervous diseases. 
The same firm has now traveling three big organiza- 



Cfre Cfteatre 



tions, taking geographical scenes and animated pic- 
tures of Spanish-American life. Pictures have occu- 
pied an important place in the affections of the hu- 
man race from the earliest days, and there has always 
been a demand for pictorial representations of famil- 
iar scenes, which at once evince and satisfy the nat- 
ural human instinct. These were the first indications 
of refinement. The Egyptians, perhaps the greatest, 
learned to depict in vivid strokes and with a lavish 
hand the daily life of their people. These pictorial 
representations, as may be readily seen by reference 
to Egyptian antiquities, were by no means equal to 
those we have to-day, but such as they were, they rep- 
resent the natural craving for pictures, and without a 
doubt the Egyptians would have been the first to ap- 
preciate our filmic representations of life. The mo- 
tion picture may, furthermore, be considered as a 
brain stimulant, and, if employed in our schools, would 
develop the brain in a natural manner and sooner than 
by the text-book method. The cinematograph is a 
modern instance of the magic carpet of "The Arabian 
Nights" transporting us to the uttermost parts of the 
earth and showing us the wonders of the world. 

Of course, the manuscript is the cornerstone of the 
moving-picture structure. In addition to the stories 
supplied by the staff of writers in the Lubin Scenario 
Department, scores are received every day from ama- 
teur writers. These are faithfully read by the readers 
in the scenario room, and such as show originality are 
selected and placed before a committee of expert writ- 
ers, perhaps to be rejected, but in most cases edited 
and put into acting shape to be turned over to the di- 
rectors for production. The scenes are photographed 
on the negative film in the studio, which is a large 



of Science 179 

building well lighted by ample window surface and 
skylights so that the daylight might be used ; however, 
a large percentage of the scenes are photographed un- 
der artificial lights from special lamps made for that 
purpose. The film is then sent up to the dark room, 
put on a rack, and is developed, and the finishing 
touches put to it in the hypo tank, washed in filtered 
water in the washing machine with very fine sprays, 
dried by air, and then sent to the printing room, where 
the negative film is printed by electric printing ma- 
chines on the positive film. The positive film is then 
put through the process of being developed, washed 
by a washing machine with filtered water, put into a 
glycerine bath, which hardens the emulsion on the 
film, then dried by warm filtered air, polished to re- 
move the scratches, then joined with film cement in the 
proper order and then sent to the testing room, where 
it is projected and the defects, if any are found in the 
film, are taken out and the perfect film is wrapped in 
tissue paper and put into a tin can ready to be shipped 
to the film exchange. 



180 C6e C&eatre 



CHAPTER IX 

When a man is practical and honest and works with 
his head and hands, some measure of success will sure- 
ly attend him. There are individuals who have these 
qualifications to which are added the faculty of em- 
ploying men and money and then the success, meas- 
ured in results and dollars, becomes stupendous. It is 
always interesting to look back into the life of such 
men to discover the earlier indications that always 
manifest themselves. Take Charles Jour j on, for ex- 
ample. M. Jour j on, head of the Eclair Film Company, 
with thirty branches and agencies and auxiliary con- 
cerns in as many of the large capitals of the world, was 
for four years president of the Association Generate 
des Etudiants, the student body of Lycee Charlemagne, 
a branch of the Paris University. His election was al- 
ways by popular acclaim, the votes coming from 30,000 
of his fellow students. Nothing better is needed to 
reflect organizing ability and enduring popularity. 

Charles Jour j on is a native of France, where he re- 
ceived his education. He graduated in Paris at the age 
oT twenty-four years with the degree of LL.B. He en- 
gaged in the practice of law, and served in the army of 



of 



France. At twenty-nine he married Mile. Dubuloy, 
and promptly gave up his legal practice to form the 
Societe Frangaise des Films et Cinematographes Eclair, 
doing all the promotional and organization work. His 
election to the presidency of that concern followed, and 
he still retains the position. 

In 1900 he visited America, combining a honeymoon 
trip with important business. During the forming of 
the Motion Picture Patents Company, the head of 
Eclair failed to appreciate the possibilities it offered 
and did not join. 

The Eclair companies are amazing in their activities 
and scope. There are five hundred employes in the 
Paris plant, not including the various stock companies. 
In passing, it will be well to note that everything that 
can be accomplished by labor-saving, modern machines 
is employed. The Eclair company claims to be the pio- 
neer in engaging dramatic stars for film production, 
Sarah Bernhardt being an example. Eclair companies 
in foreign countries are known by those mystifying 
letters, "A. C. A. D.," which become simple with the 
interpretation, "Cinematograph Association of Dram- 
atic Artists." The name of this society will be known 
in America as Leading Players of France. Among the 
promises we are to have Eclair's weekly newsfilm, 
which will offer many innovations. M. Jour j on be- 
lieves in the theory of supplying the camera to the di- 
rectors of a group of famous players ; passing upon the 
merits of the finished film, and then arranging the mar- 
keting on a royalty basis, not unlike the practice of 
book publishing. Among the big things that now oc- 
cupy the attention of the Paris studios is the filming of 
the Jules Verne stories, the first of the series being 
"The Children of Captain Grant." These will all be 



182 Cfte Cfieatre 

multiple lengths six or seven reels. Due to the warm 
personal friendship of M. Jourjon and the nephew of 
Jules Verne, this right was obtained for Eclair in the 
face of keen competition. In addition to the manu- 
facture of films, the Eclair Film Company is owner of 
another concern which operates numerous exchanges 
in Europe. 

The American branch has only recently been incor- 
porated, capitalized at $250,000. Mr. Jourjon is per- 
sonally supervising the erection of a new studio and 
factory at Fort Lee, N. J., which he thinks will be the 
largest in America. This is the eighth studio he has 
built and will be thoroughly efficient and up-to-now in 
its appointments. 

Jourjon, the man, is typical of culture and is cour- 
teous to the last degree. He maintains a summer home 
at Espernay and a house in Paris. He organized and 
still retains an interest in Film D'Art, and is a partner 
of the Savoia Film Company. He also owns two small 
theatres in Paris, and The Arena, a very large motion- 
picture theatre in Brussels. 

It would seem that with the responsibilities that 
must follow in connection with so many business ac- 
tivities, there would be no possible moment for other 
things. But M. Jourjon is the vice-president of the 
Chambre Syndicate des Editeurs, which he assisted in 
organizing in Paris. This is the film parliament of Eu- 
rope, with three principal subdivisions, embracing the 
manufacturers, the exchangemen, and the exhibitors. 
When he is in Paris, M. Jourjon devotes most of his 
time to the Chambre. He is also a member of the 
Cercle Republican of Paris a political and business 
organization. 

Jourjon's single hobby is architecture, which he pre- 




CH. JOURJON 

President Eclair Film Co. 



ALEC B. FRANCIS 

Leading Man Eclair Film Co. 



BARBARA TENNANT 

Leading Lady Eclair Film Co. 




SCENE DEPARTMENT, ECLAIR STUDIO, FORT LEE, N. J. 
(Eclair Film Co.) 



of 



fers above all things except films. He would follow it 
as a business if he had the time. All of the blueprints 
of his various works were made from tracings of his 
own creation. His biggest piece of luck was in miss- 
ing the "Titanic" upon which he had reservation. He 
missed the ill-fated boat and followed on the Savoia 
twelve hours later. It will be remembered that the 
Savoia assisted in the search for those who met with 
disaster. 

M. Jourjon was born at Espernay, France, Decem- 
ber 25, 1876. His father was a pharmaceutical chem- 
ist. Espernay is the center of the great French cham- 
pagne-making district, but its influence on Jourjon is 
without a trace. 

Histrionic genius has found at last, thanks to the 
moving pictures, the one thing it has always sighed 
for in vain immortality. Long years after the great 
actor and actress have passed out of this life, their art 
will live and be revealed by motion pictures to future 
generations. A century hence this world will know 
and realize the genius of Sarah Bernhardt just as we 
who have seen her in the flesh do to-day. Sothern and 
Marlowe's magnificent portrayals of Shakespearean 
roles may afford delight for lovers of noble acting in 
all the generations to come. Indeed, the very thought 
of the number of these future audiences staggers the 
imagination. 

The idea of embalming the art of the actor, making 
it available for all time and enduring as the marbles 
of Phidias, was first conceived by a modest little man 
named Adolph Zukor. It is a big idea, a great, bold, 
daring plan ; but big ideas and daring plans come nat- 
urally to Mr. Zukor, and no one who knows him is sur- 
prised that he should have first conceived the purpose 



184 Cftc Cfteatre 

to immortalize the genius of the contemporary stage 
and carry it out so successfully. 

Mr. Zukor has the face and eyes of the dreamer, and 
the quiet earnestness of the man who accomplishes 
great things. A few years ago but few people in the 
theatrical business knew Adolph Zukor ; now his name 
is on every actor's lips, and the corporation which he 
organized to execute his vast plan the Famous Play- 
ers Film Company has already earned honor and re- 
nown throughout the civilized world. Yet this is only 
the beginning of an enterprise destined to be the great- 
est factor in the making of theatrical history that the 
stage has ever known. 

Already Mr. Zukor has demonstrated that his faith 
in the famous play in motion pictures was justified. 
He has already presented Sarah Bernhardt in "Queen 
Elizabeth," James K. Hackett in "The Prisoner of 
Zenda," Mrs. Fiske in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," 
James O'Neill in "The Count of Monte Cristo," John 
Barrymore in "An American Citizen," Carlotta Nillson 
in "Leah Kleschna," Cecilia Loftus in "The Lady of 
Quality," Henry E. Dixey in "Chelsea 7750," Cyril 
t Scott in "The Day of Days," Mary Pickford in "Ca- 
price," "The Bishop's Carriage," the entire original Be- 
lasco company in "A Good Little Devil," and while this 
volume is in the course of production, plans are going 
forward for the presentation of William Farnum in 
"The Redemption of David Corson," Malcolm Wil- 
liams in "The Brute," H. B. Warner in "The Lost Par- 
adise," Arnold Daly in "The Port of Missing Men," 
Mary Pickford in "Madame Butterfly," and a produc- 
tion of "Marta of the Lowlands," in which the famous 
emotional actress, Madame Kalich, assumes the stel- 




ADOLPH ZUKOR 

President of Famous Players Film Co. 



The Man Why Has Immortalized the Actor 



a f %)tientt iss 

lar role, has already been produced and will shortly be 
released. 

This program of famous players and plays in motion 
pictures is so impressive that its full significance can- 
not be fully grasped all at once. 

"Think of what we would have to-day if moving 
pictures had been invented five hundred years ago!" 
This is Mr. Zukor's continual question. "Consider 
how history would have been enriched/* he goes on; 
"how facilities of education would have been im- 
proved ! Think how intimately all the great figures in 
stage history Shakespeare, David Garrick, Kemble, 
Macready, Edwin Forrest, Rachel would be revealed 
to us! The light of their genius would be imperish- 
able and shine as brightly for us to-day as it did in the 
heydey of their glorious careers. What a difference 
that would make to humanity! If we can give future 
generations what we of the present have missed, I 
shall be more than satisfied." 

In this vision of future benefits to the human race, 
in his enthusiasm to leave something behind that our 
ancestors could not bequeath to us, Mr. Zukor over- 
looked the immediate present, and forgot for the mo- 
ment that even the people of to-day are receiving great 
and immeasurable advantages from his project ; for he 
has brought within physical and financial reach of all 
the great artists of the day in their foremost successes. 
Into every hamlet and village of the civilized world 
Mr. Zukor has sent his wonderful motion pictures, 
bringing before people who could never otherwise see 
the great stars of the day, the famous artists and great 
plays that constitute the Famous Players' program. 

When Mr. Zukor contemplated the organization of 
the Famous Players' Film Company, he realized that 



186 Cfte Cfteatte 

a project as daring and radical as his would require 
the association of a theatrical manager respected and 
admired universally. With that thought in mind he 
approached Daniel Frohman, the veteran theatrical 
producer, whose name has always been identified with 
the highest and noblest in the drama. In justice to 
Mr. Frohman's foresight and business and artistic 
judgment be it said that he at once sensed the pos- 
sibilities of this gigantic plan, and became associated 
with Adolph Zukor as managing director of the Fa- 
mous Players' Film Company, and in this capacity 
has contributed greatly toward the artistic success 
of the enterprise. 

Mr. Zukor next interested Edwin S. Porter, known 
throughout the world as the wizard of the camera. 
No other producer of motion pictures has ever been 
able to equal or approach the wonderful camera and 
other mechanical effects that Mr. Porter utilizes in 
the production of motion pictures. Mr. Porter, who 
thus became technical director of the Famous Players, 
will go down in the history of the motion pictures as 
the father of the present form of photoplay, having 
put the first dramatic story in motion pictures. He 
built the Edison studio, and was with the produc- 
ing company for ten years as chief director, until he 
organized the Rex Motion Picture Company, the ar- 
tistic productions of which concern soon made that 
brand universally popular. Together Messrs. Zukor, 
Frohman and Porter combined their individual talents, 
and the present fame of the Famous Players attests 
the true measure of their genius, courage, and zeal. 

Recently the Famous Players Film Company formed 
an alliance with Henry W. Savage, Inc., whereby the 
former concern secures all the famous plays controlled 




MME. BERTHA KALICH 




BERTHA KALICH IN "MARTA OF THE LOWLANDS" 

(Famous Players Co.) 



o f ft c i e n c e 



by the latter, including "The Devil," "Madame X," 
"The County Chairman," "Everywoman," and as I 
write joint announcement comes from the Famous 
Players and Charles Frohman to the effect that both 
these powers have affiliated, thus breaking down the 
last great bar between the drama and the screen Chas. 
Frohman, probably the world's foremost theatrical 
producer, with enormous international operations. 
Through this alliance, the Famous Players acquire for 
film purposes all the famous Charles Frohman suc- 
cesses, several hundred in number. Charles Frohman 
has for many years advocated and practiced the selec- 
tion of the timely drama with a contemporary appeal. 
Hence the value of his long list of successful plays is 
tremendously enhanced for motion pictures. 

The value of the affiliation to the Famous Players 
and the bearing it has on the future of the company 
needs no comment, and definitely determines the po- 
sition of the Famous Players as the world's leading 
producers of famous plays in motion pictures. 

"Some day they will erect a monument to you in the 
Hall of Fame, Mr. Zukor," once said an interviewer. 

"That won't be necessary," he promptly replied, "I 
shall leave a film of myself behind." 

In another chapter of the current volume the author 
expressed the belief that the advent of the two- and 
three-hour photoplay, entailing vast outlay, would 
bring about changed conditions in the methods adopt- 
ed for distributing the productivity of the studio, also 
indicating the probability of some such system as ob- 
tains in vaudeville, with a central booking system pro- 
viding adequate discipline. 

And now as the volume goes to press, comes the an- 
nouncement of the first plan of this nature in the for- 



188 Cfte Cfteatte 

mation of the Paramount Pictures Corporation, with 
offices throughout the world. The plan comprehends 
a joint arrangement between the Jesse L. Lasky Fea- 
ture Film Co., the Famous Players Film Co., and Bos- 
worth, Inc., whereby an entirely new factor in the dis- 
tribution of feature film productions was created. 

A collective distributing agency for this allied pro- 
gram has been organized and incorporated with the 
following officers: President and General Manager, 
William W. Hodkinson ; Vice-President, James Steele, 
of the Famous Players Film Service, Inc., of Pitts- 
burg, Pa., and Chicago, 111.; Secretary and Treasurer, 
Raymond Pawley, of the Famous Players Exchange, 
Asbury Park, N. J. ; Directors : Hiram Abrams, of the 
Master Productions Film Co., Boston, Mass. ; William 
L. Sherry, of the Wm. L. Sherry Feature Film Co., of 
New York. 

The capitalization of the organization was given as 
being sufficient to conduct a mammoth program of 
feature film productions, the amount covering the re- 
quirements of the new corporation law and being ab- 
solutely insignificant as regards the actual capitaliza- 
tion and scope of the company. 

The writer believes that this amalgamation of three 
of the large film manufacturers will bring about the 
adoption of theatrical methods of business procedure, 
particularly in the "booking" of that class of produc- 
tions for the screen which constitute an entire enter- 
tainment. The influence of William L. Sherry is to be 
observed in this comprehensive plan to separate the 
massive film productions from the ordinary releases 
of the studios, and the season of 1914-15 is due to wit- 
ness a greatly improved condition in the amusement 
field, wherein the local manager for the first time in a 





WM. L. SHERRY 

Of Par-mount Pictures Corporation 



FRANCIS BUSHMAN 

Winner of "Ladies' World" Contest 








HARRY R. RAVER 

Who directs the tours in this country of 
"Cabiria" 



HERBERT ELACHE 

Pioneer Producer of Photoplays 



of Science 189 

decade will have a plethora of attractions to choose 
from. 

Mr. Sherry's short career as a "State rights" buyer 
once more demonstrates the opportunity existent in 
the amusement field for the astute business man whose 
greater asset is the adoption of sound business prin- 
ciples. Sixteen months ago this man came into the 
film arena bent upon conquest; his first important act 
was to purchase the New York State rights for the 
"Prisoner of Zenda" (James K. Hackett). Following 
the success of this investment Mr. Sherry purchased 
the New York State rights for all of the Famous Play- 
ers, Lasky and other lar^e productions. 

Mr. Sherry told the writer that he was impressed 
with the ultimate benefit to the speaking stage as a 
result of the film productions of famous plays with 
well-known players. He stated also that he had ob- 
served a tendency on the part of photoplaygoers to 
flock to the playhouses when these players were re- 
vealed in the flesh at higher admission prices. One 
may not be far amiss if a prediction is ventured in 
connection with the increased theatrical activities of 
the Zukors, Sherrys, Laskys and their associates. Five 
years ago the writer expressed the belief that the Mar- 
cus Loews and William Foxes would create an up- 
heaval in the amusement field. Now the indications 
are that the gentlemen who have made great fortunes 
in the film world will embrace the opportunity that 
the Erlangers and Shuberts ignored. 

Not only is it likely that these gentlemen will in- 
augurate a period of prosperity for the local mana- 
gers of the nation's playhouses, but such as they may 
be expected to undertake to solve that greater prob- 
lem of converting the photoplay public into regular 



190 Cfte Ciieatre 

patrons of the so-called legitimate playhouses where 
plays and players are presented in the old way. 

The Paramount Pictures Corporation dedicates its 
efforts to to-morrow. 

Frank Gersten, the owner and manager of the Royal 
and Prospect Theatres, in the Borough of the Bronx, 
enjoys a reputation unique in the whole of New York. 
He belongs to a race given to extremes great figures 
that shadow over mankind and the lowest trickster. 

It may have been for this reason that Mr. Gersten, 
who has forged ahead of the show world, felt a press- 
ing need to maintain the highest ideals by which a 
man could live. He is a pioneer in all those factors 
in the Bronx amusement field that make for achieve- 
ment. When he first entered that territory there was 
only one theatre in that part of New York, and that, 
the Metropolis, played only cheap melodramatic at- 
tractions. His showmanship instinct, coupled with 
sound business judgment, told him that this was to 
be his field, and as a result he built the Prospect The- 
atre. That his judgment was unerring was soon 
proved to himself and to the world, for it was not 
many years later that he erected the Royal Theatre. 
Here again his thorough theatrical training and his in- 
trinsic knowledge of locations showed itself, and his 
discernment in selecting sites for playhouses again 
proved true. The Royal Theatre to-day is one of the 
recognized standard theatres of New York, playing 
only the best attractions that Broadway has to offer. 
Under Mr. Gersten's able direction, the capacity of 
the house has been tested continually. 

Mr. Gersten was born in New York in 1870. When 
eighteen he connected with Barnum & Bailey's Cir- 
cus, as a ticket seller. He remained with the circus 




I? 

B 




of Science 191 

for four years, and then accepted the position as treas- 
urer for Weber and Fields at the Little Music Hall, 
at Twenty-ninth street and Broadway, New York City. 
He held that position for three years, and in 1895 
joined hands with Messrs. Hurtig and Seamon in the 
capacity as manager and auditor for their circuit of 
theatres. He remained with that firm for fourteen 
years, and in 1909 built the palatial Prospect Theatre 
at 160th street and Westchester avenue, Bronx. The 
Royal Theatre was opened September 6th, 1913. 

To keep in the forefront of human achievement re- 
quires unremitting endeavor. To have always been 
and still to remain an acknowledged leader in all that 
pertains to the theatre shows unalterable purposeful- 
ness during a lifetime of progress. 

Marcus Loew, supreme in "small-time" vaudeville in 
the East and West, owes his start to motion pictures, 
and lately has used big-feature films to stimulate busi- 
ness in his picture and vaudeville theatres. 

Marcus Loew has discovered that the names of well- 
known producers, combined with familiar names of 
plays and players, have proved a success from a box- 
office standpoint, and at the present writing big feature 
photoplays of three parts or more are being shown in 
practically all of his theatres. 

Mr. Loew contracted to show exclusively in his the- 
atres all the photoplay productions released by Klaw 
and Erlanger, which have proved big money winners 
for him. After "The Fatal Wedding," the first K and 
E film, was shown at the Palace Theatre, it was shown 
in all the Loew houses, and now his theatres present 
the pictures exclusively. "The Fatal Wedding" proved 
an artistic and financial triumph. "Classmates" helped 
break records at the American Theatre, and "The Bil- 



192 C6e Cfteatte 

lionaire," "Strongheart," "Lord Chumley," "Seven 
Days" and others held strong. 

In addition to these Mr. Loew featured the Famous 
Players' films, including "A Good Little Devil," "In 
the Bishop's Carriage," "Hearts Adrift," "The Pride 
of Jennico," "Tess of the Storm Country," and others, 
enhanced by the names of Belasco and Frohman as 
producers. So successful were the feature photoplays 
that Mr. Loew put them into the Avenue B Theatre 
exclusively and had "Famous Players' Week" at the 
Broadway, with remarkable results. 

The Jesse Lasky films were also shown exclusively 
in the Loew theatres. "The Squaw Man" packed every 
theatre where it was presented, and others were equal- 
ly successful. 

Mr. David Bernstein, general manager and treasurer 
of the Marcus Loew theatrical enterprises, has been 
with Mr. Loew longer than any of his chiefs. He 
started with Mr. Loew nine years ago, when the pres- 
ent Napoleon of vaudeville was conducting penny ar- 
cades in New York. He was bookkeeper for Mr. Loew 
at $16 per week, and when Mr. Loew opened a moving 
picture theatre eight years ago Mr. Bernstein became 
interested in pictures and has made a keen and close 
study of them ever since. He is a picture fan and is 
enthusiastic over their possibilities. Mr. Bernstein has 
booked and routed all the big-feature pictures used 
in the Marcus Loew theatres in New York and else- 
where, including some of the world's greatest photo- 
play productions, and has a unique distinction of being 
manager of one of the first film exchanges ever es- 
tablished. 

When the Sullivan-Considine Circuit was purchased 
by Marcus Loew, Mr. Bernstein immediately showed 



of Science 193 

the possibilities for providing patrons of Mr. Loew's 
Western theatres with the world's best photoplays. 
He will book and route big-feature pictures over the 
Western circuit the way he is now doing in the East. 
The great number of theatres and the length of time 
which he could use pictures will enable him to secure 
some of the greatest photoplays ever produced. Mr. 
Bernstein has a wide acquaintance among the film 
men in New York. It is authoritatively stated that 
Mr. Bernstein now earns $50,000 a year, a statement 
which reflects some idea of the way Marcus Loew 
appreciates good service. 

Numbered amongst the foremost of history makers 
in the motion-picture field is the Essanay Film Manu- 
facturing Company, whose real birth dates back to the 
time when pioneering in the film business was just as 
arduous as was pioneering in the early history of our 
country. However, two of these pioneers George K. 
Spoor and G. M. Anderson thoroughly believing in 
their own convictions, and whose convictions meant the 
fulfilment of their belief regardless of the opinions of 
others or of the seeming impossible barriers that lay 
along their course, struggled forward meeting reverses, 
set-backs, and discouraging situations, that would have 
caused ordinary men to seek other fields of activity. 

These two, however, were imbued with the business 
in which they had launched, every moment of their 
existence was wrapped around it. It was a baby they 
were fostering and mothering, and with the unerring 
judgment that can only be associated with such spirits 
and broad minds, they slowly crossed the initial wastes 
and seemingly impossible pass until they achieved 
what they had set out to accomplish a firm whose 
name was synonmous with the best there is in motion- 



Cfieatre 



picture art. This does not mean that they have reached 
the zenith of their endeavors. Even now the spirit 
which placed these two gentlemen in the foremost 
ranks is still urging them to bigger and better things, 
it is their claim that they are still pioneering, but pio- 
neering on a more advanced scale, with more modern 
equipment and more improved appliances. 

Where many have set back and lolled in comfort 
watching the results of their efforts, these two enter- 
prising individuals exercising the same foresight they 
did when entering the business, are striving toward a 
bigger attainment than that they have already reached, 
and set their aims and ambitions for a goal which looms 
on the distant horizon of the business. It has been 
proven in all their doings that they are builders build- 
ers of the motion-picture business as a business and as 
an art. Their policy has always been constructive, and 
their aims to erect, avoiding the association of the de- 
stroyer whose influence would only be detrimental. 

I will delve away back in history and show how such 
kindred minds happened to become associated in this 
big enterprise. This meeting of George K. Spoor and 
Gilbert M. Anderson was accidental. It certainly was 
accidental, surely providential ; and it smirks a little of 
the romantic. In the conversation that ensued follow- 
ing the meeting, they found that their views on the 
motion-picture business coincided. They each realized 
the vastness of the future, and within a few weeks after 
this chance meeting the firm of Essanay was launched. 
It was not until February 5, 1907, however, that the 
firm became incorporated under the trade name of Es- 
sanay. 

Everyone, of course, knows the source of the firm's 
name. How when it came to naming the company it 



ffe- 



*=m 





1 

c/}k, 



w s 

PQ < 




(4 
O 

U-, 




of Science 



was decided that a part of each one's name be used, 
so it was agreed to use the first letter of Mr. Spoor's 
name and the first letter of Mr. Anderson's name, giv- 
ing us S and A, which was given the lengthy spelling 
of ESSANAY. All of this happened long, long before 
there was any material advance made in the motion- 
picture business, when all were floundering about 
trusting to luck to strike the proper course to pursue 
toward the needed advancement. It is undoubtedly to 
Mr. Anderson's constructive mind that credit is due for 
the happy and timely suggestion that the Essanay Film 
Manufacturing Company be the first in the field to turn 
out 1,000-foot subjects. At the same time it was 
agreed that the firm specialize in comedies and West- 
ern productions, the latter to be staged in the heart of 
the West. The great importance the 1,000-foot sub- 
ject has played in motion-picture industry is obvious. 

For years the one-reel film, as it became known, held 
sway ; and it is only within the last few years that the 
multiple-reel films are known at all. However, the big 
idea, the one-reeler, is still in heavy demand. The 
Western subject also, with its atmosphere of the plains 
and buckskin, showing the cowboy in all his pristine 
glory and traversing his native soil with his brusque 
means of meting out justice and his whole-hearted hos- 
pitality and the many other characteristics for which 
he is famed. The best known of these heroes of the 
plains is without a question of doubt G. M. Anderson, 
the worldwide famous "Broncho Billy." Mr. Ander- 
son is the owner of the Gayety Theatre, San Fran- 
cisco, dedicated in 1913. 

Pathe Freres in France occupy ten acres of ground, 
operate four enormous factories, and have a staff of 
over 6,000 employes. Plants are located in Paris, Join- 



196 Cfte C&eatte 

ville-le-pont, Montreuil Sous Bois, and Vincennes, 
where they have dozens of studios, several complete 
theatres, and thousands of dollars' worth of costumes 
and scenic equipment. 

The leading dramatists of France write for them, 
such as Henri Laredan, Jules Sandeau, Jules Le Maitre 
of the "Comedie Francaise." The greatest actors and 
actresses of France, such as Messrs. A. Bargy, Albert 
Lambert, Henri Krauss, Silvain, Severin, Max Dearly, 
Mounet-Sully, Prince, Max Linder, and Melles; Mes- 
dames Tessandier, Barat, Robinne, Taillade, Cecil So- 
rel, Bartel, Megard, Geniat, Mau, Catherine Fontenay, 
and Trouhanowa. 

The principal American studio of Pathe Freres is lo- 
cated at Jersey City, and the American releases are as- 
suming a status quite as important as that of the great 
Paris plant. Many individual producers of special pic- 
tures who have no studios of their own invariably en- 
deavor to obtain the aid of the Pathe producing forces. 

The origin of the Eclectic Film Company dates back 
to the fall of 1912, when Mr. Ferdinand Wolff, of Paris, 
realized the possibilities of entering the American mar- 
ket with carefully selected feature films. At that time, 
European features had undisputed sway in this coun- 
try, and the opening of the American office in New 
York City, in November, 1912, was attended with im- 
mediate success. 

Early in 1913 some of the most stupendous classic 
productions that have ever catered to the American 
trade were placed on the market in this country, name- 
ly, "Les Miserables," and "The Mysteries of Paris." 
The first named feature was condensed from twelve to 
nine parts, and stands to-day in the foremost ranks of 



of 



high-class feature photoplays that are to be seen in 
any part of the United States and Canada. 

Up to the summer of 1913 the company made its re- 
leases at irregular intervals. After August 1st, how- 
ever, a system of regular releases was inaugurated, and 
films were disposed of on the exclusive State-rights 
plan. It soon became apparent that no permanent sat- 
isfaction could be assured along this line of procedure, 
and the Eclectic Film Company therefore decided upon 
the principle of marketing its films through its own 
exchanges wherever thoroughly satisfactory marketing 
conditions could not otherwise be secured. 

The Eclectic Film Company has already opened sev- 
eral branch offices in other cities, and will in the near 
future have in operation a complete system of ex- 
changes comprising all of the principal cities of the 
United States and Canada. In this way, the company 
hopes to assure the exhibitor the most advantageous 
conditions to secure its film, eliminating the middle- 
man, and dealing directly with the consumer. The 
advantages of this policy must be apparent to all who 
are conversant with the motion-picture industry,, 

At present, the Eclectic Film Company is making 
releases of three multiple-reel features a month. These 
features comprise subjects from three reels up to eight 
reels. The number of monthly releases will increase 
from time to time, as the need becomes apparent, the 
only guiding principle in this being the demand of the 
exhibitors at large. This company is making a spe- 
cialty of offering with its film productions the highest- 
class advertising and publicity matter that has ever 
been offered with moving-picture film. Exhibitors 
have shown a steadily growing interest in this com- 
pany, which will no doubt continue to increase, as the 



198 Cfle Cfteatte 

relations between the two factors is becoming more 
intimate with the opening of additional exchanges. 

The future of the Eclectic Film Company is assured. 
The policy of procuring and supplying the very finest 
picture films available, the cream of American and Eu- 
ropean studios, so to speak, has won, and is winning, 
the hearty approval and active co-operation of the fore- 
most interests of the country. The tremendous and 
consistent success of their feature films bears ample 
testimony to the quality of Eclectic productions. 

In March, 1914, the Eclectic Company, in affiliation 
with Pathe Freres' American company, produced "The 
Perils of Pauline," in co-operation with countless im- 
portant newspapers, with a result wholly revolution- 
ary. "Les Miserables" had a prolonged run at Car- 
negie Lyceum, where for months the capacity of the 
auditorium was tested. 

It was in the magnificent home of Herbert Blache, 
overlooking the Hudson River from the high point of 
the Palisades, upon which is also located the Blache & 
Solax motion-picture studios, that the first body of 
men to see the importance of the multiple-reel feature 
in the world of moving pictures met and organized the 
now well-known Exclusive Supply Corporation. 

Born in the active brain of Mr. Blache, the "Ex- 
clusive" immediately became a live factor in the world 
of picture affairs, and was dealing extensively in fea- 
ture productions before picture men, as a body, real- 
ized that the feature had not only corne to stay, but 
would eventually take the place, in a large manner, of 
the limited single-reel subject. 

Few men in the photo-drama art are as well 
equipped to grapple with the problems of silent drama 
production as Herbert Blache. Graduated from Paris 





"LES MISERABLES" 
(Eclectic Co.) 

A Production That Crowded Carnegie Lyceum f or Several Months 



of Science 199 

as a motion-picture expert and sent over to America 
as a representative of the Gaumont interests before 
some of the present moving-picture magnates had even 
taken the trouble to enter a picture theatre or learn the 
number of feet in a reel of film, Herbert Blache is as 
much at home writing a scenario, editing a picture 
drama, cutting and titling a photoplay, or directing big 
spectacular scenes of a pretentious multiple-reel fea- 
ture as he is managing the affairs of two large flourish- 
ing producing companies and acting as president of 
the Exclusive Supply Corporation, with his sensitive 
fingers continually upon the active pulse of the whole 
motion-picture market, both in this country and 
abroad. 

Few men, recognized as important factors in the af- 
fairs of the film business, are better known than Her- 
bert Blache. Having the double advantage of an ex- 
ceptionally strong and likable personality and the re- 
spect-commanding quality of a knowledge of his busi- 
ness so thorough that he stands quite alone in his po- 
sition as an executive who manages personally every 
department of his extensive business and produces ex- 
ceptionally clever and successful pictures, as well as 
the prominent position he holds in filmdom, must be 
credited to superior mentality and exceptional ability 
rather than to any whim of the Goddess of Luck. 

The prominence of his position as an important fig- 
ure in the exploitation of feature productions is un- 
questioned. But, added to that, is the undisputed fact 
that he stands in the very front rank as a producer and 
master of the technique of the photodrama. Among 
the first multiple-reel subjects ever staged I find no- 
table productions by Herbert Blache, and it is doubt- 
ful if any director in the world has a keener dramatic 



200 Cfte C&eatre 

instinct for staging powerful dramatic scenes than he 
possesses. 

The rare gift of staging great melodramatic situa- 
tions so that they contain an abundance of the action 
so necessary to a story told in pictures, and yet show 
the artistic touch which puts them in the class of the 
refined and the legitimate, is without doubt largely re- 
sponsible for his success as a producer, and has won 
him the respect and admiration of theatre managers 
and theatre patrons throughout the civilized world. 

The Canadian Bioscope Company, Ltd., of Halifax, 
N. S., was incorporaed under he laws of the Nova 
Scotia Companies Act, 21st day of November, 1912, 
with a capital of $50,000, since increased to $150,000. 
The president, Captain H. H. B. Holland, late manag- 
ing director of the British A. A. Film Company, Lim- 
ited, of London, England. Vice-president and General 
Manager, H. T. Oliver, New York City. John Strach- 
an, Stephen B. Kelly, J. Frank Crowe, and John H. 
Trueman, directors. An up-to-date plant has been 
erected in the south end of the city, on spacious 
grounds facing the beautiful harbor of Halifax, and 
within easy reach of the woods, hills, forts, and shores 
of the harbor. 

The Canadian Bioscope Company have set a high 
standard in their first feature production of Longfel- 
low's immortal poem, "Evangeline," a photoplay in 
two epochs and five parts, released in February, 1914, 
and put on the market, pronounced by press and pub- 
lic a classic in the moving-picture world. The aim 
and policy of this company will be the taking of films 
dealing with historic, romantic, classic, pastoral, edu- 
cational, and instructive subjects. Prominence will be 
given to Canadian, historic, and romantic incidents. 



of Defence 201 

The actors and working forces of the company are 
all people of experience, the principals being selected 
from the leading studios in New York. 

The Scenario Department is in charge of E. P. Sul- 
livan, well known in the theatrical and motion-picture 
world. 

Mr. William C. Thompson, formerly of Reliance and 
Pathe studios, New York City, is in charge of the fac- 
tory and laboratory forces. 

Mr. H. T. Oliver, Vice-President and General Man- 
ager of the company, is a technical expert of some rep- 
utation in this country, under whose direction the en- 
tire photographic and mechanical work is done. Mr. 
Oliver was connected for some time with the Edison 
and Reliance companies, New York. 

It is the intention of the company soon to put up a 
producing plant in London, England, where pictures 
will be made dealing with English subjects, also in the 
United States for American subjects. 

The New York office, in the Candler Building, is in 
charge of Clarence P. Schottenfels. Mr. Schottenfels 
has had considerable experience in the moving-picture 
world. 

Although capitalized for but $50,000, the Pan-Amer- 
ican Film Manufacturing Company is controlling pic- 
tures in this country and abroad which foot up a value 
of over one million dollars. It is not the secret agent 
of any firm, or group of manufacturers, and does not 
hold any financial interest in any of the pictures ex- 
ploited ; therefore, all features are offered on their just 
merits. 

The booking methods of the Pan-American Company 
are the same as those adopted by Klaw & Erlanger, 
Sam S. & Lee Shubert, the Northwestern, and all other 



202 Cfie Cfieatre 

first-class circuits, and which placed the theatrical 
business on a sound basis. 

Far-reaching negotiations have been entered into 
for a market in the West Indies, Central and South 
America, and agencies established in London, Berlin, 
Paris, and Sydney. 

The part that woman is to play on the artistic and 
business side of the film industry is a subject well 
worthy of consideration in this volume. 

Recently the revelations of John C. Freund, editor 
of "Musical America," wherein he proclaimed that the 
annual expenditure for music in this country was $600,- 
000,000, uncovered an amazing development in busi- 
ness procedure in the conduct of musical undertakings 
directly due to the woman impressario and a vigo- 
rous figure is she. 

There are more women than men to-day directing 
the musical events of the nation, and the majority of 
the great singers and instrumentalists are represented 
by women, while at least half of the musical bureaus 
now controlled by them have inaugurated an era of 
business rectitude in a field that has been immune from 
the disastrous conditions prevailing in the theatrical 
business generally. 

The writer has dealt with this subject extensively in 
magazines, and it is referred to now merely to indi- 
cate the probability of a similar influence exerted in 
the motion-picture field by not a few women who have 
already shown their calibre in the producing and ex- 
hibiting sides of the industry. 

The achievements (following a period of disappoint- 
ments and repulses) of Helen Gardner, now producing 
the highest-grade features in her own studio at Tap- 
pan-on-the-Hudson, have been acknowledged as stim- 




w 

8 

3^ 




of Science 203 

ulating and providing incentive for others of her sex to 
enter the producing field. Miss Gardner was a Vita- 
graph player at the outset of her film career, and some 
of her portrayals even now are often discussed in the 
trade press. One of these that of Becky Sharp, in 
"Vanity Fair" aroused no little controversy. And 
comparisons with Mrs. Fiske's stage portrayal were 
inevitable. As Mrs. Fiske is expected to assume this 
role in a "Famous Players" production, those who re- 
call Miss Gardner's forceful performance will have an 
opportunity to decide the question. A memory of Mrs. 
Fiske's Tess, which Lawrence McCloskey pn>- 
nounced as beyond criticism, will create added interest 
in the revival. But it is not so much Miss Gardner's 
personal success as a photoplayer that has caused her 
name to become one to conjure with. The remarkable 
history of moving pictures, replete as it is with amaz- 
ing achievements, presents, no instance of higher ideals, 
persistency, and independent spirit than have charac- 
terized this woman's effort to accomplish a worthy 
task a task, too, in which she has from the outset met 
opposition at almost every turn. 

Why Miss Gardner left the Vitagraph Company has 
never been explained. The lady herself says she was 
discharged because of rumors prevailing that she was 
about to become an independent producer. This she 
emphatically denies, but admits that within an hour 
after departing from the Vitagraph Studio with the aid 
of Charles L. Gaskill she was laying plans for an 
elaborate production of "Cleopatra." 

This project, though conceived and accomplished but 
two years ago, was regarded at that time by producers 
and exhibitors as wholly ill-advised. Miss Gardner 
did not seek outside aid of any sort, her mother sup- 



204 Cfte Cfteatte 

plying her with the capital necessary for her under- 
taking. She built her own studio at Tappan, New 
York. 

"Cleopatra," as produced by Miss Gardner and di- 
rected by Mr. Gaskill, was surely superior to any mul- 
tiple-reel production of this nature released by the es- 
tablished manufacturers up to that time. The writer 
has not up to this writing witnessed the Kleine-Cines 
film version of "Antony and Cleopatra," announced as 
the inaugural attraction for the new Candler Theatre 
on West Forty-second Street, but it is interesting to 
observe that the latter production has been presented 
in the West in several theatres where Miss Gardner's 
first release attracted overwhelming patronage. 

In one city of less than 40,000 population, the Helen 
Gardner "Cleopatra" was presented an entire week, 
establishing a record of having attracted more than 
seventy-five per cent of the inhabitants that is, over 
30,000 admission tickets were sold. In another city 
this attraction was presented three times within a year. 

It is considered by Miss Gardner that while exhibit- 
ors in all countries have made money with her produc- 
tions some have made small fortunes dividends on 
the investment of Miss Gardner's mother have been 
small to this day, but this is entirely due to a policy 
different from that prevailing in the industry general- 
ly, in that each new production has entailed increased 
expenditure and above all considerations Miss Gard- 
ner has been uncompromising in demanding sufficient 
time for preparation. 

This is so true that despite the now tremendous de- 
mand for features, Miss Gardner and her artistic col- 
league, Mr. Gaskill, have concluded henceforth to pro- 
duce not more than four pictures a year. But if the 



of Science 205 

aims of these two artists the term is used here ad- 
visedly are realized, the season of 1914-15 may, 
through their achievements, usher in the advent of that 
vital era of the motion-picture art which so many per- 
sons believe is due to be hastened by the unsatisfac- 
tory outcome of the majority of the film productions 
of stage successes of other days. 

It would appear reasonably certain, in view of the 
manner in which film undertakings are now financed 
by hard-headed business men, that Miss Gardner could 
extend her productivity and attain heights impossible 
of accomplishment where "speed" and "footage" arc 
the basic foundation of film operations. In England 
Miss Gardner would have no trouble to procure unlim- 
ited capital. In America, her two years' record in the 
face of obstacles should serve to make her name a sight 
draft on the public purse. What she needs now is a 
New York theatre, where her future productions may 
be properly launched. 

Possessing such a playhouse in the accepted theatre 
zone and unhampered by financial problems, the forth- 
coming productions emanating from the Tappan studio 
would represent the real photoplays, created, staged, 
and portrayed by the best exponents of the new art, 
who established their capacity long before it was 
thought advisable to visualize plays originally written 
and conceived with the limitations of a four-walled 
playhouse alone in mind. 



206 Cfte C&eatre 



CHAPTER X 

There is no more interesting phase of moving-pic- 
ture progress than that which has to do with the 
changes it has wrought in the careers of many stage 
workers, some of whom entered the film studio with 
such reluctancy that instances of changing names to 
conceal identity were common. 

As a rule, however, those who have become cele- 
brated in picturedom demonstrated their qualifications 
for the new art almost instanter. The period from 1908 
to 1911 red-letter years witnessed a general stam- 
pede of the studios by stage folk bent upon conquest. 
In those years what were then called the "Independ- 
ents" attracted the idle actors to their studios by the 
tales that were prevalent on New York's "Rialto" of 
a new Mecca for Thespian talent. The three studios 
most stampeded were the "Imp," in West 101st Street; 
"Powers Picture Plays," in The Bronx; and Edwin 
Thanhouser's, in New Rochelle. 

Of these, "Imp" has had the distinction of creating 
an abundance of stellar timber among its players, while 
some of the directors who produced the first "Imp" 
photoplays have achieved great renown, and this is 
not surprising when it is stated that such directors as 
Otis Turner, Giles Warren, Frederick Thompson, and 



of Science 207 

Herbert Brenon the last named began as scenario 
editor had at their disposal such now famous stars of 
the screen as Mary Pickford, King Baggot, Owen 
Moore, William Robert Daly, William Shay, Vivian 
Prescott, and Frank Crane. The photoplays released 
by the "Imp" Company in 1910-1911 quickly gave to 
that brand of film an individuality which was the real 
foundation of what the Universal Film Company rep- 
resents to-day, and yet those mainly responsible for 
the success artistically were men and women who 
achieved nothing notable in the theatrical field. It is 
true that King Baggot had quite a vogue in stock or- 
ganizations. In fact, it was his popularity as leading 
man with one of Corse Payton's Brooklyn organiza- 
tions that induced the "Imp" people to negotiate for 
his services. Mr. Baggot has been with "Imp" four 
years, increasing in influence and popularity steadily, 
until at this writing he is one of the six most idolized 
favorites of the screen. Mr. Baggot is quite as cele- 
brated as a director as he is as a photoplayer, and he 
writes many scenarios of the productions in which he 
appears and others in which he does not personally act. 
On the theatrical Rialto the career of King Baggot is 
discussed as being of the Arabian Nights order. As 
usual, there is little cognizance taken of the fact that 
this man is what he is to-day because of the serious- 
ness with which he invests his work, because he is a 
prodigious worker, and finally because he has remained 
steadfast to the organization which he joined as an 
experiment, and as he contributed materially to the 
growth of that organization, his constancy and capac- 
ity have been rewarded so rapidly that his annual earn- 
ings now are said to be 2000 per cent greater than 
four years ago. 



208 Cfte Cfteatte 

King Baggot's loyalty to Carl Laemmle the Uni- 
versal's head has been put to the acid test repeatedly. 
In no other branch of the amusement field may one 
point to similar constancy. The Grand Opera stars 
are never happier than when an Oscar Hammerstein 
comes forward to create a competitive demand for their 
services, and even so generous and ingratiating an em- 
ployer as Charles Frohman has seen his best stars 
most of whom he made what they are go over to rival 
managements, that their financial reward might be 
greater; but in filmdom where competition is keener 
even than in vaudeville, the "stars" seem to be held 
fast by the environment wherein they have achieved 
their fame. 

Mary Fuller, Marc MacDermott, Gertrude McCoy, 
Robert Brower, Harry Eytinge, Bigelow Cooper, and 
as many more Edison stars, have been with that organ- 
ization practically throughout their film careers. It is 
so rare that an important photoplayer leaves such an 
organization to join another that such procedure at- 
tracts attention. In the Vitagraph Company there are 
not less than thirty well-known players who have not 
only been with that company several years, but the 
number that have never appeared with any other film 
organization is still greater. 

Not a few of the photoplayers have become pro- 
ducers on an important scale. Hobart Bosworth, 
whom I recall as a one-time member of Augustin 
Daly's Stock Company, and who was for several years 
a Selig star, is now a producer of the first magnitude. 
Associating himself with a group of capitalists toward 
the end of 1913, he organized what is known as "Ho- 
bart Bosworth, Inc.," for the purpose of visualizing on 
the screen the remarkable stories of Jack London. 





PEARL SINDELAR LEAH BAIRD 

Potash and Perlmutter and Pathe Freres (Vitagraph Co.) 

Names With Which to Conjure 





MAURICE COSTELLO , KING BAG GOT 

(Vitagraph) Leading Man "Imp ' Universal Co. 

Two Matinee Idols of Filmdom 



o f c i e n c e 200 

The first of these film productions, entitled "The Sea 
Wolf," has involved prolonged preparation and re- 
search, and its presentation at the palatial Strand The- 
atre in New York on May 4th, 1914, was hailed with 
considerable eclat. The Bosworth company has its 
plans laid for years ahead for productions of a similar 
nature, and its success from the outset has indicated 
that any effort to reveal on the screen the unusual 
photoplay in preference to adaptations of stage plays 
that have exhausted their vogue in the older field is a 
step in the right direction. 

Florence Turner, famous as "The Vitagraph Girl," 
joined that organization about seven years ago, when 
its artistic roster included less than a dozen players. 
Miss Turner was on the stage almost from childhood, 
her ancestors being stage folk. Her long association 
with the Vitagraph Company revealed an amazing 
grasp on her part of the art of camera acting, and to 
this day Miss Turner has not been approached as an 
interpreter of characters without vocal expression. 
Adept as a pantomimist and impressed with the possi- 
bilities for her future career, "The Vitagraph Girl" 
soon mastered the maze of intricate problems which 
have enabled her to become not only a star of the 
screen but a prolific writer of photoplays and one of 
the few efficient directors of her sex as well. 

When Miss Turner left the Vitagraph Company in 
1913, many believed that such procedure on her part 
was ill-advised. Yet there is no better illustrative ex- 
ample as to certain theories held by film authorities 
who insist that the photoplayer should not appear in 
the flesh before the moving picture public than to 
point to the achievements of Miss Turner during the 
past year. 



210 Cfte Cfteatte 

During her stage career, Miss Turner appeared in 
the vaudeville theatres, and though the writer was 
long intimately associated with that field, he has no 
recollection of any upheaval created by her efforts in 
those days, hence it is interesting to observe that after 
six years posing before the camera in an effort to con- 
vert her fame as the Vitagraph Girl into coin of the 
realm, Miss Turner was granted as high as $500 a 
week in this country to appear in a monologue which 
she "put over" so successfully that return engagements 
were not uncommon. 

English managers and booking agents representing 
the "Halls" abroad, saw her performance here, and 
prodded her with offers, while foreign film producers 
negotiated with the view of evolving a Florence Tur- 
ner brand of films written, staged, and acted by her. 
These offers finally decided Miss Turner to enter the 
field on a large scale as a manufacturer of films, and 
to better accomplish her aims she entered into a part- 
nership with Lawrence Trimble (one of the numerous 
" Larry s" who direct photoplays with distinction), un- 
der whose direction Miss Turner appeared for years 
in Vitagraph portrayals. The two sailed for England, 
where Miss Turner made her music hall debut on 
May 26, 1913, at the Pavilion Theatre in Piccadilly 
Circus, featured on a par with Wilkie Bard and Neil 
Kenyon. 

It is but an amazing truth to state that the now cele- 
brated film star who seven years ago was wont to do 
her "turn" in vaudeville for little more than a choris- 
ter's salary, scored so emphatically in the big London 
hall that offers for five years' practically consecutive 
booking to "top the bill" in all instances were made. 



of Science 211 

But Florence Turner was in a position to choose, 
and, having made her plans to produce photoplays, 
the vaudeville bookings were so arranged as to fit in 
with the itinerary of her own company of photoplay- 
ers, organized by herself and Mr. Trimble under the 
name of "Turner Films, Limited," so here we have the 
unique spectacle of an idolized screen star earning a 
prima donna's honorarium for stage appearances at 
night only, while during the day with her photoplay 
colleagues the Vitagraph Girl is acting before the cam- 
era in cities where the scenic environment corresponds 
with the needs of the scenario. 

And in each of these cities during the "leisure" 
hours the indefatigable Vitagraph Girl has had confabs 
with the exhibitors, film buyers, renters, and others 
affiliated with the industry and the outcome from such 
ingenious and intimate methods of operation has been 
truly constructive. Up to this writing, the Turner 
Films, Limited, have released an even dozen produc- 
tions, all in multiple reels. Of these the writer has 
seen three only, but these three have served to only 
emphasize the impression long held that Florence Tur- 
ner is perhaps the greatest living exponent of silent 
acting of the kind which finds favor in the photoplay- 
house, nor is there any need for qualifying in accord- 
ing to her such praise, because of the advent in pic- 
turedom of some of our stellar figures of the speaking 
stage. 

While the Tess of Mrs. Fiske as an individual per- 
formance stands out as supreme, this famous actress 
is not a photoplayer, nor has she been called upon to 
create any original roles in the newer field. The same 
classification applies to Madame Bernhardt, who had 
merely figured in picturized productions of four of her 



212 C6e Cfteatre 

stage creations, in none of which did the greatest liv- 
ing actress reveal a complete grasp of the technic of 
the newer art. Madame has not hesitated to proclaim 
that such art as she has been permitted to reveal on 
the screen could not by any stretch of the imagination 
be regarded as on a par with that which gave her 
worldwide renown. 

Lawrence Trimble, who is now Miss Turner's busi- 
ness associate and co-producer, is a unique figure in 
the film world, in that he not only had no association 
with the speaking stage, but the purpose for which he 
entered the film studio has never been accomplished. 
That Mr. Trimble is to-day celebrated as a producer 
and author is due to one of those strange developments 
for which the history of moving pictures is noted. 

Born in New England, Trimble revealed ability as a 
writer at an early age, and he sold stories to the maga- 
zines and newspapers, earning in this way a fair in- 
come, which, however, was not sufficient to induce ex- 
traordinary effort. He knew how to coax the pot 
boiler, and his "copy" was invariably accepted by the 
first recipient, but the checks were more often than 
not written in a single figure, a fact that convinced 
Trimble that he lacked most of all a big subject with 
which to specialize. With this idea in mind, one day 
Trimble was impressed with the notion that he could 
greatly increase his income through evolving interest- 
ing stories about the motion-picture industry from va- 
rious angles, and as he lived in the City of Churches, 
he sallied forth to the Vitagraph Studio, little dream- 
ing that instead of writing about photoplays, he was 
destined to become a potent subject for others writers 
to criticize or eulogize, usually the latter. 

Trimble has never had the chance to write the 






MRS. FISKE 
Who as "Tess" presented a portrayal that has made her famous as a silent actress 



of Science 213 

stories he went to the Vitagraph Studio to prepare be- 
cause he quickly demonstrated an ability of that kind 
which Commodore Blackton and his associates are 
always on the alert for, so Trimble wrote the scenarios 
of many photoplays. It was here that he met Florence 
Turner in 1910, and through his ability as an author 
and producer, he became a vital part of the big studio. 
In less than three years, the struggling magazine 
writer reached the highest position attainable in that 
studio. 

Where Trimble's achievement is unique lies in the 
fact that while there are many players who have be- 
come famous in picturedom without the least stage 
experience, also many authors, practically all of the 
directors, had vast experience in the older field, yet 
Trimble was never associated with the theatre in any 
capacity. Truly there is that something about the 
Motion Picture art which develops the genius one 
possesses instanter. 

Alice Blache has the reputation of being the first 
woman to produce photoplays in her own studio, being 
the head of the Solax Film Company, one of the first 
of the group of independent film companies, and one 
of the very first to produce features in multiple reels. 
To this day the Solax production of "Fra Diavolo" has 
not been surpassed despite that the public response 
was such as to induce many similar efforts. Madame 
Blache has contributed a number of articles to maga- 
zines, the subject being the film producer's obligation 
to the public these have always been extremely frank 
and have attracted wide comment in the industry. 

In that group of Independent film producers inaugu- 
rating their activities between 1908 and 1911, the out- 
put of the Rex Company was surely the most artistic. 



214 Cf)e C&eatte 

It was in the releases of this brand of films that the 
sterling art of Edwin S. Porter was acknowledged, 
though this early pioneer in the industry had disting- 
uished himself long before the days of Rex. It was 
Porter who was responsible for the high grade conduct 
of the Eden Musee in the late 90's when the cinemato- 
graph was established as a permanent feature there. 
Associated with Mr. Porter in those days was Francis 
B. Cannock, and the superior projection of films at the 
Eden Musee attracted the attention of any number of 
artists and stage stars bent upon utilizing the genius 
of such men to evolve a greater field for their own 
efforts. 

About this time, the late Henry Lee was appearing 
at the Eden Musee and to the writer he never tired 
of eulogizing the work of Porter and Cannock. The 
latter I often met in Lee's apartment at Reisenweber's. 
Lee finally engaged him to assume complete charge of 
the pictorial side of what was unquestionably a re- 
markable production, far ahead of the times. Lee 
was an artist to his finger tips, but of business he 
knew absolutely nothing, and before I could exert my 
influence to check his wild enthusiasm, he became 
hopelessly involved financially. These were not the 
days of confidence in moving picture undertakings, and 
I advised Lee to preserve his vaudeville status and 
not sacrifice the $500 a week that was his for the ask- 
ing to finance a project wholly uncertain as to the out- 
come. 

But Lee, the dreamer, was not to be influenced. 
Cannock was at this time considered the best operator 
in the entire field. His contract with Lee called for 
a salary in excess of $100 a week and he was worth 
every penny of it, but despite the most ambitious en- 



t) t Science 215 

tourage in the history of moving pictures, the financial 
fiasco, was, indeed, colossal. George Kleine was in- 
terested to some extent, and before Lee finally col- 
lapsed, hypothecating his entire plant, so that he could 
not even resort to his old vaudeville act to keep the 
wolf from the door, he had so many partners that the 
item of transportation alone exceeded the box office 
receipts. 

At Lee's urgent request, I journeyed to Chicago to 
witness the production which was really a moving pic- 
ture version of his "Great Men Past and Present." 
The spectacle of an audience of about 300 persons in 
the vast Chicago auditorium seating 6,000 was alone 
uninspiring enough to cast a gloom on what was to 
my view, an epochal presentation in which Mr. Can- 
nock revealed himself as a camera wizard to such an 
extent that Lee was wont to insist that the operator 
acknowledge the applause at least equally with him- 
self. Cannock is now one of the heads of the Sim- 
plex Company in which he is still affiliated with Hol- 
laman and Porter, of the Eden Musee days. 

Of the stars of the speaking stage to find a perma- 
nent vogue in the moving picture field, Maude Fealy 
of the Thanhouser Company is a striking example. In 
fact, it is doubtful if to this day there has been re- 
corded an accession to the photoplayers' ranks of great- 
er artistic significance. Moreover, Miss Fealy's film 
career is interesting from various angles in that she 
was the only American actress honored by the late Sir 
Henry Irving whose leading lady she was for a long 
period. Also as Miss Fealy is often referred to as "a 
child of the stage" and began to "star" before she was 
sixteen, there was considerable curiosity as to what 



216 Cfte Cfteatre 

measure of popularity would be meted out to her in 
the new field. 

But it is hardly believable that there could have 
been any skepticism, for Maude Fealy entered the 
Thanhouser studio so well equipped particularly for 
that company's productivity that it is not surprising 
that she has been accorded the rare distinction of being 
heavily featured, the productions in which she appears 
assuming an individuality and an importance best com- 
prehended if one were permitted to observe the de- 
mand for such releases. In fact, Maude Fealy has 
always had a tremendous public following and on the 
screen her vogue with the people has been greatly en- 
hanced. 

Lorimer Johnston's retirement from the directing 
staff of the American Film Company is greatly to be 
regretted if for no other reason than the natural 
changes which his departure must influence, for no 
one can doubt that his incumbency in this organization 
has been wholly constructive if not revolutionary in 
its effect. Before he became responsible for the Amer- 
ican's artistic output, the productions were entirely un- 
worthy of the splendid group of photoplayers, famous 
for their "team work." As recently as two years ago 
such a quartet of able players as Kerrigan, Richardson, 
Periolat and Miss Lester were utilized solely for plays 
dealing with the Wild West, and while these pro- 
ductions were the best of their kkid, Mr. Hutchinson, 
who has been the company's leading spirit, was con- 
vinced that the time had come to attain greater heights 
and along far more artistic lines. 

Mr. Johnston is one of those now-famous directors 
who actually prepared themselves for conquest in film- 
dom. I recall that in his vaudeville career, Johnston 



t> f Science 217 

was privileged to visit the European centres. It was 
in such of these as Paris, Turin and Copenhagen that 
he first discovered the possibilities for himself in the 
new art, and he studied the subject matter on the 
screen visited the studios and finally disposed of his 
vaudeville holdings and came to America, where he 
quickly was engaged by the Selig Company, but it 
was with the American Company that he achieved 
renown. In one year Johnston produced 75,000 feet 
of film, himself preparing the scenarios for one-third 
of the total. In a talk with the writer, Johnston ex- 
pressed himself thusly: 

"Not all of my productions were good how could 
they be? The one desire of the manufacturer is Speed 
speed, footage, footage. This does not make for 
great pictures." 

But when I recall such productions as "The Cricket 
on the Hearth," "Destiny Fulfilled," "The Adventures 
of Jacques" and "The Rose of the Traumerei," I feel 
certain that Johnston, who is now the manager and 
director of the Santa Barbara Company, is due to 
vastly extend his influence. No one who saw his re- 
production of Leonardo di Vinci's painting, "The Last 
Supper," will question his artistic capacity. 

It is only fair to Mr. Hutchinson, the American's 
progressive president, to state that there has been no 
perceptible indication of retrogression since the de- 
parture of Mr. Johnston. Sydney Ayres, who suc- 
ceeded Warren Kerrigan in the "leads" in this com- 
pany, has now succeeded Johnston as chief director, 
though he will not absolutely retire from screen act- 
ing, and as Mr. Ayres is of that type so ably repre- 
sented by Messrs. Kerrigan and Blackwell, both of 
whom developed equal ability as directors, there is 



218 C&e Cijeatrr 

every reason to believe that the American's future ar- 
tistic status is safe in Mr. Ayres' hands. 

The Santa Barbara Film Company is the new or- 
ganization of which Lorimer Johnston is the general 
manager, and its advent as a potential factor in the in- 
dustry has been heralded by no little display of elabo- 
rately prepared literature, the substance of which is 
an apparent aspiration to aim higher artistically than 
any of its established competitors. The engagement 
of Mr. Johnston was not affected until long after the 
company's prospectus was issued, hence one may only 
conjecture at this writing as to the style and calibre 
of the productions, but in view of the known facts 
and a knowledge of what Johnston's ambitions are, it 
is a safe venture to predict that the new brand of 
films will be of that character to be expected from a 
heavily capitalized organization conceived in the year 
1914 a year that will go down in film history as the 
one in which the production of photoplays reached the 
highest attainable quality. 

Frederick Thompson, though regarded as one of 
the most able directors in the motion picture field, has 
been less than four years in his present occupation. 
Yet in that time he has participated in productions so 
widely different from those he evolved during his 
twenty years' stage activities, that the writer was in- 
terested to learn at first hand which of the two modes 
of production the director preferred. I quote Mr. 
Thompson verbatim: "Wholly apart from the finan- 
cial inducements which, of course, are larger in the 
newer field, I hope I never have to return to the foot- 
lights again. There is not nearly the opportunity for 
artistic individual work, and I want to remain for all 
time where I can avail myself of nature's own vast 



o f 8 c i e n c e 219 

resources instead of relying on such illusions as are 
possible on a playhouse stage. My last stage produc- 
tion was 'The Goddess of Reason* for Julia Marlowe, 
and as I also was Richard Mansfield's last stage di- 
rector, my preference for the film studio is not due to 
lack of opportunity in the older field, but I want to 
continue to direct under God's blue sky in the hope 
that the day is near when this new art will provide 
incentive for the world's greatest literary minds to co- 
operate with the high aims of those who, like myself, 
deplore the probably unavoidable present-day tendency 
to adapt to the screen plays that have had their day. 
I want to live to direct a photoplay that will repre- 
sent the entire scope of a highly developed film or- 
ganization with every scene posed for in the locale 
conceived by the author, who has embraced his task 
with a complete grasp on the scope and equipment 
of a modern film producing organization." 

Mr. Thompson was one of the first of the directors 
engaged by the "Imp" brand of films. Julius Stern, 
who was the general manager of that organization 
in the days when its productions were widely copied, 
must feel a certain sense of pride as he observes the 
advancement of almost the entire original roster. Mr. 
Stern is still acting in the same capacity at the big 
studio at Forty-third Street and Eleventh Avenue, 
where not a few of the original "Imp" players and 
directors are still firmly intrenched. 

Frederick Thompson's association with the Vita- 
graph organization will have ended before this volume 
is issued, he joining the Famous Players' Film Com- 
pany under the direction of his old manager, Daniel 
Frohman. The latter has assembled for the season 
of 1914-15 a remarkable group of directors, for, be- 



220 Cfte Cfreaue 

sides Mr. Thompson, the list includes Hugh Ford, 
Frederick Stanhope, Edward Morange, F. Searle Daw- 
ley, Francis Powers and that wizard of picturedom, 
Edwin S. Porter, who has been the technical director 
of the Zukor-Frohman organization ever since its in- 
ception. 



"I am not worrying about the spoken drama. The 
'pictures' are doing the stage a lot of good, and when 
things get settled a little I am going to produce for 
the stage again." 

These are significant words uttered by Daniel Froh- 
man in the spring of 1914, yet the readers of the prev- 
ious volumes are aware of the fact that the author 
has persistently expressed a similar viewpoint. Mr. 
Frohman, however, has had the opportunity to ob- 
serve the trend from an angle that best reveals the in- 
fluence of the photoplay to attract new playgoers into 
the higher-priced theatres. As the general manager 
of the Famous Players' Film Company, he has intro- 
duced into the newer field such celebrities as Sarah 
Bernhardt, James K. Hackett, James O'Neill, Henry 
E. Dixey, Bertha Kalich, and Mrs. Fiske, who have 
since found their public enlarged when appearing in 
person on the regular stage. 

We have the photoplay to thank for the solution of 
what many believe has been the most difficult problem 
confronting the play producer, for it has gradually 
brought about an adjustment of the "too-many-the- 
atres" situation and with the building of new play- 
houses, checked for the time being and the conversion 
of a fair proportion of existing theatres into photoplay 
houses, the time is near when the producers in both 



of Science 221 

fields will vie with each other for supremacy. Also, 
as the scale of admission price becomes gradually quite 
similar for both, the managerial effort to entice the 
millions of low-priced amusement seekers into the- 
atres where celebrities now popular on stage and 
screen alike hold forth, if crowned with success, is 
certain to induce many now inactive producers to emu- 
late Mr. Frohman's expressed intention of resuming 
stage productivity. 

It would seem, however, that a little discernment 
in the scale of prices according to the size of the audi- 
torium, would greatly help to realize the aims of men 
who appear to wholly ignore that the basic founda- 
tion of moving picture prosperity has been the low 
prices which enabled the poorer classes to become per- 
sistent patrons, which attracted millions who never 
had attended a regular theatre, but who now, with 
their families, flock to the neighborhood theatres 
as often as three times a week. Slowly but surely, this 
tremendous public is forced even in the photoplay 
houses to increase its expenditure for entertainment, 
and as the standard of productions on the screen was 
raised, the desire for the multiple-reel feature was so 
clearly and generally expressed, that now aside from 
the still existing nickel houses, the demand for a full 
evening's entertainment in one-film productions has 
induced practically every important play producer to 
enter the film industry on a large scale. 

And as the majority of these producers in the older 
field are now affiliated with the established film manu- 
facturers, such of these as Charles Frohman, Henry 
W. Savage, David Belasco and Klaw and Erlanger, 
who still have extensive interests in the theatrical field, 
are certain to obtain a firmer grasp on the public pulse 



222 Cfte CSeatre 

when they are enabled to observe the comparative re- 
sponse of this public as between the two modes of en- 
tertainment. Whether or not this viewpoint will 
impress these gentlemen with the necessity for price 
bargains to tempt the new public to patronize their 
stage offerings, one may not doubt that the season 
of 1914-15 will witness a healthier condition in the 
amusement field generally than has existed for many 
years. With the Messrs. Shubert establishing a migh- 
ty film company with extensive affiliations and with 
several of the largest playhouses of vast seating ca- 
pacity as the Manhattan Opera House, the Strand and 
the New York theatres and possibly Oscar Hammer- 
stein's new opera house, permanently relegated to fea- 
ture films, and with the Shuberts presenting photo- 
plays in many of their theatres, the tendency 
is to greatly reduce the number of two-dollar-a-seat 
playhouses in all the large cities, and as these latter 
will more than ever before be confined to bijou audi- 
toriums, with seating capacity from 200 to 1,200, the 
spectacle of crowded houses so rarely on view of late, 
should once more stimulate the producers, of whom 
there are fewer at this writing than at any period since 
those days when the field of the theatre was regarded 
as too precarious to induce investments. 

But while the trend toward "little" theatres will help 
to solve managerial problems in the high-priced field, 
the wonder is that some genius with a grasp on pro- 
portions does not tempt fate with an effort to com- 
pete with the vogue of the photoplay in the larger 
auditoriums. Who shall say that if photoplays can 
prosper in the most expensively conducted playhouses 
of large size at prices one-half as high as those pre- 
vailing in the best legitimate houses, that performances 



tif Science 223 

equally as good as those presented in the two-dollar 
houses will not attract the multitudes to the big audi- 
toriums if the prices are cut in half? 

Here we have a phase of the theatrical situation 
which may ultimately inaugurate that new era of stage 
prosperity so aptly indicated by Daniel Frohman's ex- 
pression at the outset of this chapter. On the other 
hand, there are those who believe that a movement of 
this character may first be launched by the powerful 
group of film men who are not affiliated with the the- 
atrical interests and who resent the wholesale advent 
of the latter into their realm. 

While the effort of G. M. Anderson to establish a 
popular-priced playhouse in San Francisco has been 
less successful than the earlier records indicated, the 
decline in the public response has been due to a series 
of complicated internal dissensions among his asso- 
ciates. These have been conducive to interrupt Mr. 
Anderson's prosperity in the field he sought to accom- 
plish revolutionary results. But to those familiar with 
the facts, the troublous outcome up to this writing is 
attributed not to any mistakes of the intrepid Mr. An- 
derson, but solely to the manner in which his repre- 
sentative involved him in uncontrollable difficulties, 
until Anderson had a "headache" and flew to the Es- 
sanay studio at Niles for that diversion he best can 
cope with. 

But the basic idea behind the Gayety Theatre prop- 
osition revealed "Broncho Billy" as a showman in the 
true sense of the term, and it may not be long before 
such as he will invest their capital made in the film 
world as a sort of reprisal against the wholesale ad- 
vent of theatrical producers in the gold-laden field 
they not so long ago were wont to belittle. 



224 Cfte C&eatte 

In an interview with Colgate Baker in the "Sunday 
American," William A. Brady gave expression to his 
theories as to the future of the photoplay, and as Mr. 
Brady invariably says just what he believes, his views 
are always of public interest and usually are widely 
quoted by writers here and abroad. 

"I am not against moving pictures," says Mr. 
Brady. "The one significant fact that will stand out 
in the records of this theatrical season is the progress 
that moving pictures have made. We have seen the 
last of the amateur scenario writer, and the profes- 
sional photoplaywright has arrived. The entire busi- 
ness has been given new dignity by reason of the fact 
that all of our leading theatrical producers have em- 
barked in it." 

"Moving pictures," Brady continues, "are bound to 
change the quality of our audiences in the first-class 
theatres. The 'movies' are the real melting pot. Jews, 
Italians, Russians, Poles and other foreigners, who 
never went to any theatres but their own on the East 
Side, are patronizing the picture houses and getting 
acquainted with American drama. This vast foreign 
population will eventually become patrons of the best 
theatres. This is a mighty big thing." 

It is just that, the writer believes, and in previ- 
ous volumes he has endeavored to impress the skep- 
tical producers of the older field with the gold-laden 
opportunity they were ignoring. Even now, with prac- 
tically all of the most prolific producers intrenched in 
filmdom, there are few "Billy" Bradys who grasp the 
significance of a new public of playgoers multiplied 
gradually through a natural desire to see the so-called 
"real thing." 

Mr. Brady views the vogue of photoplays much as 





MAUD FEALY 

Thanhouser Leading Woman 



LAURA SAWYER 

Photoplay Star 




DANIEL FROHMAN IN CONSULTATION WITH DIRECTOR DAWLEY 
AND BERTHA KALICH OF FAMOUS PLAYERS CO. 



of Defence 225 

Daniel Frohman does, and their views as to the benefit 
of the new mode of public entertainment to the old 
will become more pronounced as the screen begins to 
reveal the maze of play productivity of other days, and 
with more than half of the nation's favorite players 
facing the cameras, instead of audiences as of yore. 
In truth, the year 1914 should go down in history as 
that of an epoch when as a result of "The Theatrical 
Movement," the stage and its people have, indeed, 
come into their own. 

Not since the late B. F. Keith inaugurated what 
was called the "legit." invasion has the field of the 
theatre been provided with so helpful an outlet for 
plays and players in a new field. This is so true that 
the day may be near when vaudeville's acknowledged 
reputation for having created more home owners and 
colonies of prosperous stage folk than all other 
branches of the amusement field combined, will no 
longer represent existing conditions. There are hun- 
dreds of photoplayers, directors, authors and kindred 
affiliatives of a tremendous industry who have pur- 
chased homes and estates in the last five years. The 
film industry has created a greater domesticity for the 
actor in the second decade of the 20th century than 
the theatre along other lines has known since its incep- 
tion. 

But Mr. Brady, while wholly correct in his theories 
as to the outlook for the speaking stage, has not indi- 
cated the possibility that the vogue of photoplays will 
continue to increase despite the fact that it is con- 
stantly enlarging the public following for the type of 
entertainment of which he is so successful a producer. 
On the contrary, Mr. Brady is inclined to predict a 
decline in public interest in the visualized plays, ig- 



226 Cfie Cfteatre 

noring, too, the fact that in filmdom there are not a 
few "Billy" Bradys. Men who while becoming weal- 
thy and potent have aspired to immeasurably raise 
the artistic level of their output and who are likely 
to continue in this effort long after "the theatrical 
movement" (started in self-defense by producers who, 
as recently as two years ago, regarded the motion 
picture industry as beneath their notice), has ceased 
to provide compelling attractions. 

Many of the first-grade play producers, however, 
were not enticed to enter the film field until assured 
of the co-operation of the once-despised "movie" mag- 
nate. Charles Frohman was perhaps the most reluc- 
tant of all to convert a veritable mine of no longer 
productive plays into photoplays which all the world 
will now be able to see on the screen simultaneously. 
Brother Daniel does not hesitate to confirm the re- 
port that "the Napoleon of theatredom" made fun of 
him. But Adolph Zukor foresaw the eventual capitu- 
lation of Brother Charles when he, less than two years 
ago, conceived the idea of the Famous Players* Film 
Company. Zukor, like his now-famous colleague, Mar- 
cus Loew, aspired to create a titanic institution. Up 
to two years ago, in association with Loew, he was 
content to pile up a fortune created from nickels and 
dimes in theatres constructed from empty stores. 
When these two 20th century showmen began to con- 
vert a dozen or more New York City playhouses into 
big dividend-paying enterprises, Zukor, now wealthy 
but yet practically unknown to fame, sought to iden- 
tify with his project some one whose name would 
alone reveal what the Famous Players* Film Com- 
pany really stood for, and Zukor chose well for Dan- 
iel Frohman's influence has been uplifting tremen- 




3 




w 

$ 

HM 



1 



IS 

P 

SB 

J W 



of Science 227 

dously so. It was his success as a film producer that 
induced the theatrical movement now in progress. 

Has Mr. Brady reckoned with the future influence 
of men like Zukor, who may already be preparing 
for the day when even the photoplay will be regarded 
as a misnomer for screen productions? Surely such 
men already building their own playhouses are not 
going to stand still while the older type of showmen 
are becoming enriched through the new public created 
by moving pictures. Mr. Zukor, through his affilia- 
tion with Marcus Loew, is in a position at any time 
to avail himself of more than two hundred playhouses 
owned or controlled by Loew, Zukor, and their asso- 
ciates, not one of whom was known in theatredom 
eight years ago, but who in those eight years have 
created the most lucrative amusement institution the 
world has ever known. 

And Mr. Loew already has shown that he can enter 
the broader fields of the theatre with profit. In amuse- 
ment circles one may hear discussed to this day the 
manner in which Loew revived an old Weber and 
Fields* production probably the least successful the 
comedians ever evolved and changing the title to 
"Hanky Panky," and engaging a group of vaudeville 
favorites who were his intimate friends, brought about 
a colossal triumph financial and artistic which has 
by no means exhausted its money-making usefulness. 
To what extent these modern showmen are interested 
in Broadway stage productivity is not made public for 
obvious reasons, but it is a remarkable fact that 
Messrs. Loew and Zukor are rarely seen in the com- 
pany of those with whom they are associated. On 
the other hand, both gentlemen number among their 
intimates the stars and producers of the playhouse 



228 C6e Cfieatte 

zone. Mr. Brady knows well the mold of the Loew- 
Zukor type of showmen, for they represent much the 
same sort of mental make-up and unparalleled energy 
and persistency that has characterized Brady's amaz- 
ing march to the front. Like Brady, too, they hail 
from the East Side. Unless I am mistaken, all three 
were associated together in that period of film de- 
velopment when the nickelodeon was in its zenith. 

Brady, in those days, had a grip on the picture 
game but he did not "stick," which is a pity, for, 
judging from what the daring showman achieved in 
the precarious theatrical field since then, he might 
have become in the Rockefeller class had he contin- 
ued in filmdom. But Loew and Zukor and their kind 
did "stick" and their influence in the amusement field 
is not likely to be lessened. That these gentlemen 
have faith in the future of moving pictures may be in- 
dicated by the fact that both in 1914 vastly extended 
their operations in that field, investing millions of 
dollars in new theatres, new film studios and in pur- 
chasing film control of the plays owned by theatrical 
producers. 

If, as Mr. Brady suggests, a retrograde movement 
will reverse existing conditions for the film men, 
there is not an inkling of such a catastrophe to be ob- 
served from the present-day plans of those who would 
seem best qualified to meet such a condition. 

And how about Blackton? Here we have the 
"Billy" Brady, the Charles Frohman and the Arthur 
Voetglin, of filmdom combined, and there is nothing 
in the Commodore's business procedure to suggest 
that he or his associates are impressed with the ad- 
visability of any overwhelming stage productivity 
adapted to the screen. In truth, save for the Vita- 




INTERIOR VIEW AVENUE B THEATRE 

A playhouse devoted to feature films on the site where its builder, Marcus Loew, was born 



of Science 229 

graph-Liebler film productions of Hall Caine's plays, 
the big Brooklyn concern has practically been im- 
mune from the "Theatrical Movement/* yet who shall 
say that the Vitagraph has not held more than its 
own in its offerings to the public? Blackton and his 
artistic associate, Albert Smith, have no financial prob- 
lems to solve. Both are impregnably intrenched in 
what is called the material side of their enterprise 
through a system of film distribution that would stag- 
ger the average showman were he permitted to com- 
prehend the statistics of a Vitagraph fiscal year. 

And what of the man Laemmle? The teutonic in- 
dividual who presides over the destiny of the Uni- 
versal Film Concern in the Mecca Building. The 
writer recently had a chat with Herbert Brenon, one 
of Laemmle's directors, and a big one, too, who found 
himself when he entered the Laemmle concern. 

Said Brenon: "Men like Laemmle have not only 
been greatly responsible for the present-day growth 
of the film industry, but it is such as he who have in- 
spired conservative business men in the world of 
finance to invest their capital. Men who have per- 
sistently refused to finance theatrical undertakings are 
now importuning the Universal's president to be 'let 
in' on his future operations." There you have it! 

Laemmle, whose extraordinary career is described 
in another chapter, can go into Wall Street and com- 
mand more money in twenty-four hours than was ever 
invested by men from that district in theatricals in 
half a century, and surely Laemmle's achievements in 
the past year show nothing to justify one to predict the 
least retrogression. 

Although I am wholly opposed to the film produc- 
tions of vice plays, underworld revelations and the 



230 C6e Cfreatte 

like, it took a Laemmle to grasp this problem. He 
alone prospered amazingly with a white slave photo- 
play because "Traffic in Souls" was the first and the 
least offensive, and such interference on the part of 
the authorities as there was in a few small towns, 
was due to confusion as to its identity, many believing 
this was the production that was permanently with- 
drawn by the courts. But, I do not believe that 
Laemmle will encourage further productivity of this 
nature. The productions of 1914, such as "Samson," 
"Ivanhoe," and "Neptune's Daughter," represent but 
a faint conception of the plans for even this year's 
screen output. 

Laemmle has at his command within the confines of 
the Universal artistic department if it can be called 
such a group of men who represent as an entity far 
more for the future of the film industry than the cap- 
ture of famous players or even famous plays, and he 
knows that with the Captain Peacockes Otis Turn- 
ers, the King Baggots, and the Herbert Brenons, he 
is well prepared for that day, believed by many 
to be near at hand, when the vital stage of the moving 
picture evolution will reveal a far more important line 
of productivity than plays of other days. The success 
of "Cabiria" assures a plethora of such productions in 
1914-15. 

It is undoubtedly the near approach of this period, 
that has induced Mr. Brady's forecast. The writer be- 
lieves the latter is correct in his conclusions as to the 
coming of the legitimate theatre into its own, but this 
condition will have been created greatly through the 
improvement in film productions which demanded an 
increase in expenditure on the part of the public, and 
which first familiarized millions of non-playgoers with 



of Science 



plays and players alike. The desire to see the latter 
in the flesh is the greatest asset the play producer has 
ever had. 

David Warfield invested some of his tremendous 
earnings on the stage in moving pictures many years 
ago, but unlike Mr. Brady, he had faith and while not 
yet changing his environment artistically, has added 
to his fortune, so I am informed a sum total that can 
not be represented in less than six figures. That he 
was offered as much more to pose before the camera 
in "The Music Master" merely indicates that War- 
field prefers to await the day when his appearance on 
the screen may be accomplished with grace and dig- 
nity; at least, he has expressed himself as believing 
that the production of photoplays will not reach the 
zenith point until the playwright is provided with in- 
centive to put forth at least equal effort as that which 
has characterized his stage writings. 



232 C6e C&eatte 



CHAPTER XI 

Among the foremost achievements to the credit of 
the Camera Man, that of the conquest of the public 
press, was notable because of the reluctancy on the 
part of publishers and editors alike to embrace the 
subject of motion pictures save in a spirit of censure, 
a policy which was maintained in this country long 
after foreign writers had accorded lengthy essays deal- 
ing with the subject's artistic and educational side. 

As recently as four years ago, even in the largest 
cities, the motion picture was not recognized to the 
extent of inclusion among the amusements daily re- 
corded in the public press, and the spectacle of an ad- 
vertisement in the amusement columns was rarely on 
view. Practically all of the publicity for film exploita- 
tion came from the none too attractive poster display 
in the front of the playhouse. Even as late as 1911, 
when the great Bernhardt was first introduced as a 
photoplayer, the production of "Camille" was an- 
nounced solely through pictorial posters. I recall that 
such important screen productions were on view in 
what are called neighborhood theatres, and it is fair 
to state that not one in twenty of regular playgoers 




"THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH' 

(American Film Co.) 




"THE HERMIT" 

Artistic production of American Film Co. 



of Science 233 

were informed of their coming or going. Yet here was 
the greatest actress of her time, to see whom playgoers 
of three decades were wont to stand in line for hours 
in the effort to secure seats at $3.00 each, but when it 
was possible through the genius of the film studio to 
witness a fairly adequate production of the elder Du- 
mas' most compelling play, with no seat costing more 
than 25 cents, the press hardly noticed the innovation. 

One of the first, if not indeed the first, class of pub- 
lications to recognize the significance of the motion 
picture from various angles was the scientific and me- 
chanical magazines. Of these, "Scientific American" re- 
vealed to the layman persistently almost every devel- 
opment, illustrating the articles appropriately and pre- 
senting the text in non-technical language. Being a 
weekly publication widely circulated throughout the 
nation, the influence of Editor Munn in breaking down 
the barriers against the new art in editorial sanctums 
cannot be overestimated. In fact, previous to 1904, arti- 
cles originally published in "Scientific American" and 
reproduced or reviewed throughout the country (not 
always with credit, however) was practically the first 
extensive publicity accomplished. It is also true that 
as the progress and expansion of the motion-picture in- 
dustry became more pronounced, it was an almost reg- 
ular thing to see from one to three pages in Mr. 
Munn's weekly given over to the newest phase of film 
progress. 

One had to look to the scientific or trade issue al- 
most entirely for any adequate recital of what the 
camera man was accomplishing, and fortunately a few 
of these publications, those that were first to see the 
trend, were not only of wide and enormous circulation, 
but their influence with editors of the big dailies was 



234 Cfte Cfteatre 

beyond question. Perhaps there is hardly an editor of 
a newspaper in this country who does not read "Popu- 
lar Mechanics/' and to read it means to quote from 
its endless first-hand and informative articles, while 
the illustrations, I know from personal experience, are 
invariably taken by its own cameras. The motion pic- 
ture, as well as the various phonographs, player- 
pianos, and mechanical orchestras, owe much to "Pop>- 
ular Mechanics," which has a bona-fide circulation ex- 
ceeding 370,000 copies and constantly increasing. 
Moreover, the larger cities do not contribute the great- 
er portion of this total. 

Being eclectic in character, selecting its subjects 
from the world's literature, perhaps no individual pub- 
lication has accorded to the motion picture a wider or 
more persistent publicity than "The Literary Digest," 
and, being a weekly, it may be stated that its four 
issues a month contain more on an average concerning 
filmdom than on any other subject ; and, while its cus- 
tom is to merely review the writings of authors in 
magazines and newspapers, very frequently entire ar- 
ticles on motion pictures are reproduced, always with 
credit, of course. The benefit of this policy to the film 
industry may not be overestimated, for very often "The 
Literary Digest" will reproduce lengthy essays origi- 
nally presented in what are called "the trade issues," 
which, being circulated solely among those affiliated 
with the industry, have a limited audience, whereas 
"The Literary Digest" spreads the influence of such es- 
says throughout the world, its articles and reviews be- 
ing widely copied in many languages. 

Motion pictures as a newspaper subject on an im- 
portant scale made little headway during the period 
1896 to 1908. That is to say, that between the advent 



c f t i e n c e 235 

of the cinematograph and the inauguration of the pho- 
toplay era, full-page articles, such as are now common, 
found little appeal in editorial sanctums. The writer 
having contributed to many publications, is able to 
state that during the first ten years following the first 
presentation of motion pictures not one in twenty 
magazines or Sunday newspapers accepted this type 
of article even when profusely and elaborately illus- 
trated, but from 1908 onward articles on the film in- 
dustry from all angles found a larger appeal and a 
readier sale than all musical and theatrical subjects 
combined, and this statement is true to-day to an even 
greater extent. The first group of Sunday newspapers 
to present lengthy essays was what is known as the 
"Associated Sunday Magazine/* which provides a sep- 
arate magazine for a dozen big city Sunday issues. 

One of the first, if not indeed the first, big city news- 
paper to devote a page regularly to motion pictures 
was the "Cleveland Leader," and this feature has from 
the outset exerted a wide influence, vastly increasing 
the circulation of the publication itself, while as a re- 
sult of accurate and first-hand information the Ohio 
publication has come to be regarded as a vital factor 
in the industry. Many of the manufacturers adver- 
tise in it and considerable national advertising of a 
film character may now be seen in its pages. 

About two years ago interest in photoplays became 
so pronounced that many of the nation's newspapers 
in large and moderate-sized cities started full-page de- 
partments. In many of these to-day more space is 
given over to motion pictures than to opera, drama, 
and vaudeville combined, while in the majority of 
smaller cities the newspapers use syndicated matter, 
the New York concerns sending out matrices. One of 



236 C&e C&eatte 

the syndicates supplies over one hundred newspapers 
with a full page of text and illustrations once a week. 
Arthur Leslie is the publisher. 

New York City v/as the last of the large cities to 
capitulate to the influence of the camera man, at least 
as far as inaugurating ample departments in the news- 
papers. In fact, not until 1914 did any of the dailies 
start regular film pages. The "New York Herald" in 
the morning and the "Evening Globe" in the afternoon 
present quite an elaborate daily description of all that 
is doing in the film world. The "Globe's" page has at- 
tracted widespread interest, and one may safely ven- 
ture the prediction that by the time this volume is is- 
sued the other newspapers will fall into line. 

It is, however, necessary to qualify the statement as 
to precedence in New York City in that the "Evening 
Journal," while not up to this writing establishing a 
regular daily department, was one of the very first 
newspapers in the country to emphatically endorse 
the new art and its productivity. In fact, to this day 
no more helpful contribution to film progress may be 
pointed to than the editorials v/hich appeared in all of 
Mr. Hearst's newspapers in 1913. 

The "New York Evening Journal" has for over a year 
reviewed photoplays with as much seriousness as the 
spoken play, and as its theatrical department is pre- 
sided over by Charles F. Zittel, a young man who has 
had an amazingly meteoric career greatly due to a 
unique method of reviewing the programs in the 
vaudeville theatres, it was natural that "Zit" would 
see the wisdom of including photoplays and kindred 
film subjects in his department. 

It is said that Marcus Loew gives credit to "Zit" 
for much of the success that he has achieved in New 



of Science 237 

York. To this day Mr. Loew advertises in no other 
newspaper, while the amount expended in the "Even- 
ing Journal" is said to exceed $1,000 a week, a total 
quite as large as was spent by the combined amuse- 
ment managers before Zit's advent. But this is not all 
that the clever writer has accomplished. The "Evening 
Journal," about the end of 1912, began to attract man- 
agerial attention with the frequency of its full-page 
advertisements of current stage attractions. The finan- 
cial outcome of this was wholly constructive. Plays 
which started badly gradually became box-office suc- 
cesses. The movement grew to such an extent that it 
is not considered remarkable if as high as $3,000 is 
spent for theatrical advertising on an ordinary day, 
while on Saturdays in this one publication theatrical 
advertising involves more expenditure than was ac- 
corded to all the New York newspapers combined as 
recently as five years ago on a week day. 

But gradually the other newspapers reaped the bene- 
fit. "Zit" had demonstrated that advertising of the 
unusual order was extremely profitable. Other man- 
agers envied Mr. Loew and other newspapers envied 
the "Evening Journal." Now, all of the evening papers 
except the "Post" have daily from two to four adver- 
tisements exceeding two columns each about equally 
divided between the spoken drama and photoplays, but 
the latter are gradually assuming the lead particu- 
larly since the inauguration of the Vitagraph Theatre 
(February 7, 1914), which was followed by a veritable 
stampede of the best theatres by the camera men ; and 
this brought about an advertising movement unprece- 
dented in the history of the theatre. 

The newspapers that were wont to regard the mo- 
tion picture as a mere toy, and which were so reluc- 



238 Cfre Cjjeatre 

tant to give over their columns to screen productivity, 
are now awakened to the significance of things. Pub- 
lishers and editors alike are vicing with each other in 
an effort to secure precedence. The "New York Sun," 
in its Sunday issues, has persistently presented elabo- 
rate and profusely illustrated articles, not infrequently 
two or three in its magazine section alone, and the 
double-page descriptions of some of the intrepid expe- 
ditions of camera men are by no means the results of 
exploitation; in fact, these have invariably come as a 
surprise to the publicity departments of the film con- 
cerns. 

The most important of the many publicity innova- 
tions and the one to have the greatest influence in its 
after effects was accomplished through an affiliation 
between the Edison Company and "The Ladies' 
World," a McClure publication. 

The Edison Company, from its Bronx studio, re- 
leased a serial photoplay in 1913, entitled "What Hap- 
pened to Mary," and as each chapter was shown on 
the screen, "The Ladies' World" presented the fictional 
story. If this was not the first undertaking of the 
kind, any previous one was never brought to my at- 
tention. The success, however, in this instance was 
truly sensational. In the city where I reside one deal- 
er informed me that where previously he sold five 
copies, the sales increased with each installment until 
they exceeded one hundred this being in a city of 
30,000 where there are a half dozen newsdealers of 
about equal influence. 

What the actual increase in circulation amounted to 
as an entity I may not state, but Mr. Gardner W. 
Wood, the editor of "The Ladies' World," informed me 
that on newsstands alone the sales during the first 




C. F. ZITTEL 

'Evening Journal," New York City 




EUGENE V. BREWSTER 

Editor "Motion Picture Magazine' 




TRACY H. LEWIS 

Editor and Manager Moving Picture Weekly 
section, "Morning Telegraph" 




RICHARD WILLIS 

Representative of photoplayers and publicity 
Promoter 



Brilliant Writers on Moving Pictures from Different Angles 



of Science 239 

serial increased more than 100,000 a month, which is 
not surprising when we consider that after seeing the 
film story on the screen the "fans" were wont to hang 
about the newsstands in the hope of thus obtaining the 
magazine earlier. The success was such with the first 
series that a second almost immediately followed, en- 
titled "Who Will Marry Mary?" which so materially 
added to the magazine's following that its editor was 
in a quandary as to what might happen if the contents 
page contained nothing of interest to the photoplay 
following that had doubled its circulation outside of 
the subscriptions. 

But "The Ladies' World" has never been issued since 
without a "movie" feature more often than not there 
are two or three, the latest and perhaps the most ef- 
fective to date being "The Hero Contest," an original 
idea conceived in the editorial sanctum of the maga- 
zine. Selecting for the purpose a story by Louis 
Tracy, called "One Wonderful Night," the action of 
which is built around a typical hero of fiction, the edi- 
tor then selected seven of the most prominent leading 
men of filmdom and put it up to the magazine's read- 
ers to decide which was best fitted to play the hero. 
At this writing the voting is tremendous, with Francis 
Bushman in the lead. 

In theatrical history there is no record of such ex- 
traordinary publicity accorded to players or plays. 
Surely Mary Fuller, of the Edison Company, was fa- 
mous enough before "The Ladies' World" began to add 
to her vogue. To-day Mary Fuller is known by sight 
and by name to more than ninety per cent of the peo- 
ple all over the world. On the speaking stage Miss 
Fuller is one of the few film stars with a record of 
achievement on the stage, but none will deny that she 



240 Cfte Cfteatte 

was not discovered till she faced the camera for the 
theatre of science. 

As for Mr. Bushman, I can only say that with forty 
years of close observation of things theatrical, I never 
saw him act on the stage and never heard of him as 
an actor in the flesh, but there are a score of present- 
day screen celebrities who never trod the boards in 
their lives. Bushman, like many others who found 
fame and fortune in the studio, is one of the expert 
directors, and not infrequently produces and even 
writes the photoplays that he is featured in. 

The successful outcome of the Edison-"Ladies* 
World" affiliations was not long in attracting others. 
As I am writing now the Edison Company informs me 
that it is releasing a photoplay in serial in association 
with the "Popular Magazine," but the most extensive 
prolonged publicity campaign in the history of the the- 
atre and journalism combined was that inaugurated in 
1914 in Chicago, whereby the Selig Polyscope Com- 
pany, of which W. N. Selig is the head, and a group of 
big city Sunday newspapers, extending from coast to 
coast, collaborated for the purpose of presenting on 
the screen and in the countless newspapers a serial 
fiction story written by Harold MacGrath from a sce- 
nario by Gilson Willets and visualized in the Selig 
Studio in Los Angeles "The Adventures of Kathlyn" 
the longest photoplay that had been released up to 
the time of this writing. Two reels constituted each 
of the twice-a-month releases, save the first of the 
thirteenth, which required three reels, the complete 
production being in twenty-seven reels. 

The tremendous publicity through the weekly in- 
stallments in so many important newspapers marked 
a new era in the film industry. One of the Chicago 



of defence 241 

newspapers not included in the number presenting the 
serial for several consecutive days published inter- 
views with different players, directors, and mechanics 
concerned in the production, and through this source 
it was learned that a prominent Chicago exhibitor who 
had long been accustomed to combining vaudeville 
and motion pictures eliminated the latter just before 
the advent of the "Kathlyn" series, giving as his rea- 
son that motion pictures having reached their zenith, 
were now on the decline, that he shifted to vaudeville 
entirely through fear of losing his public following. 

When the "Kathlyn" series was started, this exhib- 
itor, attracted by the newspaper accounts as well as 
the illustrated full-page chapter in the "Chicago Trib- 
une," proceeded at once to a near-by theatre owned by 
his rival, and was so impressed by the production and 
by the crowds seeking admission that the next day he 
announced "The Adventures of Kathlyn" as a regular 
three-day attraction in one of his theatres, and in the 
others each installment was kept for an entire week. 
Now eleven new theatres in Chicago present the film 
serial every day. The spectacle of a line a full block 
long approaching the box office was almost daily on 
view in different parts of the western metropolis. 

Mr. Selig truly has shown great enterprise and not 
a little of that rare quality called showmanship 
throughout his long and unexampled film career. One 
of the earliest pioneers in the industry, his efforts have 
long since ceased to be characterized by selfish aims. 
Undoubtedly Mr. Selig attributes much of the financial 
success of the Kathlyn series to the advertising result- 
ing from the combined co-operation of scores of vastly 
circulated newspapers. In fact, the number of publi- 
cations which presented the fiction series was greatly 



2*2 Cfte Cfteatte 

augmented after the first few chapters were released, 
for at the time of this writing many of the moderate- 
sized cities have been added, and Mr. Selig has been 
so impressed with the outcome of his first effort along 
these lines that he has formulated elaborate plans for 
the future through which photoplays involving months 
of preparation and unprecedented expenditure for pro- 
duction will be released simultaneously in installments 
with the fictionized chapters in the principal newspa- 
pers of every large city in the world, irrespective of 
language. 

The Hearst-Selig affiliation is but another illustra- 
tion of the trend toward co-operation between the film 
producers and the larger publishers of newspapers and 
magazines. Mr. Hearst has so often proclaimed his 
belief as to the influence of the motion picture in the 
national life that it is a source of wonder that he has 
not long since established regular film departments in 
all of his publications; but to his enterprise and that 
of the Pathe Freres is due an innovation as important 
and compelling as any yet conceived. Early in 1914, 
through this amalgamation, a daily fiction story is 
published in all of the Hearst newspapers, while on 
the same day in more than 500 photoplay houses the 
story is picturized on the screen. 

So constructive is this original method of simultane- 
ous presentation that the exhibitors have acknowl- 
edged its influence to be beyond computation, which 
is not surprising when one considers that in all of the 
Hearst papers each day is printed a half-page list of 
all of the more than 500 photoplay houses where the 
film version may be seen. Truly the camera man is 
marching on. 

Mr. Hearst undoubtedly is impressed with the 




PEARL WHITE AND CRANE WILBUR IN "THE PERILS OF PAULINE" 

A Pathe-Eclectic film creation in serial, for which a chain of newspapers has inaugurated 
a $25,000 list of prizes for its readers 




MARY PICKFORD 

A moving picture star who is idolized the world over 



of Science 243 

amazing possibilities which such simultaneous presen- 
tation of stories fictionized and pictureized indicate, 
and that his part in the future of the motion picture is 
not likely to be lessened from now on is shown in the 
manner in which "The Perils of Pauline" a Pathe 
Eclectic production in serial form is exploited. Be- 
sides the presentation of the illustrated chapters in the 
Hearst publications slightly in advance of the releases 
of film to the photoplay houses, no less than $25,000 
in cash prizes is being awarded to the readers of these 
publications, the prizes being accorded by judges. 

In March, 1914, "The New York Herald" inaugurated 
a series of full-page illustrated articles in its Sunday 
Magazine Section, which has projected the photoplay- 
ers more intimately and quite seriously to the general 
public. One of these articles dealt with the "Heroes" 
of filmdom that is, the idolized favorites, such as 
King Baggot, Maurice Costello, J. Warren Kerrigan, 
and Ben Wilson. Another article was entirely about 
the villains of the screen. It is plainly evident, too, that 
the "Herald's" writer in this instance is not inclined 
to hesitate to mete out to the photoplayer a fair meas- 
ure of credit for what he has achieved. Such expres- 
sions as "A King by Name and a King by Nature" 
(referring to King Baggot) reveal but an inkling of 
the dignified yet wholly just appreciation of the art 
of these idols of the public, most of whom became 
world famous because their genius found first ample 
expression in the film studio. 

Nineteen-fourteen surely is the red-letter year of 
the camera man's conquest of the press. The "Evening 
Globe" (New York), not satisfied with being the first 
evening newspaper to establish a regular film page, 
began in March of that year to present daily film 



244 Cfte Cfreatte 

stories, released by the Universal Film Company sim- 
ultaneously. The "Evening Sun" and the "Evening 
Mail" in the same month also capitulated. 

Evidently the Edison Company was not lacking in 
appreciation of the vogue of the "Mary" series in "The 
Ladies' World," for after having for the time being ex- 
hausted the prolonged vitality of the intrepid film cre- 
ation, the big moving-picture concern yearned for new 
subjects and new magazines with which to increase 
the vast audience it now appeals to, so in March, 1914, 
Marc MacDermott, Edison's most compelling male 
star, was featured as John Pemton, in "The Man Who 
Disappeared," presented in ten monthly installments 
on the screen, while "The Popular Magazine" is pub- 
lishing also monthly chapters written by Richard 
Washburn Child. This affiliation, like many others of 
a similar nature, is certain to vastly enlarge the fol- 
lowing of one of the most artistic photoplayers in all 
filmdom, for Mr. MacDermott takes his work serious- 
ly, and, as he himself has expressed it, "The call of 
the stage was constantly lessening in its appeal as I 
realized the greater scope for expression which the 
newer art has endowed me with." The publishing 
house of Doubleday, Page & Co., though it fell in line 
with others in the epochal year of 1914 by an affilia- 
tion with the Edison Company, was one of the very 
first to recognize the importance of the motion picture 
through one of its magazines "The World's Work" 
which presented serious essays appropriately illus- 
trated almost from the outset of its existence, and these 
articles were contributed invariably by writers whose 
renown was achieved through scientific as well as lit- 
erary attainments, but not until March, 1914, did this 



of Science 245 

firm respond to the call for the serial now so popular 
on screen and in magazines alike. 

Selecting its fiction magazine known as "Short 
Stories," and authorizing its editor, H. E. Maule, to go 
as far as he liked, the latter arranged with the late 
Thomas W. Hanshew (who passed away just as his 
fiction characters were to be filmed), author of "Cleek 
of Scotland Yard," to prepare a serial, entitled "The 
Chronicles of Cleek," which is being released simul- 
taneously by the Edison Company and "Short Stories" 
on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Hanshew did 
not live to witness the triumph of this innovation 
which introduced the detective serial as a film feature. 
Undoubtedly his sad demise has removed one whom 
many believe was about to enter the scenario field with 
serious intent, and as Hanshew had been an actor and 
had written plays since he was ten years old, the loss 
to filmdom is indeed regretable. 

The sensational vogue of Harold MacGrath's "Ad- 
ventures of Kathlyn" on screen and in the press alike 
has attracted the attention of other film manufacturers 
to this author, who undoubtedly has found his income 
vastly enlarged if reports emanating from the Selig in- 
stitution are correct, and as the saying is, "It never 
rains but it pours," for now comes the indefatigable 
Thanhouser Company with the announcement that it 
will produce Mr. MacGrath's "The Million-Dollar 
Mystery," on June 21st (one week before the Kathlyn 
series ends). 

The arrangements in this instance are on a prodig- 
ious scale. The number of publications to present the 
fiction story in weekly installments is in excess of two 
hundred, including, as Mr. Hite aptly puts it, " 'The 
Chicago Tribune/ Creator of Kathlyn." 



Cfte Cfteatre 



CHAPTER XII 

As recently as 1910 the first exclusively moving pic- 
ture weekly published in New York was about one- 
fourth its present size. In appearance the "Moving 
Picture World" was then far less attractive than the 
average house organ of today. As I recall it, there 
was nothing to indicate four years ago that this publi- 
cation would assume two years later overwhelming 
proportions and become on a par with long established 
trade issues in other fields. 

The "Moving Picture World" was founded by the 
late J. P. Chalmers, though Alfred H. Saunders claims 
it was originally his idea and it is conceded that Saun- 
ders was associated with Chalmers at the outset. The 
two did not agree, and Saunders later launched the 
"Moving Picture News," from which he retired in 1913 
to become one of the officers of the Colonial Film 
Company. Under the direction of Mr. Chalmers the 
"Moving Picture World" quickly became all powerful, 
with a policy that from the outset was characterized 
by many commendable innovations. Ever prodding 
the manufacturer and exhibitor alike in an effort to 
improve the screen output and the conduct of the 



of Science 247 

photoplay house, its influence soon became national 
while its circulation grew by leaps and bounds, later 
doubling its size and absorbing "The Film Index" and 
"Exhibitor's Guide." In 1913 it required 100 pages for 
its text and advertising, the latter representing as a 
whole every phase of activity in filmdom. To-day the 
"Moving Picture World" is a 150-page publication, 
with not an inkling of having reached the limit of its 
expansion. 

On the editorial staff are writers who, by reason of 
their knowledge of the technical side of the art, are en- 
abled to greatly aid in the uplift for which the "World" 
is constantly aiming. These gentlemen are capable of 
writing for the screen, hence the incongruities of criti- 
cisms of plays by men incapable of providing remedies 
so much in evidence with the critics of the spoken play 
are never revealed in the columns of the "World." Louis 
Reeves Harrison, W. Stephen Bush and Epes Win- 
throp Sargent (the last named being referred to at 
length in another chapter) are names to conjure with 
in picturedom. Each has been accorded high honors 
due to actual achievement in the studios, while Mr. 
Bush's lectures prepared for various high grade pro- 
ductions have served to render a more concrete under- 
standing of educational and historical releases. The 
business direction of the "World" is in the hands of 
John Wylie, who has shown no little discernment in 
this capacity, endeavoring to maintain the principles 
of Founder Chalmers, yet fully awake to the needs of 
progress and expansion. 

The "Motion Picture News" is a consolidation of the 
"Moving Picture News," founded in 1908, and "The 
Exhibitors' Times," established in 1913. The consoli- 
dation was effected in September, 1913, at which time 



248 Cfte C&eatte 

"The Exhibitors' Times," Inc., purchased the "Mov- 
ing Picture News" from the Charles Francis Press. 

The rapid growth of the new publication, under the 
editorship of William A. Johnston, formerly publisher 
and founder of "The Exhibitors' Times," has been un- 
precedented in the trade-journal field. The size of the 
publication, ninety pages, is at this writing, June, 1914, 
more than double that of the first issue in September, 
1913. Staff correspondents, who in each instance are 
trained newspaper men, are maintained in sixty-seven 
cities in the United States and Canada. 

The editorial and business staff includes William A. 
Johnston, Editor; Merritt Crawford, Managing Edi- 
tor; Lesley Mason, News Editor; E. J. Hudson, Cir- 
culation Manager; E. Kendall Gillett, Advertising and 
Business Manager; C. J. Ver Halen, Chicago Man- 
ager; Neyroud & Co., English and Continental agents. 

"The Exhibitors' Times" was established as an inde- 
pendent journal devoted primarily to the interests of 
the exhibitor. That remains the policy of "The Mo- 
tion Picture News," unchanged only in that the orig- 
inal policy has been expanded along these lines. 

"The Moving Picture News," its policies, career, 
etc., is not to be confounded with the character of the 
present publication. "The Motion Picture News" is 
and will remain absolutely non-partisan in every sense. 
It is utterly free from control. None of the owners is 
interested directly or indirectly with any other branch 
of the film industry. Their aim is simply to conduct 
a high-class, reputable, interesting and authoritative 
journal representing the art and industry of the motion 
picture. 

In Chicago, however, a magazine of vast scope and 
influence, originally published monthly, now semi- 




- 

i 



B 



of Science 249 

monthly, is called "Holography." Its present editor 
is Neil Caward, formerly editor of the "Photoplay 
Magazine," and no more readable and informing peri- 
odical dealing with the industry from all angles is to 
be found anywhere. "Holography's" essays are wide- 
ly quoted in important newspapers, and the influence 
of the magazine has been particularly noticeable dur- 
ing the past year. 

There are a number of smaller or unimportant film 
publications issued in the West, but none of these 
have served any great purpose. One in Los Angeles 
is perhaps of some local significance because of the 
horde of players, mechanics and various attaches of 
the many studios congregated in the vicinity of a city 
now the very centre of motion picture productivity. 

But if there are few publications of a trade charac- 
ter, one must not overlook the truly tremendous influ- 
ence of the many theatrical weeklies which have one 
after the other recognized the need of embracing the 
film doings to the extent of launching spacious de- 
partments. The "Morning Telegraph's" motion pic- 
ture section has already been representative of the 
growth of the industry itself. In fact, its publishers 
now realize that the "Sunday Telegraph" has been 
vastly increased in value and influence because of its 
photoplay department. 

The motion picture section of the "Horning Tele- 
graph" was established in January, 1909. It was un- 
pretentious and one man only was required to attend 
to both the business and editorial ends. It was but a 
department of a great newspaper, growing, however, 
until it is now a complete journal of itself devoted to 
the news and business interests of this new great 
amusement for the masses. 



250 Cfte Cfteatte 

The "Morning Telegraph" was the first New York 
newspaper to devote any considerable space to mov- 
ing pictures and the department, like a stranger in a 
foreign land, attracted considerable attention, not to 
say comment, both favorable and otherwise. 

While the other New York newspapers were watch- 
ing the new department somewhat tolerantly, some re- 
garding moving pictures as a queer freak which they 
called "movies," this paper was laying the foundation 
for the only department of the kind conducted by a 
daily newspaper, and the revenue from it alone is now 
second in the sum total to other departments of the 
"Morning Telegraph." 

George Terwilliger, who had charge of the film news 
of the "Morning Telegraph," as the interest in pictures 
grew, was obliged to add to his staff and employed a 
regularly equipped critic for the film productions. Mr. 
Terwilliger in September, 1911, joined the Lubin staff 
in Philadelphia and recently organized a company for 
the production of pictures in which he owns a sub- 
stantial interest. 

Joseph Farnham succeeded Mr. Terwilliger as ad- 
vertising manager of the picture section, and it was 
under his immediate direction that the era of pros- 
perity and expansion began. Mr. Farnham is now the 
advertising manager of the All-Star Film Company, 
and the duties which he formerly attended to are now 
in charge of John W. Semler, who has a regular staff 
of advertising solicitors. Tracy H. Lewis is editor in 
charge of the moving-picture section of the "Morning 
Telegraph," with a staff of four assistants. Mr. Lewis, 
upon graduating from Yale two years ago, began work 
on the "New York Times," coming from that paper to 
the "Morning Telegraph." 



of Science 251 

Under the direction of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Semler 
the growth of the section has been steady and satis- 
factory to the utmost degree to the publishers. 

Not alone have the moving picture news and adver- 
tisements printed in the Sunday edition of the "Morn- 
ing Telegraph" the vast advantage of a clientele which 
numbers upward of 200,000 readers, but the moving 
picture section is issued separately, being in fact a 
newspaper by itself., 

The weekly moving picture section of the "Morn- 
ing Telegraph" carries with it a half-tone colored sup- 
plement besides its Sunday vogue in connection 
with the Sunday edition of the "Morning Telegraph" 
has a circulation of nearly 16,000 among moving pic- 
ture actors, theatre owners, manufacturers and all 
those interested in the trade. It covers the entire field 
both in the personal news and news of the vast film 
industry which now ranks perhaps among the big 
industries of the United States. 

The Theatre of Science has brought into being a 
literature all its own. It is distinctive, new, peculiar, 
and different. It is represented by hundreds of books 
and at least a half-dozen periodical publications in 
America alone. 

"The Billboard," a weekly published at Cincinnati 
and maintaining bureaus in New York, Chicago, St. 
Louis, San Francisco, London and Paris, was the first 
distinctly theatrical publication in America to recog- 
nize the coming importance of the moving picture in 
the amusement field, and the first to devote a depart- 
ment to it exclusively. 

"The Billboard" also printed the first moving pic- 
ture advertisements, and for over a year represented 
the infant industry exclusively. 



252 Cfre Cfteatte 

Although a half-dozen papers have since sprung up 
which are devoted exclusively to the interests of the 
motion picture field, and although "The Billboard" 
still only accords it a department, the latter's hold 
on its clients has grown and strengthened. 

"The Billboard" is the most influential journal in 
the moving picture field and the strongest theatrically 
of them all. It has a circulation of 38,000 copies, 
which is well over twice that of its nearest rival, and 
there are those who believe and fearlessly assert that 
this virile, outspoken, plain-dealing, honest paper that 
comes out of the West, has a larger circulation than 
all its contemporaries combined. 

Be that as it may, it carries the most advertising 
and occupies a most enviable place in the esteem and 
regard of theatrical and show folk generally. 

It speaks with authority and ably champions the 
best interests of the exhibitor. 

It is independent, just, fair, but unafraid in dealing 
with the politics of the game, and merciless in criticism 
of bad showmanship, uncommendable practices and 
unseemly policies. 

It not only condemns the evils of the business, how- 
ever. It commends, eulogizes and warmly praises men 
and measures that make for its uplift and elevation. 

On this account, it is firmly intrenched in the affec- 
tions of the great profession whose needs and require- 
ments it caters to so ably. 

Occasionally "Billboard" issues special numbers. 
These are truly an amazing illustration of what the 
amusement field stands for. It is only a truth to con- 
cede to "Billy Boy" that no other publication appeals 
to all classes of "Showmen" as does the big Ohio 
weekly. 



of Science 253 

The "Dramatic Mirror," particularly from the outset 
of Frederick Shrader's editorial incumbency, became 
truly representative of motion picture activities and 
like the "Sunday Telegraph," the gentlemen who have 
conducted its extensive film departments have become 
material factors in the studios. There are no better 
qualified exponents of the technical side of the photo- 
play than Frank Woods and George Terwilliger, both 
graduates from the "Mirror's" film departments. At 
this time "The film man," Robert E. Welsh, is con- 
ducting the "Mirror's" widely quoted photoplay sec- 
tion, and in 1914 the editorial staff in this department 
was materially augmented by William Lord Wright, 
long contributing to various trade issues and maga- 
zines and a recognized authority on all scenario ques- 
tions. 

The "New York Clipper," being the oldest theatrical 
publication, always has included every phase of amuse- 
ment activities in its pages, hence it was not surpris- 
ing that the present editor, Albert H. Borie, recognized 
the need of devoting more space to the camera man 
than to any single feature of the "show" world. It is 
rare, indeed, that the "Clipper" has not at least one im- 
portant essay contributed by motion-picture experts. 
There is that something about the "Clipper" as far back 
as I can recall, and to this day, which has endowed its 
subject matter with individuality. One may note yet 
the typical policy of its pioneer founder, Frank Queen. 
Modernism nor commercialism can obliterate this sur- 
vival of a dignified though unpropitious theatrical era, 

In 1914, "Variety" and the "New York Star" vastly 
enlarged their film departments. 

"The Green Paper," for some reason, was late in 
the field, yet one glance at a present-day issue as corn- 



254 C6e Cfteatre 

pared with one of as recently as a year ago will indi- 
cate to what extent the move was justified. The "New 
York Review" has often had temporarily a film page, 
but evidently the Shubert organ is now to give serious 
consideration to film productions in which the Shu- 
berts have a personal interest or are affiliated with in 
some way, and this will influence a more general inter- 
est in the field which has always enriched those who 
intelligently cater to its manifold needs. 

Of all the various publications created through the 
vogue of the silent drama none have prospered so 
greatly as the distinctly "Story" magazine, the first 
of which "The Motion Picture Story Magazine" 
came forth on February 11, 1911. The idea was original 
with J. Stuart Blackton, who seems to have enjoyed 
its sensational success much as the proud father of an 
infant prodigy who has gazed on the spectacle of the 
people raving over a new genius, and among publishers 
the M. P. S. M. is regarded as some prodigy to this 
day. It is truthfully stated that the very first issue 
was 50,000. Writers were amazed at the outset to re- 
ceive their checks for contributions almost immedi- 
ately on acceptance, a procedure on the part of Editor 
Eugene V. Brewster that was effective in quickly in- 
ducing the highest grade fiction authors to become 
affiliated with the publication. On its staff besides Mr. 
Brewster, who has been a sort of Pooh Bah acting in 
every capacity except that of "backer," are Edwin M. 
La Roche, Gladys Hall and Dorothy Donnell, while 
among its contributors were Rex Beach, the late Will 
Carleton, General Horatio C. King and Carl Fique. 

The circulation of the magazine at this writing is 
270,000 and increasing all the time ; also extending into 
far-off countries where the call for a similar publica- 



of Science 255 

tion is so persistent that one need not be surprised if 
Mr. Blackton's pet enterprise extends its operations 
through publication in other languages within a year 
or two. Little did the Vitagraph's artistic head dream 
that within three years after launching the magazine 
that half of the country's highest grade fiction periodi- 
cals and practically all of the most conservative daily 
and Sunday newspapers would emulate its policy. But 
it is certain that this gentleman, as well as Editor 
Brewster, is not disturbed, for both have co-operated 
with the "Evening Sun" of New York City in the lat- 
ter's interesting scenario contest wherein prizes 
amounting to $1,350 were awarded in 1914 to success- 
ful contestants. 

Besides, nothing to compare with Editor Brewster's 
innovation under the caption, "The Answer Man," 
has ever been evolved in modern journalism. "The 
Answer Man" is a woman and a veritable encyclo- 
pedia of picturedom is she. This feature alone has 
endeared the magazine to "fans" all over the world. 
In 1914 the title of the publication was changed to 
"Motion Picture Magazine." 

"The Photoplay Magazine" was first issued in 1912. 
Its vogue was short, despite that the independent pro- 
ducers were already numerous and established, the 
policy of the publication being to present fictionized 
adaptations of the screen productions of the inde- 
pendent faction. In 1913, under an entirely new regime, 
but under the same title, the magazine was revived, 
evidently with serious intent. 

Handsome in appearance and replete with features 
and departments, "The Photoplay Magazine" has in- 
creased its vogue and influence steadily, until now it 



256 Cfte Cjjeatre 

is issued with clock-like regularity and has found its 
way to the thousands of news-stands. Moreover, 
gradually the distinctly "western" character, which at 
the outset the publication assumed, has given way to 
a more national one, and now the magazine is quite as 
popular in the East as in the West. 

"Moving Picture Stories," a weekly magazine ap- 
pearing first as it did following the more or less disas- 
trous career of a similar effort published in connec- 
tion with "The Moving Picture News," was not hailed 
at the outset as likely to supply any great need in the 
industry, but the name of Frank Tousey, its publisher, 
was calculated to inspire confidence in the stability of 
the enterprise, and time has proved that this confi- 
dence was wholly justified. 

Starting on January 3, 1913, its four issues a month 
have appeared with clock-like regularity and its cir- 
culation has steadily increased, until now its hand- 
some cover pages are displayed wherever periodicals 
are on sale. Interest in photoplays is so intense that 
it is not surprising that thousands are impatiently 
awaiting the appearance of those publications which 
fictionize the screen stories, hence "Motion Picture 
Stories," being a weekly, was bound to find a vogue, 
particularly in view of the steady improvement in its 
subject matter, for which no little credit is due to L. 
Senarens, the editor. 

It is a remarkable fact, nevertheless true, that the 
almost general capitulation of magazines and news- 
papers, the majority of which now present fiction 
stories simultaneously with their release from the stu- 
dios, has not affected the motion picture magazines 



of Science 257 

in the least. If anything is to be noted in this re- 
spect it is an increase in public interest in the 
latter. 



In the film studio the director and the scenario edi- 
tor are the all-important factors, and like the photo- 
players, to become famous, the greater number of di- 
rectors, to achieve renown, have not had notable ca- 
reers as stage managers, though it is significant that 
the stock company of the type in vogue between sea- 
sons has contributed not a few of the gentlemen who 
are to-day doing the big things in film production. 

One must observe the frequency of the Christian 
name Lawrence in studio activities. At the moment 
the following come to my mind: Lawrence McGill, 
Lawrence MacCloskey, Lawrence (D. W.) Griffith, 
Laurence Trimble, Lawrence Marston and Laurence 
Sayre, and these represent as a whole much of the ar- 
tistic development of the photoplay. This is so true 
that the term or nickname "Larry" is one heard in 
filmdom at every turn. 

All of the Proctor stage managers of the period when 
the Proctor stock companies were famous, are firmly en- 
trenched in the film studios. Barry O'Neill (Lubin) ; 
Lawrence Marston (Biograph) ; Frederick Thompson 
(Vitagraph), and Will H. Gregory (Biograph) are all 
former Proctor stage managers, and they have made 
their impress in the new field permanent and em- 
phatic. 

J. Searle Dawley has directed the majority of the 
notable photoplay productions of the Famous Play- 
ers' Film Company. Recently the writer was privi- 
leged to witness no less than six of this company's 



258 C6e Cfteatte 

releases in as many days, owing to the enterprise of 
Marcus Loew in presenting a Famous Players' fes- 
tival. I had seen three of the six productions pre- 
viously, but to see all six on consecutive days was 
truly a treat. The impression made is not unlike that 
of the old days when plays and stars were changed 
almost daily in the South and West, but now one is 
privileged to compare the artistry of the stars on the 
stage with that of the drama of silence. Therefore, 
I was emboldened to ask Mr. Dawley for an expres- 
sion as to the essence of this new art of which he is 
so able an exponent. 

Herewith is presented Mr. Dawley's response: 

"The drama of silence is human emotion conveyed 
by the poetry of movement, and contains three es- 
sential arts sculpture, painting, and drama. The di- 
rector has only two colors on his palette black and 
white to paint his pictures upon his canvas. He 
must carve his images in waves of light and present 
his drama in silence. Being deprived of the magic of 
color, the bold relief of the marble and the music of 
sound, necessarily his art is a difficult one. 

"The art of the drama of silence is movement 
prompted by emotions, not emotions represented by 
movement, as in the art of pantomime. The sequence 
of events and method of constructing a story give us 
an opportunity to eliminate what is called pantomime. 
An actor may stand motionless, gazing into a lighted 
window, and convey to the mind all the depths of love 
or hate. The intelligence of his position is carried to 
the spectator by what has gone before or by what may 
come afterwards. 

"It is the sequence of movement and scenes that 
is really the essence of this new art. Neither is it 



of Science 259 

necessary to call upon the actor to use any more move- 
ment or emotion in this art than upon the dramatic 
stage ; but only too often on the dramatic stage we find 
the actor carried away by the magic of words and 
the sound of his voice, which prevents him from real- 
izing that the mind should be telegraphing its feelings 
to every part of the body. 

"I am glad to say that the dramatic stars I have 
had the pleasure of directing have at once caught the 
wonderful possibility and depth of this new art, which 
is bound to reach a far higher plane than it occupies 
to-day, and also be a great benefit to the dramatic 
stage, if for no other reason than that of Bobby Burns' 
wish 'Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us, to see 
ourselves as ithers see us.' 

"The universal appeal which the drama of silence 
has for the entire world lies in the fact that each audi- 
tor is creating his own emotions and language for the 
characters before him on the canvas, and they are ac- 
cording to his own mental and spiritual standard. 
Therefore, the spectator is supplying the thoughts and 
words of the actor and becomes a part of the perform- 
ance itself. This, I fully believe, is the reason for the 
phenomenal popularity of the drama of silence through- 
out the world to-day." 

The part that the novelist is to play in the future 
of the motion picture art is a subject that one may 
hear discussed in editorial sanctums ever since the 
sensational success of the Selig serial "The Adven- 
tures of Kathlyn," which has awakened the publisher 
to recognize the significance of a new and powerful 
medium wherein the novelist may now address an 
audience so vast that many of the publishers of nation- 
al magazines, so reluctant to affiliate with the film 



260 Cfte COeatte 

producers up to very recently, are now adopting en- 
tirely new policies in an effort to compete with the 
big city Sunday newspapers which, as George Cohan 
would say, have "beat the magazines to it." Harold 
MacGrath has been overwhelmed with offers from film 
men and publishers to such an extent that he has been 
in a state of bewilderment as to which field should 
best justify his exclusive attention, for it is obvious 
that he must choose between the two if for no other 
reason than that the trend is toward serial photo- 
plays of such length that the twenty-seven-reel pro- 
duction of "Kathlyn" a year hence will be regarded 
as the product of a primitive era. 

The writer wished to obtain an expression from Mr. 
MacGrath as to the impression the "Kathlyn" vogue 
had made upon him and also requested his views on 
the future of the photoplay and its influence on his 
own calling. I quote the novelist verbatim: 

"Yes, I am at work on another thriller, this time a 
mystery yarn, to run exactly as the 'Kathlyn' series 
did. I've been dumfounded at the success of this 
sort of thing. Half the continent seems to have gone 
crazy over the idea of reading a chapter in the news- 
paper and then going to the 'movies.' 

"The possibilities of the story photoplay cannot be 
imagined as yet. We are only in the woods now, but 
it is my belief that the photoplay will eventually act 
as a wonderful educator. People with only five or ten 
cents in their pockets can go where it has cost me 
thousands to go all over the world. They will be 
shown beauty, heroism and the marvels of the sea and 
air. 

"In this 'Kathlyn' series you are shown Durbars, 
the customs of India and wild beasts about all there 



o Science 26i 

is to be seen in the Orient. We hope each time to 
make the appeal wider and stronger. 

"As for myself, I am fascinated with the work. I 
reach twenty million people now, whereas with books 
my audience was perhaps seventy thousand. In Chi- 
cago they have 'Kathlyn' hats, bon-bons and cock- 
tails. 

"All I am waiting for is our friend Edison to in- 
vent a motionless camera; after that there will be 
nothing left." 

Mr. MacGrath's views are particularly apropos at a 
time when the greatest problem confronting the larger 
producers has to do with the source of supply which 
is to follow the present-day custom of adapting old 
stage plays to the screen. The success attending the 
operations of the Bosworth Film Company, which has 
specialized with Jack London's stories, such as "The 
Sea Wolf," indicates clearly the part that the great 
novelists are due to play in the future of the photo- 
play. 

Charles M. Seay, of the Edison Company, is an- 
other one of those experienced stage workers who 
have made a conquest in the motion picture field. In 
my vaudeville days I made many contracts for Mr. 
Seay, in which he was always accorded "headline" 
honors. After five years in the "two-a-day," Mr. Seay, 
like so many other present-day photoplay stars, joined 
the Proctor Stock Company, where for four, years he 
played the principal comedy roles. 

And then Seay lost all his savings with a moving 
picture show, but he was reconciled for his losses 
through the idea that the new style of entertainment 
was bound to find a large appeal and he had learned, 
with his own show, the technical side of picture play- 



262 Cfre Cfteatre 

making, so one day, just five years ago, Seay wandered 
into the Edison studio. He is there yet. For two 
years he acted before the camera. His Mike Flanni- 

ein Ellis Parker Butler's "Pigs Is Pigs," will never 
Drgotten. When Seay joined the Edison Company 
it had only three professional players in a very long 
cast. To-day the stage professionals predominate, and 
Seay has observed with no little resentment the spec- 
tacle of the theatrical managers and producers seek- 
ing a share of the film prosperity, for he recalls how 
these same interests were unwilling to engage an actor 
who played for the pictures, and now, after they have 
been nearly bankrupted in their own field, they are 
rushing pell-mell into filmdom as if they were the orig- 
inal discoverers of a new Klondike. 

Mr. Seay told the writer that from his own obser- 
vations he believed the photoplays were developing 
a technic superior to that of the stage, because of the 
insistent demand for naturalism. As a director he 
has been uncompromising on the elimination of the- 
atrical effects. What he says about the superior tech- 
nic is best confirmed by Charles Frohman's official 
announcement that next season he will compete with 
the photoplay by presenting spoken plays, so that they 
will "go over" in true "movie" style. 

It requires just such an experienced actor and show- 
man as Charles M. Seay to fearlessly express the true- 
isms of the present situation in the amusement field. 

"Out of the present scramble of the 'new' discov- 
erers of motion pictures," says Mr. Seay, "who are 
trying to start the same upheaval in the new field that 
ended their usefulness in the older one, there may arise 
one or two who may join in the effort to establish 
high ideals, but these men are after some quickly 



tit Science 263 

earned money and they will evacuate in short order, 
and then men like the wizard of Menlo Park, who 
probably foresee the collapse of the stage producers' 
movement, will go right back where they were be- 
fore the 'old-time showman' capitulated." 

And Mr. Seay knows whereof he speaks, in the opin- 
ion of the present writer. The future of the motion 
picture art will depend on the Seligs, the Blacktons, 
the Zukors, the Laemmles, the Baumanns and Kes- 
sels, and their kind. To these may possibly be added, 
as Mr. Seay so aptly says, one or two of the newcom- 
ers, but up to the present writing I could not predict 
even one permanent acquisition to the established film 
interests. Besides, such producers as Selig, Pathe, 
Lubin, Kalem, Spoor and Anderson, Hite, Aitken, and 
a half-dozen men of similar calibre, are not seemingly 
attracted to the stage play movement; at least, not 
in the manner to which theatrical producers are adapt- 
ing plays to the screen, regardless of suitability. 

And when the public indicates a craving for real 
novelty, the supply will come from the studios where 
the greatest problems of photoplay production were 
first solved. 

Bessie Learn, also of the Edison Company, began 
her stage career when a small child, in "Hearts Are 
Trumps," effecting her debut in a baby carriage. 
Later, appearing in "Lover's Lane," "Home Folks" 
and "A Midsummer-Night's Dream," I recall her 
splendid performance with Robert Hilliard in "The 
Littlest Girl," in vaudeville, and just before joining 
the Edisons, in "Polly of the Circus." Miss Learn has 
scored in photoplays because of the sincerity with 
which she embraces her work, and this is true of so 
many of the Edison players that one may comprehend 



264 C6e Cfieatre 



why Mr. Plimpton, the Edison artistic head, prefers 
to develop promising talent instead of engaging celeb- 
rities, though in the Edison organization to-day there 
are a number of the most experienced players of the 
stage calling. All of these, however, revealed from 
the outset adaptability to studio requirements. Rob- 
ert Brower has been with the Edisons since the in- 
auguration of the photoplay era. Dan Mason had been 
a star on the legitimate and vaudeville stage for more 
than a quarter of a century, but he has never played 
any part in all his career with more unction and nat- 
uralism than was revealed in his portrayal of the min- 
ister in "Why Girls Leave Home." The latter may 
be set down as one of the most compelling and laugh- 
ter-provoking film comedies up to this date, ranking 
next to the Vitagraph's excrutiatingly funny "Good- 
ness Gracious." The vogue of such comedies, of which 
there are too few unfortunately, may best be compre- 
hended when it is stated that the Edison two-reeler, 
though one of the first photoplays released by the com- 
pany, is in demand by exhibitors to-day all over the 
country. 

The greatest problem the film producer has had to 
contend with has been in the effort to evolve clean and 
laugh-compelling comedies, and the Edison organiza- 
tion throughout has been equipped to meet this prob- 
lem. This was never so apparent as when Robertson's 
delicious "Caste" was condensed into a forty-minute 
picture comedy, with all of the important characters 
concretely drawn and with fewer inserts and subtitles 
than the average one-reeler has usually required. In 
this noteworthy production Mabel Trunnelle, a dainty 
and artistic player of marked versatility, gave to the 



of Science 265 

role of Polly a new conception, yet retaining all of the 
Robertsonian portraiture. 

Mabel Trunnelle has been with many film companies 
but has never had in these the opportunity that is 
meted out to her in the Edison environment. The 
"lady dainty" was, indeed, missed from the Edison 
ranks during her wanderings in filmdom, but her re- 
turn to the Bronx studio was quickly productive, par- 
ticularly in the comedy output. 

The Eccles of William West, while somewhat 
handicapped in the condensation of so vital a charac- 
ter, was nevertheless a splendid illustration of the de- 
velopment of the new art, for if there was one great 
asset for the actor portraying Eccles it was Robert- 
son's beautiful text, yet so well was "Caste" conceived 
and presented on the screen that even with a vivid 
memory of such Eccles as F. F. Mackay (who played 
the part under the writer's management thirty- 
five years ago) and Harry Becket, who played the role 
in the Wallackian production in 1882, the perform- 
ance of Mr. West lost little by comparison. This is 
high praise, perhaps, but the entire film production was 
a remarkable one, reflecting great credit on the direc- 
tor and particularly on the scenario writer, whose 
name unfortunately was not made public. 

Ethel Clayton, now playing "leads" in the Lubin 
Company, graduated from St. Elizabeth's Convent, 
where she received her first dramatic instruction from 
the nuns. Her debut on the stage was effected with 
the Frawley Stock Company, where she began in a 
small way and finished, after two years, as the leading 
lady. 

Miss Clayton is a recent acquisition to the Lubin 
Company, where she has appeared in productions di- 



266 Cfie CSeatte 

rected by Barry O'Neill, who also had been the stage 
manager of a stock company in which she had gained 
a large measure of her stage experience. 

In the Lubin release, "When the Earth Trembled," 
which was the first three-reel photoplay produced by 
the Philadelphia organization, Miss Clayton nearly 
lost her life in an accident in the earthquake scene, 
but such catastrophes are by no means uncommon 
these days, when the directors of the Barry O'Neill 
type stop at nothing to achieve their aims in realism, 
and the manner in which the one-time timid stage folk 
accept their fate appears to be but an expression of 
appreciation of what the newer art has accomplished 
for those long identified with the vicissitudes of a pre- 
carious stage era. 

The writer is not assuming that Mr. O'Neill is re- 
sponsible for Miss Clayton's accident; merely wishing 
to indicate that the effort to achieve realistic effects 
may be carried too far. 

Miss Clayton now is cast almost exclusively for the 
leading roles in the picturized versions of stage plays 
such as "The Lion and the Mouse," "The Gamblers," 
"The Wolf," and "The Sporting Duchess." 

John Ince, also of the Lubin Company, like his broth- 
ers, Thomas and Ralph, is achieving renown as a di- 
rector, though he is wont to pose far more frequently 
before the camera; in fact, John Ince has made his 
impress as a photoplayer so positive that it is hoped 
he will not emulate his brothers by gradually confin- 
ing his activities to directing, but the financial reward 
meted out to an expert director has been, up to now, 
far greater than to the player, yet in the last year the 
number of photoplayers to receive weekly salaries in 
excess of $200 has increased greatly. Aside from the 





JOHN E. INCE 

(Lubin) 



FORD STERLING 

Universal Comedian 





ARTHUR JOHNSON 

(Lubin) 



HARRY C. MYERS 

(Lubin) 



Four Former Stage Players Who Found Fame and Fortune in the Theatre of Science 



of Science 267 

three directors reputed to earn in excess of $50,000 
annually (Messrs. Ince, Griffith and Mack Sennett, all 
with the Mutual brand of films), the average compen- 
sation for the director is vastly larger than that ac- 
corded to the best stage managers in this country. 

Many directors are paid $250 a week throughout 
the entire year, and the demand for experts is so great 
that there is every indication that the average salary 
will continue to increase. Not a few directors are at- 
tracting the attention of capitalists, bent upon invest- 
ment on the producing side of the industry; others 
have already embarked in the producing field, and the 
vacancies thus created can only be filled by holding 
out inducements. The Famous Players' Film Com- 
pany must needs add to its directing force immeas- 
urably in the next year, controlling, as it does, practi- 
cally seventy-five per cent, of the best plays produced 
in Broadway theatres during the last quarter of a cen- 
tury. 

These directors are likely to become a powerful in- 
fluence in the amusement world. If the income of 
some of the most successful ones is not exaggerated, 
and the writer is inclined to believe the figures are 
correct, then such of these as are named above must 
be accumulating fortunes as great as any the amuse- 
ment field has ever recorded ; besides, as Griffith, Ince 
and Mack Sennett hold stock in big dividend-paying 
companies, their future is assured far beyond the limi- 
tations of a salaried director. 

Ince is investing already in big undertakings, and 
it is authoritatively stated that he at least aspires to 
produce for the speaking stage. Whether this aspira- 
tion is meant as a reprisal for the onrush of theatrical 
producers into filmdom, I cannot say, but it is sure 



268 C&e Cfreatte 

that Thomas Ince and William L. Clifford (one of the 
Mutual Company's scenario experts, and a director and 
author as well) have written a four-act drama, mod- 
ern in theme, which is to be presented in New York 
City, if the Los Angeles trial production at the Ma- 
jestic Theatre is triumphant. 

The combination of Ince and Clifford, with Charles 
Baumann as financial sponsor for an important stage 
production, has been widely discussed in film and stage 
circles, and the outcome will be known long before 
this volume is published ; in fact, the writer is inclined 
to the belief that the next theatrical season will re- 
veal many similar efforts of photoplay producers, au- 
thors and players, with plans more or less elaborate 
to compete with those gentlemen who have finally 
recognized the status of the motion picture and are 
now producing for stage and screen alike. I have heard 
a persistent rumor that Oliver Morosco is interested 
in one forthcoming production of a high-grade melo- 
drama, written and directed by a screen star, in which 
the latter is financially interested and for which a cast, 
composed exclusively of photoplayers, is being re- 
cruited. Just as this volume goes to press it is an- 
nounced that Al. H. Woods has purchased an interest 
in the Ince-Clifford play and will produce it at the 
Eltinge Theatre in New York. 

Russell Bassett, of the Nestor Film Company, had 
been on the stage for well-nigh half a century before 
he was lured into the film studio. Though his career 
has recorded many notable successes, and at least two 
stellar achievements, Bassett will be remembered most 
for his truthful portrayals of the Jew in "The World," 
and "The Black Flag." 

The greater portion of Bassett's film career has been 



of Science 269 

spent with the Nestor Company. Originally con- 
ceived by David Horsley, one of the pioneers of the 
film industry and a man whose influence is still potent, 
though Horsley was induced to part with his stock 
in the Universal Film Company a year ago, receiving 
for the same a fabulous sum. The Nestor Company 
to-day represents no more and no less than Horsley 
made it during those years when the independent film 
producer had a hard road to travel. 

Horsley is regarded in the motion picture world as 
an all-round studio expert, and unless I am mistaken, 
is still a valuable aid to Carl Laemmle in various ex- 
pansion plans, though his interests now are extensive 
in other phases of the industry. 

But to return to Bassett, who is affectionately 
known as "Pop" in the big film centre around Los 
Angeles. Although he is approaching the seventies 
of life's allotment to man, it is an amazing fact that, 
unlike most of his younger colleagues, who perform 
in like capacity, Bassett acts in more productions now 
than at any period in his film career. 

Ramona Langley, also of the Nestor Company, is 
one more of those youthful women who entered the 
film studio unknown and with no stage experience 
have become in short order stellar attractions. More- 
over, Miss Langley has had less than two years' ex- 
perience as a photoplayer, and almost from the outset 
was accorded important roles. Though an extremely 
beautiful woman of Mexican ancestry, her personality 
was just the sort the photoplay director is persistently 
craving for. It is hard to believe this lady was never 
an actress on the stage, but her success goes far to 
confirm the theory of D. W. Griffith and kindred au- 
thorities that the most desirable photoplayers are those 



270 Cfte Cfteatre 

who come to the studios to acquire the technic of the 
new art, rather than those who come to bestow of their 
greatness. 

In view of Miss Langley's meteoric career as a 
screen star and what the future has held out for her, 
it is, indeed, to be deplored that the striving for real- 
ism and the never-failing loyalty of the player to the 
directors' demand for realism, have combined to prob- 
ably incapacitate this charming woman for her future 
artistic career, for at the time of this writing Miss 
Langley* has been removed to a sanitarium in Los An- 
geles, where I am informed she is destined to remain 
a cripple for life. Will not the daring directors pon- 
der over this aftermath now of frequent record per- 
haps easily avoided, too? 



* Miss Langley has since recovered. 



c f e n c e 271 



CHAPTER XIII 

Despite the apparently official announcement that 
the new Candler Theatre, dedicated May 7, 1914, is to 
be regularly operated as a legitimate playhouse, it is 
fair to state here that the enterprise is the natural 
aftermath of the remarkable success attending the 
Cines - Kleine production of the photoplay, "Quo 
Vadis?" which exerted a greater influence in creating 
the present-day plethora of stage plays on the screen 
than any individual achievement of the camera man to 
this day. Yet "Quo Vadis?" singularly is the one erst- 
while stage success to completely eclipse as a photo- 
play its theatrical vogue. 

Although "Quo Vadis?" brought George Kleine into 
the limelight with an impetus unprecedented in amuse- 
ment history, his influence in the film industry had 
been recognized long before the era of photoplays was 
inaugurated, and he has always been insistent and un- 
compromising in his policies never indicating in the 
least a desire to invest his capital in other than film 
enterprises. Yet, as is stated elsewhere in the volume, 
it would not be surprising even in the near future 
if the George Kleine type of film magnate were to un- 



272 cfte Cfteatre 

dertake to solve a problem in the field of the theatre 
that has never attracted the interest of stage producers 
and theatrical managers to the extent conditions war- 
ranted. 

This problem has to do with the effort to induce the 
tremendous public now patronizing photoplays to at 
least divide their patronage between stage and screen 
productions, a rather vital matter fully dealt with in 
another chapter. 

The new Candler Theatre was conceived by George 
Kleine, who owns 60 per cent, of the stock; 20 per 
cent, is owned by Samuel H. Harris, who had an in- 
terest in "Quo Vadis?" through an arrangement with 
Mr. Kleine to look after the bookings in first-class the- 
atres, which yielded the firm of Cohan & Harris a 
handsome profit. The other 20 per cent, of the stock 
is held by Sol Bloom, one-time music publisher and 
present-day phonograph king, who has had a habit of 
"wishing himself in" on amusement enterprises with 
a resultant increase in his bank account. 

To the writer, Mr. Kleine, who is conservative in his 
utterances, recently expressed himself thus: 

"It is our policy to place important feature films in 
the new Candler Theatre, but being conservative busi- 
ness men, we constructed a playhouse thoroughly mod- 
ern and so equipped particularly back of the curtain 
that in any emergency we could present drama or 
comedy and kindred stage productions. 

"Having built a theatre of this nature," continued 
Mr. Kleine, "and upon very valuable ground, it was 
thought advisable to remove the impression that the 
theatre was constructed like ordinary moving-picture 
houses; this will explain the announcements of our 
Eastern publicity heads." 




m 



SARAH BERNHARDT IN " ELIZABETH ' 
(Famous Players Co.) 




'QUOVADIS" PETRONIUS OFFERS TO CALM THE RIOTOUS POPULACE 

Scene from photoplay that has made a fortune for half a dozen men 



o { defence 273 

But when I was privileged to enter this sumptuous 
playhouse immediately adjoining "the Theatre Beauti- 
ful" (as the New Amsterdam is aptly named), I could 
thoroughly comprehend the reluctancy of Mr. Kleine's 
associates, who are allied with the Klaw-Erlanger- 
Frohman interests, to yield this gem of a theatre to 
the camera man exclusively. It is no reflection on the 
merits of the Kleine-Cines massive production of "An- 
tony and Cleopatra" to state that for the intelligent au- 
dience at the premiere the playhouse itself was the 
greater attraction. 

The week of May 4, 1914, was indeed a red-letter 
period in film progress, from the standpoint of massive 
and important productivity. 

During that week also besides the regular photoplay 
houses, such as the Loew, Fox, Proctor, and Rosenberg 
theatres, the so-called playhouse zone of the Metropo- 
lis presented an amazing spectacle in that of the usual 
two-dollar-a-seat houses the great majority were de- 
voted to photoplays, or what is soon to become more 
vital motion-picture productions. 

Starting at Forty-second Street, the Lyric, the Re- 
public, and the new Candler, all within a few yards of 
each other, were presenting feature films "up for a 
run," while on "The Great White Way," the one-time 
Criterion, the New York, the Globe, and the Strand 
were seemingly immune from any ill effect of their 
close proximity to each other. Here was revealed 
seven of New York's first-class theatres within a ra- 
dius of five blocks with a combined seating capacity of 
11,000, and "capacity" business twice daily in four out 
of the seven, while on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 
and 10, investigation shows a total in excess of 60,00ft 



274 C6e C&eatte 

persons paying for admission to these seven theatres 
in the "Long Acre" district. 

In that same week (May 4-11) not a single new 
stage production was offered, but besides the maze of 
film productions regularly released there was pro- 
duced within those six days "The Sea Wolf" (Strand), 
"The Lightning Conductor" (Comedy), "Antony and 
Cleopatra" (Candler), and if ever the much-abused 
"AND" was needed to emphasize the relative impor- 
tance of one offering, this is the time the IT ALA 
Company's unparalleled production of "Cabiria," in the 
ballroom of the Hotel Astor at 3 p. m. on Saturday, 
May 9, 1914. 

That Augustus Thomas was asked to address the 
audience an audience such as would attend a Caruso 
matinee to better prepare it for what was to come 
must have been due to the famous playwright's appre- 
ciation of what "Cabiria" would do for the future of a 
new art, never so apparently in its infancy as at the 
close of the 150 minutes of perfect projection, during 
-which blase playgoers and seasoned first-nighters sat 
or stood in absolute bewilderment. Yes, Augustus 
Thomas knew what this "Cabiria" revelation meant, 
even to such as he. 

There is no intention in this volume to review the 
production ; the writer is not a critic, and is content to 
1 leave the selection of adjectives to the Alan Dales and 
the Acton Davies, of newspaperdom ; but such a pro- 
duction as "Cabiria" can only be equalled by Ameri- 
can manufacturers of film when they are as firmly in- 
trenched in studios abroad as are the Itala and Cines 
companies of Italy. Moreover, the hundreds of scenes 
were revealed as if each had its own director and as if 



of Science 275 

the state banks of Italy were financing the production 
to preserve the pictorial records of ancient punic wars. 

I looked for David Belasco in vain; even Daniel 
Frohman, who attends all the film premieres, was not 
in evidence, but a score or more of the best minds as- 
sociated with the theatre were as one in hailing the 
ITALA masterpiece as indeed "the last word in mov- 
ing pictures." 

As for myself, perhaps the best way to describe the 
impression "Cabiria" made is to merely state that im- 
mediately after the matinee, which ended as late as 
5 :40 p. m., I went straight to the office of a friend and 
wrote a letter to Otto H. Kahn, asking him to see this 
production, if he was not represented at the Astor 
showing, with a view to its presentation on the screen 
at the Metropolitan Opera House, where, with the en- 
vironment it is justly entitled to and the musical set- 
ting such as an Otto Kahn can influence, "Cabiria" 
would remove the last barrier which yet distinguishes 
the two-dollar-a-seat play production from that of the 
film studio. In June, 1914, "Cabiria" was regularly 
presented at the Knickerbocker Theatre, where it 
scored a sensational triumph. 

The production of "Neptune's Daughter," by the 
Universal Film Company, was regarded with much in- 
terest by competing producers. At the premiere at the 
Globe Theatre this was evidenced by the close atten- 
tion which a score or more of the most prominent the- 
atrical and film producers gave for nearly three hours, 
despite the inaugural presentation was by no means 
free from flaws. The many "waits" and interruptions, 
due to lack of preliminary tests, were accepted with 
a patience rarely on view when a spoken play is passed 
upon by the so-called "death watch." 



276 C6e C&eatte 

In that audience there were, besides the gentlemen 
who cater to the public's entertainment, a number of 
old-timers, now inactive, who had come hither to ob- 
serve the reception accorded to a production conceived 
by a real photoplaywright, yet of a type wholly aban- 
doned by the stage producer ; therefore, on the outcome 
of this effort depended the future attitude of the large 
producing organizations toward the fantasy, the fairy 
play and the dear old tales that were wont to delight 
old and young folks alike in other days. 

"Neptune's Daughter" was originally written as a 
musical fantasia in three acts by Captain Leslie T. Pea- 
cocke. This was submitted by him to Annette Keller- 
mann in Paris, where the famous diver was creating a 
furore with her dancing as well as with her familiar 1 
diving feats. 

Miss Kellermann was so enthused over the idea that 
she came to America at once, bent upon producing 
"The Mermaid" (as the piece was first called) herself 
if she could not interest the theatrical powers. Yet, 
despite that Miss Kellermann had demonstrated at 
the Winter Garden that she was something more than 
a diver, there was no immediate prospect for securing 
bookings; but Captain Peacocke came to the rescue. 
The latter was writing "feature" scenarios for the Uni- 
versal and his record of 337 produced and released 
productions sufficed to influence Carl Laemmle. Con- 
tracts were signed and Herbert Brenon was selected 
to produce and direct a newly prepared version of the 
fantasia now called "Neptune's Daughter." 

To Bermuda Miss Kellermann and Mr. Brenon, ac- 
companied by players, mechanics and camera men, pro- 
ceeded at once, and as evidence of the way the modern 
film magnate does things, Mr. Brenon informed me 



of Science 217 

that before leaving New York he was given letters of 
credit, with authority to spend $40,000 if necessary in 
"evolving the greatest aquatic spectacle of all time." 

Incidentally it should be stated that both Miss Kel- 
lermann and Mr. Brenon nearly lost their lives through 
the bursting of the tank used for the scenes taken many 
feet under the water. Miss Kellermann's injuries were 
less serious than Brenon's; the latter was in a Ber- 
muda hospital for several months and has not yet fully 
recovered. 

"Neptune's Daughter," as produced by the Univer- 
sal Company, will have a greater influence in hastening 
the day when stage plays will lose their appeal than 
any series of pictures released up to this time, because 
the producer will realize how vast is his opportunity 
in virgin fields and how great is the public response 
for a real motion-picture production, for this is precise- 
ly what "Neptune's Daughter" is; surely it is not a 
photoplay. 

I have seen "Neptune's Daughter" three times, 
twice in the afternoon and once at night. The capacity 
of the Globe Theatre was tested at each visit, and even 
at night the audience was largely composed of women 
and children, and the spectacle of Miss Kellermann re- 
vealed as God made her, in the transformation from 
mortal to immortal and vice versa, actually drew forth 
applause with not the least indication of the sensation- 
al effect which a theatrical producer might have wished 
to invest the scene with. 

That this "study in the nude" has caused not a rip- 
ple of excitement and has been regarded with equa- 
nimity by the censors and other authorities is but a 
tribute to Kellermann, the artiste and woman alike Of 
course, the spectacle presented otherwise would have 



278 Cfte Cfteatte 

been wholly incongruous; nevertheless, the achieve- 
ment was a triple triumph for the director, the author 
and the star. 

But the success of "Neptune's Daughter" was due 
more to Miss Kellermann's demonstration of dramatic 
ability than to any other individual phase of the pro- 
duction. Here we have once more an illustration of 
what the new art may reveal in a heretofore inexperi- 
enced actress. Mr. Brenon told the writer that he 
regarded Miss Kellerman as the equal of any motion- 
picture actress of this period. In this view the Uni- 
versal's gifted director is endorsed by practically every 
New York critic. 

It will be interesting, indeed, to observe the future 
activities of the three principal figures in this epochal 
film achievement. Mr. Peacocke is already at work 
on other fantasia for the screen and is also preparing 
"Neptune's Daughter" for the stage. Miss Kellermann 
has publicly stated that she is averse to resuming her 
vaudeville career, a rather modest expression, in view 
of the known fact that a half dozen at least of the 
stage producers are importuning her to "star" in the 
"two-dollar" houses. Loie Fuller's remarkable versa- 
tility established her fame as "the wonder girl"; now 
the appellation applies to the one-time diver, now ac- 
cepted as a truly great artiste in all the term implies. 
That stage folk are not wholly lacking in conception 
of the best use the motion-picture art can be utilized 
for was never so apparent as in the successful effort 
to picturize C. N. and A. M. Williamson's motor car 
romance entitled "The Lightning Conductor," present- 
ed before invited guests at the Comedy Theatre, New 
York, May 7, 1914. 

The circumstances through which this splendid film 



tf Science 279 

production was evolved alone showed a fine discern- 
ment on the part of a half dozen principals, who banded 
together for a pleasure trip during their vacation pe- 
riod, with the idea that perhaps the outcome of the 
whole scheme might result in a six weeks' recreation 
without expense. 

William Elliott wanted and needed a vacation. So 
did Dustin Farnum. The latter was already an en- 
thusiast on motion pictures, and associated with the 
two was Walter Hale, a master hand of filmcraft. 
Helen Bertram was going abroad with a half dozen 
pupils to place them in conservatories; her daughter 
Rosina Henley also went along. George C. Tyler was 
going across, as usual, for an automobile tour of the 
Continent. All of these ladies and gentlemen were in- 
timate friends. Tyler told Miss Bertram of the Elliott- 
Farnum-Hale entourage, and suggested that there 
would be a lot of fun 5,000 miles of motoring and a 
little spending money as compensation for the bit of 
camera acting required. Miss Bertram accepted with 
alacrity; besides her daughter, Rosina, some of the 
pupils went along to fill out the cast. 

Well, these lines are being written the day after the 
Comedy Theatre showing; hence it is not possible at 
this time to state what measure of success will be 
meted out to Mr. Elliott and his colleagues in the in- 
teresting undertaking, but here was an effort to utilize 
an automobile romance in order to present a series 
of remarkable motion pictures, in which the acting 
of the principals was of a decidedly lesser consequence 
and here was an audience having the time of its life, 
fairly reveling in a perfectly bewildering maze of scenic 
beauty with just enough of the "thriller" to provide 



280 cfte Cfteane 

the suspense that a Walter Hale knows so well must 
not be lacking. 

"The Lightning Conductor" presents an endless ar- 
ray of picturesque scenes, such as in the early days 
of the Biograph were regarded as one of the great pos- 
sibilities of this century. If, as seems quite likely, this 
undertaking yields large profits, its influence will be 
beyond calculation. For the present it is enough to 
know that Messrs. Elliott, Hale and Farnum have en- 
tered the producing field of moving pictures, with a 
complete grasp of the pictorial and technical prob- 
lems in film making. 

Whether they know it or not, it is worthy of record 
that they have established themselves among practical 
film men as adept exponents of the art of pictorial en- 
tertainment and they are also the first group of stage 
producers to discover that acting of the kind that ap- 
peals in the regular playhouse is wholly out of place 
before the camera. How much Walter Hale is to be 
credited for this discovery is a matter of minor con- 
sequence. "The Lightning Conductor" was the first 
release of A. H. Sawyer, Inc., a new but important sys- 
tem of film distribution. Mr. Sawyer is one of the 
erstwhile exhibitors who have risen in the ranks 
through hard work and persistency. It was Sawyer 
and John J. Murdock who launched the Kinemacolor 
Company, when its releases were the wonder of the 
industry. "The Coronation" and "Durbar Festivities" 
were exploited by Sawyer practically single handed af- 
ter Murdock became incapacitated through ill health. 

Harry C. Myers had more than his share of vicissi- 
tudes during that portion of his interesting career de- 
voted to the speaking stage. Though but 31 years of 
age, Myers has passed through about every tribula- 



t c i e n c e 



tion that theatrical life can produce, but from the day 
that he started in the historic Girard Avenue Theatre 
in the Quaker City as a "super" at 25 cents per night, 
his persistency and sincerity of purpose proved irresis- 
tible to those who employed him, and Myers was priv- 
ileged as a result to obtain that kind of experience 
rarely available to-day. 

The Girard Avenue Theatre was a famous "stock" 
house in that city, where stock companies have never 
lost their appeal to this day. Stage history is replete 
with records of notable careers, following long and 
laborious achievement at the Girard, and Myers not 
only played fifty to sixty parts a season, but he was 
scene painter, call boy, "props," and stage carpenter, 
while on the side he wrote plays. Moreover, he never 
had a vacation, spending his summers in stock at 
Dubois, Penna., mostly, but always he "worked" the 
year around. Sometimes he was paid more than at 
others; not always did he receive the promised salary. 

The way Myers became a factor in the moving pic- 
ture field is worthy of relation. Having saved $1,200 
by practicing self-denial for several years, he was im- 
pressed, like so many others, with the opportunity the 
new science offered, so he opened a "movie" house in 
Kensington, a suburb of Philadelphia. The $1,200 was 
swept away quickly enough, but Myers saw a future 
for himself and was determined to cast his fate with 
the camera man, come what may. 

To Lubinville Myers went, plaintively asking for a 
chance. This was five years ago. He is there yet, 
and is one of the pillars of the tremendous structure 
Lubin has reared. The latter calls Myers his "boy," 
and this surely fits the case to a nicety. 

Harry Myers to-day is one of a dozen of the most 



282 Cfte Cfteatte 

conspicuous figures in the established film organiza- 
tions. Though his fame as a director is perhaps the 
greatest of the triple service he renders, nevertheless, 
unlike many authors and directors, who gave up acting 
before the camera, Myers still plays the leads in many 
of his own productions. 

It is said of Myers that there is never a production 
of his lying dormant, the demand being insistent from 
the exhibitors, and it is this large demand for releases 
directed by the Myers* grade director that has justified 
the writer to assume that the established producers 
of photoplays have little to fear from any of the new- 
comers in the field. The impress of the Lubin produc- 
tivity, with its Arthur Johnstons, its Harry C. Myers 
and their kind will be found deservedly lasting. 

"The Drug Terror" is Myers' most important pro- 
duction up to this writing. Wholly apart from any 
diversion of opinion as to the power for good or evil 
of such releases, the presentation surely marked a pace 
for realism that will not easily be maintained. 

The work of Mr. Frank Powell, director of Pathe 
Freres' Special Features has created a wide interest. 
Not only is it a combination of unique artistry and 
truthfulness of historical detail, but it bespeaks the 
vast experience Mr. Powell has had in the motion- 
picture industry. 

In years Mr. Powell is young; in directing experi- 
ence he is ripe and aged. Starting as a stage director 
for Augustus Thomas, he later joined Kirk la Shelle, 
and afterwards for some years directed productions in 
Europe for Miss Ellen Terry. He then returned to 
America and made his debut in the motion-picture 
field by directing comedies for the Biograph Company. 
With this firm he was connected for some two years, 



of Science 283 

then, returning to Europe again, was engaged by Pathe 
Freres as a producer of historical and romantic dramas. 
Ill health, however, necessitated resting for a while. 
But his art and advancement did not suffer, for, though 
he was compelled to lay off work, he toured the Con- 
tinent, acquainting himself minutely with foreign cos- 
tumes and types. 

On his return to America he was engaged by the 
Powers Motion Picture Company, and after being with 
them for some time, rejoined Pathe Freres as a director 4 
of Special Features. 

Among Mr. Powell's most recent releases of unusual 
interest are : "The Ghost," a three-reel Colonial drama ; 
"The Corsair," a four-reel Turkish story, necessitating 
much research and historical exactitude; a three-reel 
dramatization of the well-known classic poem "Lu- 
cile," and "The Stain," a six-reel modern American 
story that is said to be one of the strongest and most 
artistic productions ever released.. 

Mack Sennett, the director of the Keystone com- 
edies, has been engaged in the theatrical business for 
fifteen years, and in the moving picture branch for 
the past five years. During his career on the stage 
he appeared with Arnold Daly, playing in "The Boys 
of Company B," produced by Daniel Frohman, which 
had a long run at the Lyceum Theatre, New York. He 
also appeared with Henrietta Crosman in Shakespe- 
rean productions, in "Wang," with DeWolf Hopper 
took a prominent part in "The Chinese Honeymoon" 
on the Shubert circuit, and was starred in farce com- 
edy. 

Mr. Sennett has been featured in vaudeville and bur- 
lesque, starting in by carrying a spear and winding up 
as a star and a leading man. 



284 Cfte C&eatre 

He has had a varied experience in the moving-picture 
field as a comedy actor and a director. He produced all 
the comedies for the Biograph Company for a year and 
a half prior to his connection with the Keystone Com- 
pany, and has put on some of the well-known hits, such 
as "One-Round O'Brien," "Dashed Through the 
Clouds," "When the Bells Rang Out," "The Brave 
Hunter," and many others too numerous to mention. 

The new Majestic Company was one of the first film 
producers to make a six-reel production important 
enough to go into legitimate theatres as a regular per- 
formance. This was the case with their "Sapho," with 
Florence Roberts in the title role, released last July. 
They are credited with one of the finest studios on the 
Pacific Coast, and of their players it is said "there are 
no favorites like new Majestic favorites." The business 
offices of the company are at New Rochelle, N. Y., 
under the supervision of C. J. Hite. Mr. Hite took hold 
of the Majestic a little over a year ago, christened it 
"New Majestic," and made a phenomenal success of 
it, although he had the Thanhouser Company and other 
interests to direct. Up to the taking over of the Ma- 
jestic by the New Rochelle producer, it had been a 
lagging enterprise, and the present high and sudden 
popularity of the brand is one of the phenomena of 
modern moving-picture management. 



"All ready! Action! Camera!" 

Magic words, these, uttered by the Aladdin of the 
new century, whereupon the curling film writhes from 
clicking motion-picture cameras, changing instantly 
into streams of gleaming, yellow gold. 

And thereupon the Pacific coast rejoices greatly, for 



o t @> c i t n c e 285 

the "wonderful lamp" and its reflected visions upon the 
screen surcharge the arteries of commerce with its 
never-ending flow of dollars and more dollars. 

From pennies to millions in seven brief years ! This 
is the history of filmdom in California. The invasion 
was signalled by a solitary Selig camera, mounted on 
the shore of the broad Pacific at Santa Monica. Monte 
Cristo, haggard and in rags, stood upon a rock amid 
the waters, and, marshalling his feeble physical forces, 
cried in wild triumph: 

"The world is mine !" 

The words were portentous. 

What Monte really did was to signal an entirely new 
world on the sunlit coast the world of motion pic- 
tures to follow this first scene ever taken from the 
screen story west of the slumbering Sierras. 

Following this pioneer movement of the Selig Poly- 
scope Company, under the direction of Francis Boggs, 
an Essanay Company came to the wonderful back- 
grounds of Southern California. A year later W. N. 
Selig established a permanent studio at Edendale, a 
borough of the city of Los Angeles, with Mr. Boggs as 
manager. The architecture and landscaping of this 
plant were very striking. 

The following year came the Bison studio of the New 
York Motion Picture Company. Then came a Pathe 
organization to do Western pictures. Next was the 
Biograph Company, which began paying annual visits 
to the city. The Vitagraph, Kalem, and Edison ap- 
peared in the order given. 

In sharp contrast to the single camera operating for 
a brief time on the shores of the Pacific seven years 
ago is the present filmland, covering practically all of 
Southern California. At Santa Barbara the American 



286 Cfre Cfteatre 

Film Company, sign of the Flying A, has a splendid 
studio and several companies. At Niles, "Broncho 
Billy" Anderson and his Essanay companies are turn- 
ing out pictures in lively fashion. At San Rafael the 
well-known Lucius Henderson is establishing a plant 
for the newly organized California Film Company, 
backed by San Francisco millionaires. At San Diego, 
on the south, the Ammex Company has been operating, 
but now is resting for a time. The Balboa Company 
always has two to three directors at its Long Branch 
studio. In beautiful Glendale, a foothill city near Los 
Angeles, are the effective Western Kalem forces, under 
the general management of George Melford. Here fa- 
mous battles are fought again in realistic manner and 
historical Indian uprisings are reproduced on the film. 
A large aggregation of native Americans is engaged 
for these early dramas. In this same locality the Usona 
Company is at work producing independent films. 
Lucius Henderson retired from the California Film 
Company in June, 1914. 

At Santa Monica, the seaside resort, the Vitagraph 
has maintained a Western studio for more than three 
years, where the genius of Rollin S. Sturgeon is re- 
sponsible for some of the most successful productions 
of filmdom. In Santa Ynez canon adjoining Santa Mo- 
nica on the coast, is the remarkable working headquar- 
ters of the New York Motion Picture Company, wide- 
ly known as Inceville, because of its development by 
Thomas H. Ince, vice-president and general manager 
of the corporation. The holdings cover 20,000 acres of 
mountain and canon, with an easy access to the ocean. 
Here Mr. Ince has built in a remarkable way. Not 
only has he natural scenery for rugged Western pic- 
tures, for great battles and stirring raids, but has con- 





J. W. KERRIGAN 

Star Universal Film Co. 



WILLIAM GARWOOD 

Majestic Leading Man 



CARYLE BLACKWELL 

Star "Famous Players" 

A Trio of Matinee Idols of the Screen 




ANDREW CARNEGIE CAPITULATES TO THE LURE OF "OUR MUTUAL GIRL" 



of Science 287 

structed for film purposes Irish, German, Japanese, and 
other villages, with logical surroundings, for perma- 
nent use. He has eight large companies constantly at 
work, with a weekly payroll of $17,000. These pictures 
are released under the Domino, Broncho, and Kay-Bee 
brands. 

At Edendale the New York Motion Picture Com- 
pany has not only a fine printing and working plant but 
several large stages and equipment for the Keystone 
comedy companies, of which there are seven. In Los 
Angeles proper, film manufacturing is a humming in- 
dustry. The Selig Polyscope Company has an im- 
mense acreage at the famous wild-animal zoo, adjoin- 
ing beautiful Eastlake Park, which now is in the hands 
of landscape gardeners and architects, and soon will be 
a rival to Lincoln Park in Chicago. Six companies are 
at work there, including the noted organization which 
creates Selig animal pictures similar to the famous 
"Adventures of Kathlyn." This studio is run inde- 
pendently of the beautiful Mission plant at Edendale. 

Out on Sunset Boulevard is the splendid Mutual 
studio, a plant under the management of the famous 
David W. Griffith, master producer. Eight directors 
are at work in this plant, which formerly was occupied 
by the Kinemacolor. 

Occupying what was formerly Providencia Ranch, a 
few miles beyond the Borough of Hollywood and the 
Mutual Studio, are the pretentious holdings of the 
Universal, with its army of employees. An average 
of twelve to fourteen directors is maintained at that 
place. The number of employees varies from 200 to 
500. These include cowboys and soldiers. 

The Jesse Lasky Company, with such stars as Dus- 
tin Farnum, has a fine plant at Hollywood. The J. A. 



288 C6e Cfteatre 

C. Studio, a rendezvous for several independent com- 
panies, is located on Court Street, a hill towering im- 
mediately over the business center of Los Angeles. 
The Famous Players, among others, work from this 
plant, the noted Mary Pickford being the star. The 
local organization, known as the Bosworth Company, 
Inc., filming Jack London's stories, began its opera- 
tions in Los Angeles, but has moved to the Norbig 
Studio at Edendale. 

The Lubin Company of Philadelphia maintains a 
Western company in the beautiful arroyo on Pasadena 
Avenue, Los Angeles. The productions here have been 
of the Western and melodramatic character. The Bio- 
graph Company has a studio at Georgia and Girard 
Streets, beautiful grounds behind a high board fence, 
where,. during the first season of the company, practi- 
cally all of to-day's stars were assembled under one 
management, with Mr. Griffith directing. Down to 
date, the Biograph works in this studio during the 
winter months only. However, there is a possibility 
that they will maintain a company all the year round. 

Recent incorporations include the Fred Mace Fea- 
ture Film Company, occupying the old Majestic site in 
Boyle Heights, the Edwin August Feature Film Com- 
pany, the Criterion Feature Film Company, the Ken- 
nedy organization, and more than a dozen other inde- 
pendent concerns, doing both dramatic and commer- 
cial work. 

A summary of the facts and figures reveals surpris- 
ing results in seven years. More than 3,000 people are 
employed as regulars and extras in and about Los An- 
geles. The combined salaries of the actors alone 
amounts to $1,420,000 per annum, and of extras almost 
one-half that sum. Rentals, overhead, and other ex- 




'THE MEN AT THE WHEEL" LUBIN PHOTOGRAPHERS 




SIEGMUND LUBIN AND SOME OF HIS EMPLOYEES 



of Science 239 

penses bring the total cash outlay to about $4,000,000 
yearly. Every old-established film company is repre- 
sented by working forces in Southern California, with 
but two exceptions. There are now 73 companies at 
work and newcomers are arriving each month. Stu- 
dios are at a premium, and new properties are being 
secured constantly for the construction of new plants. 
From all indications Southern California, now known 
as the Mecca of the "Movies," still is in its infancy as 
a motion-picture field. It is freely predicted by manu- 
facturers that the film colony will increase fully 500 
per cent, during the next few years. As a result of 
the film business, Los Angeles, and in fact the entire 
State of California, with its wonderful landscaping, per- 
petual summer, alluring vistas, mountains and shores, 
has been advertised throughout the world in a manner 
which literature could never hope to attain. 



290 Cfte C&eatte 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Few motion picture exhibitors have indicated by 
their mode of business procedure that they were pre- 
pared for the changed conditions that have prevailed 
in the field of the silent drama during the past year, 
but there are, perhaps, a half dozen gentlemen who 
practically from the outset of their film activities 
adopted high-grade methods, both in the exploitation 
of the productions on the screen and in the effort to 
present them in an artistic manner. 

At least two of this class of exhibitors have oper- 
ated on lines so different from the ordinary head of a 
photoplay house that one may often hear them referred 
to as "Impresarios of picturedom." S. L. Rothapfel, 
now in complete control of the productions at the new 
Strand Theatre, attracted nation wide notice through 
his conduct of photoplayhouses in the West, particu- 
larly in Chicago and Minneapolis. It is a fact that in 
every theatre directed by Mr. Rothapfel, except the 
Strand, the prices of admission have been the highest 
charged for pictures up to the time of his regime. He 
was the first, I believe, to adopt an insistent policy as 
to the musical accompaniment, and that splendid or- 




B. P. SCHULBERG 

Publicity Manager Famous Players Co. 




JOSEPH W. FARNHAM 

Advertising Manager All Star Feature 
Film Co. 



S. L. ROTHAPfEL 
Manager Strand Theatre, New York 




HOBART BOSWORTH AS "WOLF LARSEN" IN JACK LONDON'S "SEA 

WOLF" 



of Science 291 

chestra at the Strand Theatre over which the dean of 
musical critics, Mr. Meltzer, raved, in the columns of 
the New York "American/' is the result of the Rothap- 
fel experience in the West and more recently at the 
Regent Theatre in Harlem. 

If any local management "rehearsed the films" with 
full orchestral and organ accompaniment before Roth- 
apfel did, my attention was never directed toward the 
innovation. I recall in Minneapolis, the latter was un- 
compromising in demanding that the same rules that 
prevail for grand opera (in seating the audience and 
in forbidding an exodus while the curtain is up) must 
be observed. 

It was the influence of Rothapfel that inaugurated 
the exclusively motion picture theatre movement, that 
is to say in theatres of large capacity erected expressly 
for the silent drama and adopting a scale of admission 
prices far higher than the usual photoplayhouse re- 
quires to this day. 

Frank T. Montgomery, known to fame as "Mont- 
gomery, the moving picture man," is perhaps the most 
successful operator of high grade photoplay houses 
in the entire country, achieving national celebrity 
though his territory has been confined to the South, 
with Dayton, Ohio, as the extreme northern point of 
his activities. A Montgomery theatre is always de- 
voted exclusively to moving pictures and, as he him- 
self once expressed it, "The patron is always aware 
that he is in a Montgomery playhouse because it is 
just different." 

Early in life Montgomery chose the amusement busi- 
ness as his road to fortune. For years he travelled 
with a circus in the summer and with theatrical com- 
panies in the winter, frequently conducting vaudeville 



292 C6e C&eatre 

enterprises which in those days were called variety 
shows. 

One day about fourteen years ago he chanced to see 
advertised on the front of a theatre "Black Diamond 
Express," and investigating he discovered that it was 
a moving picture exhibition. He convinced himself 
that it would be worth while to part with a half dol- 
lar to see the picture. Right there he saw the possi- 
bilities of the motion picture business, and it was not 
many weeks after that Montgomery was on the road 
with a picture outfit. He collected a great number of 
films during his years of travel, it being necessary to 
buy them outright from the manufacturers. With vary- 
ing success, he traveled the Western section of the 
country, the passage of time bringing out many others 
who, like Montgomery, had seen a chance to make 
money with picture films. It is interesting to recall 
that in the early days of picture making, some of the 
reels were but 50 feet long, and at the utmost not over 
400 feet. The subjects dealt with sensational things 
such as train wrecks, horse racing, train robberies, and 
other swift moving dramas which catered more to the 
lover of excitement than to the person of refined tastes. 

It would be a long and unnecessary story to follow 
Montgomery from the beginning to the end of his trav- 
els with a traveling show of pictures. However, the 
end of his wanderings found him at Fort Worth, Tex., 
about nine years ago. There and then he decided to 
open a moving picture theatre. 

Nine years ago? 

Here's where the reader will almost declare that he 
has been seeing motion pictures in theatres for the past 
twenty years. 



o f @> c i e n c e 293 

Time has been flying, and the motion picture busi- 
ness has kept pace. 

Nevertheless it was nine years ago that Montgom- 
ery opened his first moving picture theatre, and a 
search for information fails to reveal a record of one 
opened earlier. Therefore Montgomery lays claim to 
being "first" in the United States to operate a theatre, 
such as it was, devoted to the exclusive exhibition of 
motion pictures. Archie L. Shepard claims to have 
given picture shows exclusively in 1900, but Montgom- 
ery's claim is that he was first to establish a theatre on 
a permanent basis with moving pictures solely as the 
attraction. 

He had no fine theatre such as is seen nowadays. 
His was a crude affair in comparison with the modern 
photoplay theatres. The front was adorned with a 
spreading canvas sign on which appeared in foot-high 
letters "Edison's Family Theatre." The sign attracted 
the crowds and in they went to see the show. At the 
end of the performances it was not at all unusual for 
the patrons to come out and hunt up Montgomery to 
shake his hand and say, "Mr. Edison, you sure have 
a great show." They, or at least many of them, 
thought Montgomery was Thomas A. Edison. 

The films shown in the Fort Worth house consisted 
of those Montgomery had collected from time to time 
for his road show, several hundred reels of varying 
length, but of a like quality of subject. An extra good 
film would be shown for a week, while others would be 
run for two or three days. But with such a limited 
amount of films, Montgomery soon saw the finish of 
his enterprise which while it lasted was a success. He 
tried to rent films from other traveling show-men, but 
this plan would not work. He tried to find some place 



294 Cfre Cfreatre 

where films could be rented, but again was unsuccess- 
ful. At last he accepted the hopelessness of continuing 
with "repeaters," and moved to other parts. 

Again he took to the road, and for several months 
followed the beaten paths of former years. Happening 
to be in Memphis, Tenn., he discovered a man who was 
preparing to open a picture theatre. Inquiry elicited 
the information that the films for the house were to be 
supplied by a house in San Francisco, probably one of 
the first film exchanges in the country. Montgomery 
lost no time in returning to Texas, but found that, dur- 
ing his short absence, picture theatres had sprung up 
in every town of importance. He secured a location in 
a small town, and there conducted a profitable busi- 
ness, until he felt the appeal for bigger things, when 
he sold out at a profit and went to Memphis. 

There he bought out the man who had been pre- 
paring a theatre but a year before. The public had not 
learned to like pictures as yet, and many of the vaude- 
ville houses used motion pictures to "drive" the people 
out after each performance. Montgomery announced 
that he would show nothing but pictures. The other 
amusement men laughed loudly, and then with pity- 
ing gestures gravely tapped their foreheads and rolled 
their eyes. They agreed between themselves that 
Montgomery "was crazy." 

Here was the beginning of "class and quality" which 
made the name of Montgomery famous through the 
South. He reasoned that the people had never seen 
first class films that they were accustomed to seeing 
old films which painfully blurred along with frequent 
breaks of the blood-curdling events considered so pop- 
ular in those days. Montgomery began by ordering 
new films. He bought the best in machines. He dis- 




SIDNEY OLCOTT 

Author, producer and director of his own 
company 




GILES R. WARREN 

Author and director, one of the first to 

stage photoplays 



COL. JOSEPH SMILEY 

Director Lubin Mfg. Co. 





MARK M. DINTENFASS 

Pioneer independent film manufacturer 



FRANK T. MONTGOMERY 

Known to fame as "Montgomery the Moving 
Picture Man" 



of Science 2% 

rupted the old idea of dark house necessity by lighting 
his newly acquired theatre so that one could read a 
newspaper in any part of it. With the increased light, 
he gave better ventilation. He decorated the exterior 
and interior of the house with plants. He demanded 
the best of service from his operators, doormen, cash- 
iers, and all other employes. He put snap in his 
shows. He put music of distinct quality in his house 
by engaging an orchestra. 

Such a reformation of the motion picture business 
had never before been thought of in Memphis. The 
people were interested. The competitors of Montgom- 
ery began to take notice, but still doubtfully scoffed. 
They clung to the belief that the public would not pat- 
ronize pictures as an exclusive exhibition. They were 
fooled. Within a short time Montgomery was building 
or preparing to open three other houses. The enthu- 
siasm he injected into his theatres and employes was 
having its effect. The quality he demanded and pro- 
cured was drawing the crowds by day and by night. 

Montgomery enjoyed a most successful business in 
Memphis, and his fine business attracted many flatter- 
ing offers, one of which he eventually accepted, and 
amid the regrets of citizens, business men, the news- 
papers and the Chamber of Commerce, prepared to 
accept an invitation to open a grand theatre in New 
York. He was forced to spend a day in Jacksonville, 
Fla., and seeing the energy and progress of that city, 
decided to cancel the New York engagement. He took 
over an entire building and transformed it into one of 
the cosiest picture houses in the South, the former 
owner having lost money in trying to make it pay with 
vaudeville acts. Then Montgomery formed the Mont- 
gomery Amusement Company, and began a develop- 



296 Cfre Cfteatre 

ment that placed theatres in Atlanta, Savannah, Co- 
lumbia, S. C., Dayton, Ohio, Valdosta, Ga., Tampa, 
Fla., all of which cities gave him a hearty welcome. 

In Atlanta, Montgomery built and opened what is 
considered one of the finest motion picture theatres 
in the country. Here he was given an opportunity to 
display his peculiar talents in reformation of old ideas 
which had settled down on Atlanta through years and 
years. He found other theatres showing slides which 
instructed ladies to report to the manager any masher 
who annoyed them. Montgomery made his house so 
bright that the mashers and their ilk avoided it. That 
pleased Montgomery. He had proven that people did 
not really want blood and thunder photoplays, and 
would enjoy the cleaner and more uplifting films. He 
also proved in Atlanta, that the main underlying ob- 
jection to picture shows was the poor quality and man- 
agement. He announced his determination to cater 
to the best people. They heard and answered him by 
crowding his house. Then the other picture men got 
busy. They did as Montgomery was doing. Such has 
been the history of the motion picture business in 
every city where Montgomery has operated. He has 
always been intent on making his shows better his 
houses cleaner his music more artistic and entertain- 
ing. His has been a policy of betterment, even when 
the public said he could do no better as he had reached 
the highest possible point in perfection. 

This man Montgomery is unique. 

He not only developed a new standard in motion 
picture houses, but he developed a new style in adver- 
tising, and with that as a basis developed a demand in 
the public mind for quality. I may go farther and 
say that he developed a class of plagiarists who copied 



of Science 297 

his style in every particular that connected with the 
exhibition of pictures. 

To-day Montgomery has costly theatres of about 
equal capacity and all conducted under one policy in a 
dozen cities between Ohio and Texas. His establish- 
ments in Atlanta and Jacksonville are beyond question 
the finest in the country. 

It was the manner in which this born showman ex- 
ploited the Kalem masterpiece "From the Manger to 
the Cross," that convinced the writer that showman- 
ship was entirely out of place in offering such an enno- 
bling spectacle to the public. Therefore it is worthy of 
note that it required a showman to grasp a problem 
requiring the total elimination of theatrical methods. 
In another chapter the writer deals with the subject 
at length. 

William Fox, though his career has gradually as- 
sumed an eclectic character in that he now conducts 
dramatic, vaudeville and moving picture theatres, the 
latter have predominated always. Moreover, William 
Fox is a product of the motion picture era, entering 
the field seven years ago in a modest way with a little 
auditorium in Brooklyn constructed from an empty 
store. Prospering, Fox expanded his operations with 
amazing rapidity. In 1909 he was already a magnate 
with a dozen first grade playhouses converted into 
gold laden temples of scientific entertainment. East 
14th street was the principal scene of his extensive 
operations the Dewey and City theatres and the 
Academy of Music were all under his control simul- 
taneously, but William Fox began in 1911 to build 
theatres million dollar palaces and in these vaude- 
ville and moving pictures have been the attraction. 
Mr. Fox has six theatres of modern construction now 



298 Cfte C&eatre 

in the Greater City and one of these at least, the Cro- 
tona, has been regarded as the wonder of theatredom. 

Besides owning or controlling a score of dividend- 
paying theatres, Mr. Fox is the head of a big film rent- 
ing concern, to perpetuate the influence of which he 
has been involved in endless litigation with the so- 
called "picture trust." In 1913, Mr. Fox entered the 
producing field of pictures by establishing "The Box 
Office Attractions" Company, one of the largest film 
organizations in the country, thus enabling the enter- 
prising Fox to supply not only his own theatres with 
compelling film productions, but the company is im- 
pregnably intrenched with exchanges and affiliations 
of the kind the modern film magnate must needs pos- 
sess. 

Tom Moore, not the photoplayer of that name, is 
known in the show world as the man whose fortune 
was founded on a song, yet his career as far as I 
have been permitted to observe it, is but another illus- 
tration of the showmanship of a man who saw in the 
new science a great opportunity, embraced it with seri- 
ous intent, and achieved in a few years a status for 
himself best indicated by his present holdings. Be- 
sides the Garden, Orpheum and Plaza theatres Mr. 
Moore owns ten photoplay houses in or near the City 
of Washington, D. C. 

Mr. Moore will be recalled by many readers of this 
volume as a vaudeville performer who sang his own 
songs on the Proctor circuit. One of his compositions, 
"Love, I Dream of You," had a prolonged vogue and 
brought in royalties exceeding $5,000. This capital he 
invested in the motion picture field. The first film 
production to attract him was that remarkable release 
of a primitive period entitled "The Great Train Rob- 



of Science 



bery." From this he made enough money to enter the 
exhibition side of the industry with his own theatre at 
Chesapeake Beach. His wife sold the tickets and 
Moore himself "Bally hooed." He ran the machine. 
Between reels he sang while his wife played the piano, 
and later, having kept his eye on the audience while 
Mrs. Moore was absent from the door, he collected the 
nickels from those who had entered. 

Later, having convinced himself he was "in right," 
and having in the meantime scored with "Love, I 
Dream of You," Moore retired from vaudeville and re- 
turned to Washington with $5,000 saved, bent upon 
conquest of the Capital City. To-day the one time 
vaudevillian is one of the big men operating on the 
exhibition side of the industry. One of his theatres 
cost $225,000. It is called "The Red Mill" and seats 
2,200 persons. 

Moore converted the old Academy of Music, which 
had known so many ups and downs, into a veritable 
gold mine. He did the same thing with the Imperial, 
built for vaudeville, but he lost $6,000 before he solved 
the problem. Now the place is called the Garden The- 
atre and is a big dividend payer. It is fair here to 
credit Mrs. Moore with no little share of the achieve- 
ments to date. Madame has been his co-worker from 
the outset eight years ago, when as Irene Martin she 
cast her fate with the industrious showman and be- 
came his wife about the same time. 

Felix Isman is a name one may seldom see in the 
public press and it is rare indeed that the man himself 
is a conspicuous figure in the localities where theatrical 
folk most congregate. To this day I have never met 
Mr. Isman. Moreover, I had considerable difficulty to 
secure his portrait. However, Mr. Isman has been one 



soo Cfte Cfieatre 

of the heaviest investors in motion picture theatres 
and has usually allowed his representative to pose as 
the head of each enterprise. This is so true that it is 
doubtful if one in a hundred, even in the profession, 
know that Isman was the real power behind Archie L. 
Shepard when that pioneer started the first exclu- 
sively motion picture theatre in New York (Standard 
Theatre). 

After Shepard retired William J. Gane became man- 
ager, but he was an employe of Isman's, and unless 
I am mistaken is still one, for Isman never was so 
actively interested in motion picture houses as now. 
The Broadway and Republic Theatres are operated 
under his direction at least two new houses are about 
to be dedicated in New York, but it is not likely the 
name of Isman will be revealed to the public. 

In Philadelphia Mr. Isman's interests are almost be- 
yond calculation. This is the city of wondrous photo- 
play houses, and Isman owns or controls the lease of 
so many that I doubt if he could present an accurate 
list off-hand himself. Besides possessing a genius for 
real estate operations Isman has always shown a pref- 
erence for "discounting futures," and his judgment as 
to the future of the motion picture was never so ac- 
curate as at that period when the theatrical producers 
forecasted its decline. 

It was at this period that Isman affiliated himself 
right and left with film men and reduced his invest- 
ments in theatrical enterprises. In this respect he 
stands as a unique figure in the amusement world, and 
that he has prospered amazingly is but a just return 
for what his influence has been when it was most 
needed. In June, 1914, Mr. Isman in association with 
Henry Russell, of Boston, and Henry Higgins, of Lon- 



of Science 301 

don, England, leased the Theatre des Champs Elysees, 
Paris, France, for a term of twenty years. This mag- 
nificent erstwhile home of grand opera will now be 
conducted as a high grade photoplay house, and it is 
expected that the enterprise is merely the inauguration 
of a well-conceived plan on Mr. Isman's part to finally 
enter the field openly and on a large scale. 

Frederick F. Proctor comes in for mention here, for 
if there is one among the vaudeville managers who 
has persistently augmented the photoplay portion of 
his programs, Mr. Proctor is that one. As a matter of 
fact the Proctor enterprises, as they are to-day, indicate 
that the "Grand old man of vaudeville" believes he 
may best hold his public by presenting more photo- 
plays and less vaudeville. 

Whether Mr. Proctor has found that a photoplay 
policy exclusively will solve the problem of the Fifth 
Avenue Theatre in New York it is perhaps too soon 
to determine, but it is certain the change of policy in 
that playhouse has already justified its permanent con- 
tinuance. In all of the three other Proctor houses in 
Manhattan photoplays are now the main feature. 

The writer has recited so often the story of Proc- 
tor's achievements in Mount Vernon, N. Y., that there 
remains now only to state that since the last volume 
was issued, there has risen in that city a palatial mil- 
lion dollar playhouse occupying four city blocks, 
erected, so it is stated, from the profits of four years 
from the "Bijou Dream" in the same city which Proc- 
tor launched with moving pictures at a time when 
ninety per cent, of the inhabitants refused to enter a 
local play house. Before the "Bijou Dream" was in its 
third month the average attendance was 18,000 persons 
a week, about 65 per cent, of the total population. 



302 Cfte C&eatre 

One of the most interesting developments of the 
moving picture craze in this year of 1914, was the re- 
turn to first principles of that veteran showman and 
pioneer, Michael B. Leavitt, who after a prolonged re- 
tirement from the amusement field, and despite that he 
is approaching three score and ten years of man's life 
allotment, has entered the film game, as he expressed 
it, having secured the sole right to present the moving 
pictures of "Sixty Years a Queen" in the maritime 
provinces. 

To have seen Leavitt, who is yet as spry and appa- 
rently as youthful as he was in his palmy days plan- 
ning the campaign for the Canadian entourage in the 
offices of the Anglo-American Film Company, was 
about as inspiring a sight as one could behold. I can 
only conjecture as to what will happen if Leavitt 
should really undertake to become active as a film 
entrepreneur. 

The first photoplayhouse, built for the purpose in 
New York's Theatre zone, was dedicated on Saturday 
evening, April 11, 1914, when the Strand Theatre oc- 
cupying the entire Broadway block from 47th to 48th 
streets inaugurated its policy of presenting feature 
films with appropriate musical accompaniment. 

The projectors of this, the largest theatre in New 
York, seating 3,500 persons comfortably, are the Mark 
Brothers, of Buffalo, N. Y., and Max Spiegel, prom- 
inent factors all of them in the motion picture field. 
The Messrs. Mark were among the first exhibitors in 
Western New York, and their operations have extend- 
ed throughout Canada where they still have extensive 
interests. Mr. Spiegel has had a prosperous career 
as a burlesque magnate, but has erected not a few lux- 
urious photoplay houses ; the last to be dedicated was 




"SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN" VICTORIA BECOMES A QUEEN 



| ! ] 






'SIXTY YEARS A QUEEN" VICTORIA HONORING CHARLES DICKENS 

(Anglo-American Film Co.] 



of^cience 303 

also called the Strand Theatre and is located at Mount 
Vernon, N. Y. This bijou theatre, in the city where 
the writer resides, has adopted various policies in an 
effort to finally find a permanent appeal. It was in 
this commodious and perfectly constructed theatre that 
I was privileged to witness, during a period of about 
six months, many film productions, among the num- 
ber at least a score of important releases that were 
never announced in any of the so-called "first run" 
houses in Greater New York. 

This and other photoplay houses in my home town, 
of which there are seven in all, have been operated 
so as to embrace all of the various brands of film, each 
confining its releases to a particular service. As a re- 
sult, on inclement days the writer has been enabled 
to view as many as twenty reels, many of which were 
"missed" in the metropolis. 

If the average photoplay house is conducted with the 
same intelligence that has characterized the manage- 
ment of these local theatres, one may understand how 
Messrs. Mark and Spiegel, after years of provincial 
experience, have come to the Great White Way for con- 
quest, and I was not surprised at the inaugural night 
at the New York Strand Theatre to observe the 
amazement of old time showmen, some of whom shook 
their heads as if to indicate that the prodigious under- 
taking would "come a-cropper." 

But there is no record of failure for any similar en- 
terprise seeking to sustain itself through an appeal to 
the masses with an abundance of entertainment at 
amazingly low prices of admission, and the "old show- 
men" may as well become reconciled to the spectacle 
of 40,000 persons passing through the Strand's portals 



304 Cfte Cfteatre 

each seven days as long as its regime continues as it 
started. 

One of the Mount Vernon, N. Y., theatres The 
Crescent is under the management of S. Lee Kohn. 
This house has had about as checkered a career as 
any within one's recollection. Forty years ago it was 
"the twon hall." Well do I recall the village con- 
stable who was wont to collect the nightly rental and 
various other sums due local people with warrants 
to gain time. So accustomed was the officer to jail- 
ing the showmen that he always prepared the war- 
rants ahead in any event. 

This old hall has been used for every type of show 
imaginable. If any one prospered there up to 1911, 
there is no record of it, until that year, when a stock 
company attracted crowds for several months. It was 
a public created by moving picture shows that finally 
solved the problem. Out of 25,000 persistent photo- 
playgoers one-fifth were enticed into a "regular" the- 
atre to see plays acted by players in the flesh. Surely 
this is an interesting revelation, for what can be done 
in a suburb of New York long known as a theatrical 
graveyard should not be impossible anywhere else. 

Now the Crescent Theatre is quite an institution. 
It is rare indeed that its capacity is not tested at last 
twice daily, a condition due solely to Mr. Kohn's policy 
a two-hour show of association films with no seat 
costing more than ten cents. 

The career of many leaders in the amusement world 
furnishes very interesting reading, and also very in- 
structive. In but very few cases do we find the men at 
the head of our various amusement enterprises other 
than self-made men. Invariably the man who had 



o ( @> c i e n c e 305 

been candy-butcher, newsboy or program seller, rises 
to the top and leads to-day. 

The career of Benjamin S. Moss, of Moss and Brill, 
furnishes an example of where energy, honesty, and 
a "punch" can land the American boy. 

Born in the old Yorkville section some thirty-eight 
years ago, he knew early the wants, ambitions and 
struggles of the boy who is destined to attend college 
in the University of Hardknocks. 

It is now five years since Moss entered the amuse- 
ment business in New York City, commencing his op- 
eration with the 86th Street Theatre, and in that time 
he has added to it the magnificent million-dollar Jef- 
ferson situated in the heart of the great teeming East 
Side of New York, and the beautiful refined Hamilton 
perched on the Heights overlooking the Hudson. Af- 
terwards the Plaza in New York City, the Colonial in 
Albany, and other out-of-town theatres came under his 
control. 

There is no more optimistic theatre man regarding 
the motion picture industry than Mr. Moss. His faith 
has been shown in the photoplay in the past, and no 
one dreams of greater things for the future than he. 

When you are looking over the ground for prospec- 
tive leaders for the future, don't make the mistake of 
overlooking this live wire. 



306 C6e C&eatre 



CHAPTER XV. 

Considerable literature in the shape of volumes, the 
number of which is increasing, particularly this year, 
has been issued on the technic of the photoplay. But 
few of these have been helpful to the scenario writer, 
and the tendency for unknown writers who embrace 
this difficult endeavor without the least practical ex- 
perience to pose as authorities, has brought about a 
condition wherein the writer has thought it incum- 
bent upon him to endeavor to separate the wheat from 
the chaff, in that not over six of more than a hundred 
such volumes have been prepared by authors whose 
expression is due to actual achievement as photoplay- 
wrights or from an association with the film studio's 
scenario departments. 

Perhaps the most able of all of the gentlemen in this 
field is Epes Winthrop Sargent, a forceful writer of 
vast experience in the field of the theatre. Sargent 
hails from the West Indies, and he first attracted 
attention when he came to New York to become the 
vaudeville critic of the "Morning Telegraph" about 
twenty years ago. Under the nom de plume of "Chi- 
cot" his writings aroused widespread interest and 
no little protest from the vaudeville performer ; in fact, 



of Science SOT 

it may be stated that while "Chicot" was represented 
in the columns of New York's only five-cent daily, the 
criticisms were of that character which carries weight 
and not the least influence was exerted in the count- 
ing room. "Chicot's" years of service on the "Tele- 
graph" antedated the advent of the horde of adver- 
tising solicitors that are now so conspicuous about the- 
atrical, particularly vaudeville, booking offices. In all 
the years that I knew him (and I was in the vaudeville 
field throughout his "Telegraph" incumbency) Sargent 
never once approached me for an advertisement, and I 
never heard of any one else approached artist, man- 
ager or agent. 

I can testify to the influence of this virile penman 
in the primitive period of continuous vaudeville when 
the performer was prodded persistently to augment 
and change his productivity and to eliminate vulgarity. 
There is no survival to-day of the "Chicot" style of 
criticism, which, though apparently severe and frank, 
was nevertheless of greater aid to the aspirant and 
the accepted artist alike than that of any reviewer of 
vaudeville performances in the history of the stage. 

It was this same "Chicot" who started the green- 
covered weekly, then, as now, called "Variety," but 
because of an uncompromising attitude toward the 
vaudeville artist and an insistent method of separating 
the counting-room from the editorial influence, "Chi- 
cot" and Sime J. Silverman disagreed, but not before 
"Variety" had become representative and all-powerful 
as a distinctively vaudeville newspaper. 

Such was the earlier career of the man who already 
in the 90's was an acknowledged motion-picture au- 
thority. If my memory serves me correctly, Sargent 
predicted as early as 1898 that photoplays or plays in 



Cfte Cfteatre 



pictures would solve the camera man's greatest prob- 
lem of the near future, and when after some years of 
mixed activities in the publicity field Sargent joined 
the Lubin Company as Scenario Editor, he began to 
do things in filmdom on a big scale. 

As scenario editor and as photoplaywright, Sar- 
gent's experience has been of that character to wholly 
justify his being accepted as an authority on photo- 
play construction from almost any angle; hence, his 
first volume on "The Technique" was widely distrib- 
uted and favorably reviewed all over the world. To- 
ward the end of 1913, a second volume on the same 
theme, though practically an entirely new work, was 
published by the "Moving Picture World," after an 
overwhelming receipt of advance orders. 

At this time Mr. Sargent's activities are truly pro- 
digious. Besides contributing exclusively to two reg- 
ular departments both of which he has made vital 
features of the publication he writes many of the best 
essays that now appear in the "Moving Picture World ;" 
in fact, it is not too much to state that the amazing 
success of this the accepted weekly organ of the film 
industry is at least as much due to Sargent as to any 
other factor that can be pointed to. Scarcely a week 
ever passes that one of Sargent's photoplays is not 
released. The Lubin Company has released the great- 
er number, but at the time of this writing the Edison 
Company is producing some of the best work this au- 
thor has ever done. In addition, Sargent contributes 
fiction stories galore to the magazines and special ar- 
ticles to magazines and newspapers alike. One day 
this facile writer may come forth as a playwright, 
though undoubtedly, like a few others, he is held fast 
by the lure of the camera man. 



of Science 309 

Herbert Hoagland, long identified with the Pathe 
Freres American Company, was one of the first to is- 
sue a volume on photoplay construction. The work 
has been distributed by the Hannis-Jordan Publishing 
Company, and has had a considerable sale. Mr. Hoag- 
land also has endeavored throughout his prolonged in- 
cumbency in the Pathe institution, to render helpful 
service to the photoplaywright, never hesitating to 
warn the aspirant as to the pitfalls which abound in 
an industry overwhelmed with schools, the majority 
of which are absolutely useless. An exception, how- 
ever, must be noted in that the Home Correspondence 
School of Springfield, Mass., an institution of vast in- 
fluence for the entire writer family, its photoplay de- 
partment being conducted by experienced authors, all 
of whom have achieved renown through their individ- 
ual work. 

From the Springfield institution there is issued 
monthly "The Photoplay Author," a magazine dealing 
exclusively with the scenario question. Its contribu- 
tors are usually the officers of the institution. The 
articles written by E. J. Esenwein, long editor of "Lip- 
pincott's Magazine," have been widely quoted in the 
public and trade press. Mr. Esenwein has also issued 
a volume, entitled "The Art of the Photoplay," which 
is one of the five or six publications of this nature to 
serve a useful purpose. 

Catherine Carr, the scenario Editor of the North 
American Film Company, is the latest of the recog- 
nized authorities on photoplay writing to prepare a 
concrete work on the subject. Miss Carr's volume is 
entitled "The Art of Photoplay Writing," and is being 
prepared for press at this time. The work will be pub- 
lished by the Hannis-Jordan Company, also publishers 



C6e Cfteatrc 



of "The Writer's Bulletin," a useful booklet issued 
monthly for the benefit of the writer family. The pho- 
toplay department in "The Writer's Bulletin," con- 
ducted by E. M. Wickes, is one of the best the sce- 
nario writer can look to for information and instruc- 
tion. Besides the staff of the "Bulletin," the editress 
seems to have at her command a number of noted au- 
thorities in the film world whose contributions are in- 
variably offered in public spirit. Among these latter 
contributions may be named the writings of C. B. 
Hoadley, of the Biograph Company. In view of the 
known aversion of the Biograph Company to publicity 
of any kind, Mr. Hoadley's interesting essays are 
eagerly read and widely discussed. 

Eustace Hale Ball, like Mr. Sargent, has had a long 
career as writer and photoplaywright to justify the 
publication of his new volume, "The Art of the Photo- 
play" (at least three other books have the same title). 
Mr. Ball is a university graduate who began newspa- 
per work on the "Cincinnati Enquirer." For six years 
he wrote syndicated stories and feature articles for a 
group of large city dailies, also turning out one novel 
a week for Frank Tousey and a large number of thrill- 
ers for Street & Smith. 

Mr. Ball's "The Art of the Photoplay" is ready, 
and will be published by the Veritas Company, also 
publishers of a half dozen novels from his pen. In 
1912 Eustace Hale Ball started his film career as ad- 
vertising agent of the Eclair Company, later becoming 
that company's scenario editor, following this with a 
term as drector of the Solax Co. He claims that in 
1912, in association with Harry Raver, he organized 
the "All-Star Film Corporation." Ball claims he was 
a year ahead of the times, and that the "All-Star" was 




'PICKWICK PAPERS' 

(Vitagraph) 




' PICKWICK PAPERS" 

(Vitagraph) 



John Bunny at His Best 



o f S t i e n c e 311 

the foundation of the so-called "theatrical movement" 
in filmdom. 

In March, 1913, Mr. Ball founded the Historical 
Film Company, and during the past year has prepared 
the scenarios for a dozen big features. In all, he has 
had produced about 250 comedies, dramas, and is now 
busier than ever. 

William Lord Wright has issued a volume on the 
photoplay; I have not read it; yet there is no better 
qualified writer on the subject in this country to- 
day. During the regime of Alfred H. Saunders 
as editor of the "Moving Picture News," Mr. Wright 
conducted two distinct departments which represented 
the best subject matter contained in that publication, 
while his contributions to the "Motion Picture Story 
Magazine" have been, and still are, a feature of that 
amazingly successful publication. 

In April, 1914, owing to the growth of the film in- 
dustry and the increased interest in the "Dramatic 
Mirror's" moving-picture department, Editor Shrader 
wisely induced Mr. Wright to resume his readable ar- 
ticles under the caption, "For Photoplay wrights, Real 
and Near," and the move was appreciated by the clever 
writer's large following to such an extent that Mr. 
Shrader has found the "Mirror's" already large circu- 
lation immeasurably increased. About the same time 
that Mr. Wright joined the "Mirror" staff, he became 
active in a movement to put through Congress a bill 
that will provide for copyright protection for the pho- 
toplaywright. Though there exists a wide difference of 
opinion as to the wisdom of this move, the writer be- 
lieves that a remedy for existing evils must soon be 
evolved. 

In the city of Newark, N. J., there is issued a week- 



312 Cfre Cfteatte 

ly publication called "Town Talk," of which Herman 
E. L. Beyer is the editor. Mr. Beyer being a prolific 
photoplaywright has naturally devoted the greater por- 
tion of this weekly to the motion picture, and in this 
policy he has steadily wielded increased influence in 
fact, one may really read more interesting first-hand 
news of film doings in "Town Talk" than in some of 
the trade issues. Surely no newspaper, daily or week- 
ly, not entirely given over to studio activities can 
claim to compare with the little Newark weekly, 
which is to be found on the desks of producers, edi- 
tors and directors in all the studios. 

In March, 1914, the publishers of the "Photoplay 
Magazine" launched as an annex to that publication a 
most inviting little monthly, entitled "The Photoplay 
Scenario." 

In appearance and in its make-up generally, the lit- 
tle magazine resembles "The Photoplay Author" the 
oldest of periodicals of this nature existent. Interest 
in the newer arrival, however, has been sufficient to 
indicate how large is the public which such publica- 
tions can appeal to. Even now the number of dis- 
tinctly scenario magazines is as large as that of the 
musical or dramatic fields, nor is there any evidence at 
hand to indicate that interest in such publications will 
decline in the near future. Some persons believe that 
the plethora of stage plays makes for a retrograde 
movement for the scenario writer, whereas just the 
contrary is the case. Stage plays require the aid of 
the scenario expert quite as much as the original pho- 
toplay, and while this feature is looked after by staff 
writers in the studios, the attention necessary creates 
a larger market for real film plots. 

Besides, the present vogue of stage plays is likely to 



of Science sis 

be only a temporary source of supply ; should the craze 
exhaust itself within a year or two as many experi- 
enced men believe the demand for big features origi- 
nally conceived for the screen will be far greater than 
before. Moreover, the higher prices of admission and 
the inspiring spectacle of a dozen playhouses in New 
York's theatre zone presenting photoplays to much the 
same public as the spoken play, must bring about an 
insistent demand for the highest grade authors to en- 
ter the field. This does not mean that the latter will 
be represented by celebrities. On the contrary, much 
is expected from authors who have never achieved 
fame as playwrights or as novelists, but who have re- 
vealed through their scenarios a complete grasp of the 
technique of the new art. 

Such photoplaywrights as Bannister Merwin, Mark 
Swan, Monte Kattejohn, William Tremayne, Captain 
Peacocke, Ashley Miller, Richard Washburn Child, and 
many others, are just commencing to embrace the mul- 
tiple-reel proposition, and in every studio aside from 
the staff writers the producer has at his call a wealth 
of photoplay timber among the players themselves. In 
the Edison and Vitagraph organizations alone there 
are a score of such actor-authors, from whom the great 
photoplays of to-morrow are as likely to come as from 
any source one may point to. 

And with productions like "Neptune's Daughter," 
"The Sea Wolf," "Antony and Cleopatra," "Les Mise- 
rables," and the productions of the Famous Players, 
Lasky, and "The- All-Star" companies, attracting at the 
box office gross receipts .on a par with those of the 
spoken drama, the day cannot be far off when the 
present custom of according to the author merely a 
stipulated compensation will be replaced by a system 



314 Cfte Cfteatte 

of royalties which in due course must result in a 
healthy competition for the services of authors who up 
to now have been reluctant to give their best efforts to 
the work. 

The enormous receipts recorded by Rex Beach's 
"The Spoilers," in various parts of the country, has 
opened the eyes of the established producers, who are 
now enabled to negotiate with the theatrical syndi- 
cates on practically the same lines as the spoken play 
producer; hence such productions can be booked in 
theatres of the first grade, where the local manage- 
ment, with reduced expenses and at least two perform- 
ances daily, can make a larger profit even on the 
same percentage basis than with the average stage 
production. 

We are right now in the thick of development of 
what is often referred to as "the author problem." 
Everything points to a division of film activities into 
two classes: The feature productions in first-class 
playhouses, and the always compelling program that 
is meted out to the exhibitor in the nickel and dime 
houses, though it is likely also that a third policy will 
find favor at admission prices between those charged 
in the two classes named. The policy of the Strand 
Theatre in New York is unique in itself, because of 
the vast seating capacity; but the theatres of Marcus 
Loew, William Fox, F. F. Proctor, and others operat- 
ing along similar lines will undoubtedly specialize with 
feature films at a scale of prices between five and fifty 
cents. 

Through the three grades the one great figure to 
loom up largely on the horizon is the author. The 
present year of 1914 should witness the spectacle of 
royalties on every foot of film manufactured for a no- 



of Science 



table film production, and with this welcome move- 
ment will also come an end to the mutilation of the 
scenario in the studios by editors and directors alike, 
for the producer will not grant royalties to an author 
whose work requires revision. 

The advent of the feature film and the coming into 
filmdom of the majority of the best-known players 
of the speaking stage has induced the producers to 
establish publicity departments, with a result that is 
best described by the statement of a well-known the- 
atrical manager, who, in the effort to secure a com- 
petent advance agent capable of preparing acceptable 
"copy/* remarked that he would pay $10,000 a year 
for any one of a half-dozen gentlemen whom he 
named. "But they are all holding long-time contracts 
with the big film concerns," he insisted. 

The vogue of moving pictures has been a blessing, 
indeed, for the men, and not a few women, who have 
been identified with the business department of the 
theatre and where a year ago this class of workers 
was in Ittle demand, to-day the "Rialto" has been 
emptied of clever advance and press agents. I can 
hardly name a recognized publicity man who is not 
now firmly entrenched in commodious and elaborately 
appointed offices attached to the studios. The pub- 
licity offices of the Vitagraph Company, presided over 
by the veteran, Sam Spedon, are a sight to behold. 
One would imagine that these offices were nothing less 
than a clearing-house for the entire film industry. 
When I think of the "hole in the wall" that is granted 
to the press departments even in the largest of our 
theatrical institutions, the environment of Spedon's ac- 
tivities is all the more impressive. 

In the Mecca Building, Willard Holcomb has offices 



316 Cftc Cfreatte 

in the Kinemacolor .suite. Mr. Holcomb was one of 
the first of the high-grade writers to find a comfort- 
able berth in the gold-laden film field. Erstwhile critic, 
author of a half-dozen successful plays and operas, and 
formerly one of the highest-salaried advance men in 
the country, Holcomb has never been so active a fac- 
tor in the amusement field as at this time, and the of- 
ficers of the Kinemacolor Company quickly discovered 
his value. 

In the same building where the Universal Film Com- 
pany has its business address, the publicity depart- 
ment is in charge of Joe Brandt, and this is a name 
to conjure with in the film world, for Brandt is es- 
sentially a product of the industry and is one of the 
few men to hold his position when the day came for 
big things in a publicity way in the larger producing 
companies. The Universal has an advertising equip- 
ment to-day that would cause the Barnums and Hav- 
erlys of other days to look on in amazement. Its an- 
nual expenditure for publicity is now half a million 
dollars. The Universal has a house organ called "The 
Universal Weekly/' edited by George Urie Stevenson. 

At 29 Union Square, in the only Broadway film 
studio existant, Philip Mindil has charge of the Mutual 
Film Company's advertising plant. About the time 
Mindil became identified with this company the lat- 
ter inaugurated a campaign of unusual publicity, pay- 
ing as high as $4,500 for single announcements in 
magazines, with no other purpose in view than to ben- 
efit the exhibitors exploiting its product; in fact, the 
announcements were of that character such as the tele- 
phone or the phonograph companies are wont to issue 
broadcast. National in their scope and directed to the 
attention of the general public, I believe that this was 



of Science 



the first advertising campaign of the kind ever under- 
taken to exploit an amusement enterprise, and its effect 
is seen to-day in the tremendous increase in publicity 
appropriations of all the larger producing concerns. 
The Mutual Film Company issues a weekly house or- 
gan called "Reel Life," of which Mr. Mindil is the edi- 
tor and William H. Peckham the business manager. 
"Reel Life" has found its way on the news-stands and 
in appearance is much like the magazines. One may 
not be far amiss in assuming that the house organ 
is due to extend its usefulness, and with the increase 
in public interest the number of such publications com- 
peting with the trade weeklies will be limited only to 
the capacity of the industry itself, for even the smal- 
ler manufacturers of film issue a pamphlet. The ten- 
dency to enlarge and elaborate is in evidence with all. 
L. C. McChesney, advertising manager of the Edi- 
son Company, presides over what is one of the larg- 
est amusement outputs in the amusement field, for 
after all the phonograph talking pictures and other 
devices emanating from the Edison studios, like the 
motion picture, come under the head of public enter- 
tainment; hence Mr. McChesney's activities are mani- 
fold, yet no man whom I can recall was ever so reluc- 
tant to appear in the limelight personally. The por- 
trait of Mr. McChesney reproduced here was secured 
only after persistent persuasion. He never tires of 
exploiting "the wizard" and his inventions, but though 
his own career is replete with interesting experiences, 
his name appears less frequently in print than those 
of the "near-press agents" with which the film indus- 
try abounds. The Edison Company issues now a 
monthly bijou magazine called "The Kinetogram," 
strictly confined to the releases of the company itself. 



318 Cfre Cfreatte 

In Lubinville, Harry A- D'Arcy is the head of one 
of the best-equipped publicity plants in the country. 
Mr. D'Arcy is an old-time showman who has occu- 
pied every position in the business as well as artistic 
side of the theatre almost from childhood. In the days 
when I was an avant courier, D'Arcy was one of 
the few men traveling "ahead" of stars and combina- 
tions, who made me take cognizance of his presence 
in the same town. Instead of standing on street cor- 
ners, proclaiming the "scoops" he had achieved, he was 
invariably to be found at the billposter's, and he was 
not averse to donning a suit of overalls when occasion 
called for it. 

D'Arcy's "copy," too, was of the kind welcomed in 
editorial sanctums, and he established himself all over 
the country as a writer who could evolve a real story 
that had news value apart from the natural exploita- 
tion of his attraction. I can say of him that he is one 
of the few survivors of a theatrical era when the busi- 
ness department was in the hands of one man, who 
had to do the routing, the advertising and everything 
else except "count up," yet who to-day has nothing to 
fear from the younger generation in his line of endeav- 
or, who has kept apace with modernism and who has 
adapted himself to his present important position so 
well that his name is conspicuous in almost every pro- 
gressive movement for uplift in matters of material 
moment in the industry. 

The writer recalls vividly the day when D'Arcy's 
poem, "The Face Upon the Floor," first attracted at- 
tention. If he ever made a dollar from this remarkable 
effort I never heard of it, unless it be true that the 
Poem-o-Graph Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, is recog- 
nizing the author's rights in the theme it has so in- 



ti t S> t i e n t e 319 

geniously visualized, also synchronizing the pictures 
with the phonograph records. 

Aside from this evidently authorized production 
of an all-compelling masterpiece, I never heard of any 
one of the many performers utilizing the poem on the 
stage sending D'Arcy a check. Sam Bernard is what 
he is to-day greatly through the "hit" he scored with 
"The Face Upon the Floor." For several years he 
featured it in his monologue in vaudeville and with 
burlesque companies. Moreover, it was this same 
poem that first established the dialect comedian on 
the Broadway he is now such a part of. 

William Wright is the publicity head of the Kalem 
Company. The Kalems, while advertising in the trade 
issues extensively, have been ultra-conservative as 
far as exploiting its stars, or even its truly notable pro- 
ductions. While the Kalem's production of "From the 
Manger to the Cross" was the first to be accorded from 
one to four pages in the big city Sunday newspapers, 
there is nothing at hand to indicate that this tribute 
was not genuine, and it is doubtful if the publicity 
department of the company took the initiative in this. 

Many there are who cannot conceive what the mo- 
tive has been for the failure to present this Biblical 
masterpiece for prolonged runs in the larger cities. 
Certain it is that in New York City not the least ef- 
fort was made to give the public the benefit of an un- 
dertaking in which public spirit, combined with cease- 
less toil and incalculable expenditure, brought about 
an achievement over which the majority of mankind 
would rave far more than it did over "Parsifal" or 
"Quo Vadis?" 

But if you would stand on any prominent corner in 
the metropolis and question the first one hundred men 



320 Cfte Cfteatte 

and women who pass by, you will be told by at least 
ninety per cent, of all that they had never had an op- 
portunity to see the production. Elsewhere in this vol- 
ume Sid Olcott, who produced the epochal work for 
the Kalem's, contributes an article in which he, too, 
expresses amazement over the extraordinary condition 
to which I have referred. 

I do not believe that such productions should be re- 
vealed in a playhouse. The vogue of such spectacles 
as "The Life of Our Saviour" would be far greater if 
an effort was made to present them in an environment 
wholly untheatrical. I have been informed that Wil- 
liam Faversham has been impressed with the value of 
one production of this character, which was wholly 
sacrificed by an astute showman who failed to recog- 
nize that "The Miracle" required different exploita- 
tion from that which Mr. Woods is wont to invest 
his attractions with, and it is to be hoped that Mr. 
Faversham's presentation of "The Miracle," with ap- 
propriate environment and adequate musical setting, 
will so impress the Kalem Company that the ninety 
per cent, of our people who have not had an invitation 
to witness their own Biblical spectacle, may yet con- 
vince that enterprising producing house that such ef- 
forts are truly worth while. 

The publicity end of the vast Selig institution al- 
ways was in competent hands, the long-time incum- 
bent being Stanley Twist, a man of letters, who was, 
indeed, prolific in suggesting innovations long before 
the days when magazine and newspaper editors were 
in a receptive state for propositions they now accept 
with alacrity. The present publicity chief is Charles 
E. Nixon, whom I have known for more than thirty- 



of Science 321 

five years, and who has, during all of that time, been 
identified with the press. 

Mr. Nixon was on the staff of the Chicago "Inter- 
Ocean" practically throughout his editorial career as 
dramatic and musical critic, and his acquaintance with 
the stage and its people is so intimate and prolonged 
that I am venturing the belief that his activities in the 
Selig house have not been confined to publicity. The 
influence of Nixon undoubtedly has contributed no lit- 
tle part in the many Selig scoops and innovations. On 
the other hand, Mr. Selig's general manager, John F. 
Pribyl, has been an active factor in the Selig develop- 
ment. The American Biograph Company was prac- 
tically the last of the big film producers to capitulate 
to the publicity call. Even now its policy is distinct- 
ively conservative, and the names of its directors and 
players are withheld from the general public, save as 
they are revealed by the trade issues, yet one may ob- 
serve a tendency to bow to the conditions created by 
an overwhelming public interest in the photoplayers. 
More of the latter have graduated from the Biograph 
studios to become celebrated in other companies than 
from all of its competitors combined. 

The Biograph Company was, indeed, a school for 
the photoplayer. Particularly is this true of its com- 
edy exponents. Whether the secrecy it established so 
insistently was due to its leading director, D. W. Grif- 
fith, or not, it is known that this wizard of picturedom 
has always held that the glamor of the theatre should 
not surround the photoplayer, and undoubtedly the 
many stars of the screen of to-day who began under 
Griffith as "extras," owe their present vogue to his 
teachings a statement born out by the fact that si- 
multaneously with Mr. Griffith's departure from the 



322 Cfte C&eatre 

Biograph studio a group of that company's long-time 
favorites went along with him and are now in Los An- 
geles, as heavily featured stars of the Mutual produc- 
tions. 

But the Biograph Company, while still reluctant to 
take the public into its confidence, is operating other- 
wise in progressive fashion. The last of Mr. Griffith's 
productions, "Judith of Bethulia," was unquestionably 
his best. How true the reports of this director's an- 
nual honorarium are, may only be conjectured, but if 
any director of photoplays is worth the almost un- 
believable total of $100,000 a year, it is surely the one 
who produced "Judith," and if it is also true that Grif- 
fith's power and ammunition has been greatly aug- 
mented through the change of environment, the forth- 
coming Mutual releases should be eagerly awaited. 

When the Famous Players' Film Company was or- 
ganized by Adolph Zukor, this gentleman was insis- 
tent that each department should be presided over by 
the most adept exponent in each line, hence, as B. P. 
Schulberg had attracted much attention through his 
methods while publicity head for the Universal film 
company, Mr. Zukor engaged the young man who 
has since become quite famous himself as "the man 
who delivered Adolph Zukor's message to the world." 

H. C. Hoagland has been, up to very recently, the 
medium of expression for the publicity end of the 
great house of Pathe Freres. Being a man of literary 
attainments and author of at least one volume on pho- 
toplay construction, the "copy" emanating from Hoag- 
land's desk has always been welcomed by editors; in 
fact, some of the first full-page articles published in 
the big dailies were evolved by Hoagland, who is now 
assistant to the general manager ; for, be it known, the 




MAX SPIEGEL 
One of the owners of the Strand Theatre, 
'rk City 




S. LEE KOHN 

Successful Film Exhibitor 





A. H. SAWYER 

A powerful factor in the film industry 




N. T. GKANLUND 

Publicity Manager for Marcus Loew's 
Enterprises 




FELIX FEIST 

Manager Celebrated Players Film Co. 



JOSEPH BRANDT 

Advertising Matager Universal Film Co 



of Defence 323 

American branch of Pathe Freres has grown into an 
institution as vast as any of its American competitors. 
"The Pathe Weekly," the first of the now-common 
pictorial news issues, was first released in 1908 in 
Paris. The American "Weekly" was first revealed on 
the screen in 1910, and quickly became an institution 
in itself. In 1913 Mr. Hoagland was succeeded by P. 
Allen Parsons, and simultaneously with his advent a 
campaign of publicity, national in its scope, was inaug- 
urated for the company's American releases. The 
Melies Film Company, up to very recently, confined 
its releases to productions quite different in character 
from those of its colleagues of the Motion Picture 
Patents Company, its stock companies being trans- 
ported to far-off countries in an effort to reveal on the 
screen the customs of strange peoples, as well as the 
scenery of unfamiliar locales; hence, the publicity 
which has been looked after by Paul Melies has in- 
variably typified this distinctive character of its prod- 
uct, but lately the Melies Company has found it ad- 
visable to present photoplays of about the same style 
as have found favor generally in the industry. 

The Essanay Company, controlled by Messrs. Geo. 
K. Spoor and Gilbert M. Anderson, began to adver- 
tise on a big scale when its Western features, pro- 
duced and usually written and acted in by the last- 
named gentleman, created quite a sensation. Don C. 
Meaney is the Essanay mouthpiece, and a vigorous 
toiler is he. Inasmuch as the productions of the "Bron- 
cho Billy" class find favor throughout the world, one 
may comprehend why more lithographs of these re- 
leases go to foreign countries than are used here 
"The Essanay News" (house organ) is equal in size 
to the average big-city daily and it is rare, indeed, 



324 Cfte C&eatre 

that its weekly issue does not include at least one in- 
forming story of film history worthy of preservation. 

Of all the larger film companies which banded to- 
gether on one side or the other, none have attained 
greater heights from a modest start than the American 
Film Company, a Chicago institution, which has stead- 
ily improved the artistic grade of its productions until 
to-day its productivity is attracting the attention of 
the foremost literary and historical authorities. The 
advances made by the American Company reflect the 
persistent uplifting efforts of S. S. Hutchison and 
R. R. Nehls. The last named in his capacity of pub- 
licity promoter, has originated not a few standard 
phrases which have been effective in typifying the 
company's output on the screen, such as "The Flying 
A," and "See Americans First." The last, while not 
new, represents originality in its present application. 

The influence of Lorimer Johnston, the American's 
chief director, is indicated not only in the high char- 
acter of recent releases, but in the "team work" of the 
stock companies, and the tendency of late to delve deep 
into the classics of ancient literature has caused more 
than one writer to point to this company as the one 
most worthy of emulation. 

As stated elsewhere in the volume, Mr. Johnston 
has retired from the American Film Company to be- 
come the head of the Santa Barbara Film Com- 
pany. Mr. Johnston is succeeded by Sydney Ayres, a 
sterling photoplayer, who, like so many others in the 
moving picture field, has developed ability as a di- 
rector. Mr. Ayres, however, will not retire altogether 
as an actor, though he is succeeded as the American's 
leading player by William Garwood, long with the 



of Science 325 

Thanhouser and Majestic Companies, a man of pre- 
possessing personality and much dramatic force. 

The Eclair-American Company has forged ahead in 
recent years to an extent hardly expected when the 
big foreign institution established an American 
branch. The policy of this company is decidedly con- 
servative, particularly so far as any publicity being 
encouraged for any of its officers. Bert Ennis, how- 
ever, as the publicity chief, has managed to find ways 
and means to keep the name of his company on the 
moving picture map. The Eclair Company issues a 
house organ or bulletin twice a month. 

With Harry R. Raver and Joseph Farnham in charge 
of the business and publicity departments, the All-Star 
Feature Film Company, of which Augustus Thomas is 
the artistic head, has not lacked conspicuous represen- 
tation in the general scheme of things. As a fact, Mr. 
Farnham has succeeded in placing any number of fea- 
ture stories for the New York newspapers. These sto- 
ries were not film stories, however, but were invari- 
ably confined to very readable subject matter anent 
the star players. In no instance can I recall where 
such stories were not replete with news value, aside 
from the effort to advertise the company's productions. 
To evolve a story calculated to advertise one's prod- 
uct and yet conceal this aim, is an art in itself, and 
the average editor is wont to appreciate such a gift 
from whence it comes. 

Harry Reichenbach has assumed the sole direction 
of the extensive publicity campaign inaugurated with 
the advent of the Lasky Film Company, and there has 
been no better work of the kind in the entire industry. 
In another chapter Charles M. Seay is aptly quoted 
as stating that the "theatrical movement" in the new 



326 Cfte C&eatre 

field may contribute one or two permanent acquisi- 
tions to the established producers. Perhaps he had 
in mind the Lasky firm, for one. Mr. Lasky surely did 
a lot of uplifting for the vaudeville stage, and he has 
gone about his film productions with the same vigor 
and determination, surrounding himself with a capable 
staff, and it may be that he will undertake to produce 
original photoplays. 

Elmer McGovern, in charge of the publicity depart- 
ment of the New York Motion Picture Company and 
its affiliated concerns, is a quiet, serious-minded man, 
with a capacity for prodigious work. He reaches his 
offices long before the theatrical district's daily activi- 
ties begin, and he is always to be located, possessing 
none of the objectionable traits so common among men 
in similar positions of far less importance. 

P. Allen Parsons has succeeded H. C. Hoagland in 
the direction of the tremendous publicity emanating 
from the house of Pathe Freres, and the year 1914, 
with its maze of productions in conjunction with news- 
papers and magazines has required no little ability to 
handle the advertising end of these, but Mr. Parsons 
no longer has to contend with the reluctancy of the 
editorial faction to accept "copy" ; on the contrary, the 
news gatherer of the big dailies now presents himself 
in the film producer's offices daily in the effort to ob- 
tain the latest film news. 

Bert Adler has been the mouthpiece to express the 
tidings of the Thanhouser productions since the in- 
ception of the New Rochelle institution, and he has 
been truly no small factor in the growth of an enter- 
prise launched six years ago amidst the protests of 
more than one of its rivals, not one of whom has kept 
greater pace with the uplift of a great industry. To- 



of Science 327 

day Mr. Adler is about as active a figure as one may 
find in the field of scientific public entertaining. 

Besides the Thanhouser brand of film, Adler looks 
after the publicity of the Majestic and Princess pro- 
ductions, and it is said he has never been away from 
his New Rochelle office for more than twenty-four 
hours. Though Mr. Kite has just appointed Adler as 
traveling representative of the various interests he 
controls, there will be no change as far as the pub- 
licity end of the same is concerned. The six years of 
service Adler has given to his employer have made 
his reputation nation wide, and his travels about the 
country should provide no end of interesting subject 
matter for the "copy" he so delights in issuing. 

Chester Beecroft is often referred to as "the man 
with the lofty ideals," because he has been a prime 
factor in establishing many reforms, some of which 
were accomplished without the least benefit to him- 
self. A former newspaper man and a born adver- 
tiser, Beecroft probably obtained the better part of 
his experience while identified with "Billboard's" edi- 
torial staff. As a writer on that widely circulated trade 
issue he was ever endeavoring to influence the pro- 
ducer and exhibitor to eliminate some of the now- 
forgotten catch-penny devices that gave to the primi- 
tive period of the picture theatres a ballyhoo flavor. 

While with the General Film Company Beecroft at- 
tracted no little attention throughout the industry by 
the sincerity with which he undertook to convince the 
hostile editors that the leaders of the film industry 
were not lacking in public spirit, that they were trying 
to raise the level of their productions and to elimi- 
nate primitive methods born in a less enlightened era. 
Beecroft also was persistent in his effort to induce 



328 C6e Cfteatte 

the exhibitors of film to keep the lights on during 
the entertainments in their theatres, thus safeguarding 
women and children. 

Where Beecroft* is now, I am not able to state, but 
as I believe he was the first to convince an important 
newspaper editor of the demand for special film de- 
partments, it is not likely that he is idle in these days 
of affiliation between the studios and the press. 

Writing of the General Film Company calls to mind 
that not even the prolonged supremacy of the so-called 
theatrical syndicate revealed any such control of its 
clientage as that which characterizes the business pro- 
cedure of the largest film distributing concern in the 
world. This company stands to-day practically the 
same as it was at organization without a single break 
in its ranks and no permanent additions, save that it 
has included, at rare intervals, in its service the pro- 
ductions of one or two newcomers in the producing 
field, such as the Famous Players' output. 

That the General Film Company has provided am- 
ple protection to the allied producers which banded 
together at the outset of the motion picture vogue, 
none can question, nor is there any indication of any 
change in its policy to meet the new conditions cre- 
ated through the quite general advent in picturedom 
of stage producers, though many experienced persons 
believe that we are approaching the time when the- 
atrical methods of booking will replace the present 
exchange system. 

Others believe quite sensibly that the low-priced pic- 
ture show will always survive. This view is evidently 
held also by the established producers, all of whom 
are releasing as many single reels as before the ar- 

* Mr. Beecroft joined David Ho rsley in June, 1914. 



tif Science 329 

rival of the two-hour photoplay. The question as to 
the influence of the larger productions on the photo- 
play house of limited seating capacity is, indeed, an 
important one. Nevertheless, the foundation of mo- 
tion picture prosperity was the nickel and dime houses, 
and their vogue is not likely to pass in the near fu- 
ture. At the time of this writing there has been made 
public what appears to be the first friction between 
a producing concern and the General Film Company. 
The American branch of the famous Pathe Freres 
has indicated a possible ending of its relations with 
the former company, but the Pathe organization has 
been rather an auxiliary member of the amalgamated 
American Manufacturers, and the cause of the trouble 
is the recent advent of the Hearst-Selig Pictorial News, 
which the Messrs. Pathe insist is being favored by 
the General Film Company to the exclusion of the 
celebrated Pathe Weekly, the first of the animated 
weeklies to appear, both here and abroad, as stated 
elsewhere in this volume. 



330 Cfte Cfteatre 



CHAPTER XVI 

In 1865 Mr. Charles B. Kleine established himself 
in the City of New York as a manufacturing optician 
whose main business was the making of microscopes. 
Shortly after the Civil War the old-fashioned oil lamp 
stereopticon became more or less popular, and Mr. 
Kleine found himself dabbling in stereopticon work as 
a side issue. It remained a side issue until he thought 
of adapting the calcium light to the oil lamp stereop- 
ticon. By this process Mr. Kleine revolutionized stere- 
opticon work and opened a great field for lectures, 
which has been popular ever since, and elevated it 
from a home-talent affair into a genuine profession. 

With the advent of moving pictures a wider scope 
of operation was opened for this concern, and Mr. 
Kleine was one of the first to work out the various 
problems in optics as applied to film projection. Pro- 
jection work v/as in a very crude and unprofessional 
form until Mr. Kleine came forth with the combination 
dissolving stereopticon as applied to the moving pic- 
ture machine, and from that time on projection has 
risen to a much higher plane. 

Last year, at the age of 75, Mr. Kleine retired, and 





PAUL CROMELIN 

American Manager London Film Co. 



HENRY MESTRUM 

Present head of the pioneer house of Charles 
B. Kleine 





'THE HOUSE OF TEMPERLEY 
(London Film Co.) 



'THE HOUSE OF TEMPERLEY 1 

(London Film Co.) 



A Photoplay with the So-called "Punch" 



o f S t i e n c e 331 

his work is continued by Mr. Henry Mestrum, who 
has been active with Mr. Kleine for many years, and 
who is holding up the standard of the oldest projection 
concern in the United States. 

Carl J. Lang, of Olean, N. Y., is one of the rising 
generation of inventors and mechanics who, since the 
first problems of the moving picture's mechanical side 
have been solved, has materially added to the original , 
creation of the many gentlemen claiming the greater 
credit for the perfection of the mechanism of projec- 
tion. 

The Lang Film Winder and the Lang Film Reels 
are used in the leading studios, including the Edison, 
and a large number are also used in the finishing de- 
partment of the Eastman Kodak Company. In addi- 
tion no less than 7,500 theatres large and small use 
both the winder and the reel, while over 2,000 have 
been sent abroad. It is claimed that the General Film 
Company and its competitor, the Mutual Company, 
dispose of more Lang Winders and reels than all other 
makes combined. 

Mr. Lang is an industrious worker, ingratiating in 
disposition, and his annual visit to the metropolis to 
attend expositions and conventions has helped greatly 
to increase his influence in the industry. 

One of the best-known film exhibitors and manufac- 
turers in the United States is F. J. Rembusch, of Shel- < 
byville, Indiana. Mr. Rembusch is known everywhere 
through the fact that he has been instrumental in or* 
ganizing the exhibitors of Indiana, was National Vice- 
President, but above all from the fact that he is at the 
same time the inventor and patentee of the "Mirror* 
Screen," a glass curtain that has greatly advanced mov- 
ing-picture projection. There is probably no part of 



332 Cije Cfieatre 

the equipment of moving-picture theatres that is so 
little understood as the screen, and this is natural from 
the fact that there are so many equations entering in 
the matter that only an exhibitor who has given the 
theory of light deep study fully appreciates its impor- 
tance. 

For over ten years Mr. Rembusch has been experi- 
menting with surfaces of all kinds, and the plate-glass 
"mirror screen" has now been perfected to such a de- 
gree that it has attained the highest efficiency in re- 
flection combined with perfect distribution of light. 
The "Journal of the American Medical Association," 
which is recognized as the highest authority, recently 
in commenting upon the "movies" and the eyes, made 
the statement that the so-called "Mirror Screen," 
which consisted of a plate-glass mirror with a frosted 
surface, is the easiest upon the eyes. 

A moving picture is nothing more or less than light. 
It is better stated, reflected light. Light always prop- 
agates in straight lines. When the light from the pro- 
jection machine strikes the screen it depends entirely 
upon the minute depressions of the surface as to what 
angle this light will be reflected. 

The first screens that were used were the white wall 
or sheet. The white wall or sheet has one commend- 
able virtue, and that is it reflects the light by diffused 
reflection. In other words, it is a dull surface, and a 
dull surface is the only proper surface to use for a 
projection screen because on a dull surface alone does 
the image of the picture become visible. A shiny sur- 
face is always very hard upon the eyes and at the same 
time does not catch the picture light, it simply reflects 
glare. But the white wall is a poor distributor. It 
has poor reflective power, and furthermore the minute 



of Defence 333 

depressions in comparison with the wave length of the 
light beams are such that the light is scattered at a 
very wide angle, so that instead of reflecting the light 
toward the viewing space, over 60 per cent, of it is 
thrown at a wide angle up and down and to the sides, 
so that this light never reaches the eye of the patron of 
the theatre and only those light rays returning at an 
angle reflecting toward the viewing space are visible. 

The principal virtue of the "Mirror Screen," how- 
ever, is in producing a picture that has perfect per- 
spective. The image of the picture is caught in front 
of a mirror, and the effect is the same as if you are 
standing in front of a mirror you see yourself reflected 
just as you are, with perfect roundness and a stereo- 
scopic appearance. 

Cinematographic writers have split hairs on all 
other points of projection, but seem to pass the screen 
over without even comment. At the same time, the 
screen is to the public the most important part of the 
theatre. They know nothing of the film or the ma- 
chine, but the result of the reflected light upon the 
screen is very important to them. In fact, the screen 
is one of the most profound problems in the science of 
projection. It is to be deplored that exhibitors gener- 
ally know very little about the finer arts of projec- 
tion. There is as much to know in the science of mov- 
ing-picture projection as there is in the science of med- 
icine, and it is possible to improve moving pictures 100 
per cent, over the present practice, and it is obvious 
that 100 per cent, improvement would mean 100 per 
cent, more interest and greater patronage. The elim- 
ination of flicker, and of interfering light; better and 
clearer photography by the manufacturers of films ; the 
use of direct current entirely and then the installation 



334 Cfte Cfteatre 

of the curtain that will give the highest and greatest 
benefit from the light that is used without glare and 
without haze, are some of the evils that are to be over- 
come. 

Exhibitors put hundreds and thousands of dollars on 
the exterior, and pay little attention to the interior, and 
especially to the picture projection. Exhibitors only 
use about 25 per cent, as much light as should be used. 
The weak light and the dull image projected is the 
cause of much eye strain, the same as trying to read 
in a room where there is not sufficient light produces 
eye strain. 

One of the most detrimental sources of eye strain is 
the use by many exhibitors of shiny-surface screens. 
The shiny-surfaced screens are made by painting with 
aluminum or gold bronze, and all the elements of shine 
in them don't reflect a picture; they simply make a 
glare. The elements of shine and the elements of 
roughness reflect different reflection. The highly pol- 
ished surface reflects regular reflection. A dull surface 
reflects diffuse reflection. When elements of rough- 
ness and elements of shine are both present on a sur- 
face, the two kinds of reflection interfere, and as these 
light rays are driven back to the eye they superim- 
pose. The eye cannot accommodate itself to the shiny 
element individually or the rough element individually, 
consequently glare is present. 

The "Mirror Screen" is made from the finest quality 
of plate glass, which is mirrored and must show a 
photometric reflective power of 98 per cent. It is then 
a very beautiful mirror. Mr. Rembusch now destroys 
this mirror as a mirror or looking-glass and makes it 
into a "Mirror Screen" by prismizing the face to a 
dull white finish without gloss or shine. The effect is 



of Science 335 

that the projected light when it strikes this surface is 
all diffused. The mirror behind the surface returns 
the light with power and brilliancy to the viewing 
space, and does not scatter it as with a white wall. 

The vast audiences which have crowded the Strand 
Theatre since its dedication as a photoplay house have 
been impressed almost as much through the musical 
side of the entertainments given as from the excellent 
film productions. 

The orchestra at the Strand Theatre has been praised 
so highly in the press that it is not surprising to see 
the musical portion of photoplay productions greatly 
improved all over the country. The organ installed 
at the Strand is said to be the largest made by the 
Austin Organ Company, of Hartford, Conn., though 
Mr. Austin informed the writer that his company is 
now building even larger instruments. 

Ever since the advent of the two- and three-hour 
photoplay, which also inaugurated an era of building 
palatial playhouses for their exhibition, there has come 
an increased demand for these so-called organ-orches- 
tras and the one at the Strand has attracted so much 
attention that the writer ventured to ask Mr. Austin 
whether he believed that the mechanical orchestra 
though operated at the console by a competent musi- 
cian was destined to eventually replace the large or- 
chestral bodies in our play-houses of various grades. 

"The organ from a theatrical standpoint," said Mr. 
Austin, "has not appealed to us very strongly up to 
very recently because of the tendency on the part of 
the managers to purchase only the cheaper instruments 
and there were other features of this phase of our busi- 
ness that caused hesitation to embark heavily in that 
field. 



336 Cfte Cfteatte 

"But we are convinced that the organ can be made 
a vital part of the equipment of the modern photoplay- 
house and by special arrangements of its tonal scheme 
and voicing can be rendered truly imitative of orches- 
tral qualities and at the same time have sufficient in- 
herent dignity which is invariably lacking in the usual 
theatre orchestra. 

"The best results in my opinion," continued Mr. 
Austin, "can be obtained in the combination of the pipe 
organ and a limited orchestra, in fact, I think that not 
only in the moving picture theatres but in all play- 
houses the best effects will be achieved by such a com- 
bination of the larger organ and a few solo pieces in 
the orchestra." 

The influence of the organ orchestra in the theatre 
of science has tended to greatly augment the musical 
side of photoplay presentation and it is, indeed, a be- 
fitting as well as a truly artistic adjunct of the modern 
motion picture theatre, illustrating as it does the grad- 
ual resort to scientific means of expression. Hence, it 
is not surprising in this era of newly erected palatial 
photoplay houses that as high as $50,000 is being ex- 
pended for what is known as the Wurlitzer Unit Or- 
chestra. 

The Wurlitzer Company is an institution founded by 
Rudolph Wurlitzer, who passed away in January, 1914, 
with principal offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and ware- 
rooms in all the principal cities from coast to coast. 
Its principal factory is at North Tonawanda, N. Y., 
and it is here that different grades of the Unit Or- 
chestra are built as fast as they can be produced on 
orders constantly increasing in volume and in the 
amount expended for the instruments. Mr. Howard 
Wurlitzer is now the active head of the company, and 




LLOYD LONERGAN 

Producer, Director and Author of Photoplays 

(Thanhouser) 




THOMAS RICKETTS 

Director, Author and Star. (American 
Film Co.) 




THE WURLITZER UNIT ORCHESTRA 

Vitagraph Theatre 



of Science 337 

he flits about between the main offices, the factories 
and the different big city branches in the effort to ex- 
tend the company's operations. 

To the writer Mr. Wurlitzer expressed his belief that 
while the $30,000 Unit Orchestra is destined to in- 
crease its vogue materially, the smaller instruments 
will also be in favor and as low as $800 is paid for 
some of the instruments. In fact, it is only a truth 
to state that the instrument used at the Vitagraph 
Theatre in New York at the inauguration on February 
7 because a $35,000 Unit Orchestra was not yet com- 
pleted was one of the cheapest that the company 
makes; yet this was a revelation to that high-grade, 
first-night audience, and it was Alan Dale himself who 
devoted an entire column in the "New York American" 
to the premiere most of the space representing a crit- 
ic's eulogy of the musical program in fact, the popu- 
lar critic urged that there need be no hurry to finish 
the $35,000 instrument in view of the success achieved 
with the makeshift. 



The quality of the lens has so much to do with the 
quality of the motion picture that the statement "it's all 
in the lens," well known as an advertising shibboleth, 
has much significance. About four years ago a chance 
remark led the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company 
of Rochester, N. Y., to look into the quality of pro- 
jection lenses then on the market. The result was 
startling to makers of fine lenses for photographic and 
other purposes, and not only was it found that the poor- 
est and cheapest lenses were in general use, but as a 
fact, good lenses were not obtainable, so they were not 
missed. There was obviously a good field for lenses 



338 Cfte Cfteatre 

capable of giving a manifestly better picture, and when 
Gundlach Projection Lenses were first advertised, 
"better pictures" was the phrase which attracted atten- 
tion. Gundlach Lenses, from an optical standpoint, 
improved the picture in definition and illumination, 
quickly giving them a good reputation and constantly 
increasing sale, but of equal interest to the exhibitor, 
dealer and machine manufacturer. 

They were graded so closely in focal lengths and 
measured so accurately for the equivalent focus that 
lenses can be obtained with certainty of making the 
picture exactly the desired size, no matter what dis- 
tance it is projected. 

Special lenses are made for producing a brilliant pic- 
ture long distances, say up to 200 feet. By a simple 
calculation, taking into consideration the size of the 
opening in the aperture plate, size of the picture want- 
ed and distance from machine to the screen, the equiv- 
alent focus of the lens can be determined so nicely 
it is possible to fit the picture to the screen almost to 
a fraction of an inch. 

To the Gundlach-Manhattan Optical Company is 
due the credit for introducing projection lenses of per- 
fect optical quality and maximum illuminating power, 
of reducing to a scientific method the filling of orders 
with lenses of the required focal length to suit the 
operating condition, to the removal of the limitation 
upon the distance of projection, permitting an increase 
in the seating capacity of theatres. They have also 
been successful in obtaining a standardized aperture 
plate which has been adopted by the leading machine 
manufacturers. 

Gundlach Projection Lenses are now installed in 



of Science _ 339^ 

thousands of theatres in the United States and Canada, 
and they are generally recognized as being an essen- 
tial part of the equipment of a first-class theatre. 



Owners and managers of moving picture theatres 
have their share of tribulation, and the obtaining of 
suitable electric current at reasonable prices is not the 
least of their troubles. 

Alternating current is not well suited for moving 
picture work, and under many conditions is almost in- 
tolerable, especially in the lower cycles, with its cease- 
less flicker, as well as in the large number of instances 
in which the regulation is poor. 

Direct current with good regulation, at the proper 
voltage, and at a reasonable price, is ideal, but almost 
never obtainable. 

In most of the smaller cities, and many of the large 
ones as well, the station equipment is inferior or poor- 
ly looked after, resulting in a variation of from 5 to 15 
per cent, in the voltage. This is particularly true of 
those stations which furnish electrical energy for street 
car and power service. 

So much for regulation. As to proper voltage, a 
moving picture lamp requires only 40 to 50 volts at 
the arc. Allowing for resistance, an input of 60 volts 
is ample, but the current supplied by lighting com- 
panies is never under 110, and from that up to 220 
volts, so that from one-half to three-quarters of the 
current paid for is wasted in the rheostat. 

As to price, this is a serious question. One of the 
principal items of expense of a picture theatre is the 
electric current. The attitude of lighting companies 
in most towns, both small and large, towards the mov- 



340 C6e Cfteatre 

ing picture theatre is most aggravating. They figure, 
with much shrewdness, that the theatre must have 
electric light, and usually push prices up to the last 
notch. 

It is not unusual to find a theatre using 1,000 to 1,500 
K. W. monthly, charged at the rate of 12 to 15 cents a 
K. W., while an auto garage, saloon, or butcher shop 
a few doors away is paying from 3 to 5 cents per K. 
W. on a consumption of one-tenth as much. 

In very many of the smaller towns, a serious loss to 
the show owner lies in the inability to get current in 
the day time, which cuts into his possible revenue to 
the extent of 20 to 40 per cent. 

Revolting against these conditions, many owners 
have within the past year or so put in their own elec- 
tric light plant, thus cutting the cost of current mate- 
rially; but, as most of these plants consist of the or- 
dinary type of gas engine, the regulation is not 
improved, because the standard type of gas or gasoline 
engine is not suitable for this work, and will not regu- 
late closely. Besides, these are usually put out with 
dynamos of 110 to 125 volts, so that half of the current 
is wasted in the arc lamp. 

Again, these equipments, consisting of a gasoline en- 
gine belted to a dynamo, require a great deal of floor 
space, which is not always convenient or obtainable. 

Further, if the show be a traveling one, the standard 
engine of even medium capacity weighs, with dynamo 
and equipment, from 2,500 to 6,000 pounds, involving 
much extra labor in handling on cars, or expensive 
wagon and team equipment. 

In the Brush Electric Lighting Set, all the difficulties 
referred to in the foregoing are overcome. The 100- 
page catalogue issued by the Chas. A. Strelinger Co., 



of Science 341 

Bates Street, Detroit, Michigan, is undoubtedly the 
most complete work on small isolated electric lighting 
plants ever printed, and gives a mass of information 
of great value to users of electric light and power. 



Very little could be said in addition to what has 
been mentioned in my previous volume on the subject 
of theatre seating, but inasmuch as I merely dwelled 
upon the material and general construction of various 
chairs, I would like to call your attention to the ar- 
rangement being one of the most, if not the most es- 
sential feature of seating a theatre. This matter is 
very seldom handled thoroughly by the architect. 

The largest manufacturers of opera chairs, the 
American Seating Company, have a consulting body 
whose service is gratis to those interested in theatre 
seating. They are thoroughly equipped with all infor- 
mation pertaining to the arrangement of theatre seat- 
ing; that is, setting in proper arches for the central- 
izing of sound waves, elimination of eye strain and the 
proper grading of chairs. These terms might seem 
technical to the average person interested in the the- 
atrical world, but, as already mentioned, this is an en- 
tirely technical side of the business to which very few 
producers, managers and owners have given considera- 
tion beyond the fact of the material entering into the 
manufacture of the chairs. 

With the advent of the motion picture industry, 
which created a demand for a more moderate-priced 
theatre, and consequently cheaper equipment, many 
chairs of the cheapest and most flimsy construction 
were placed on the market. The result was that a 
large number of the chairs failed in use within a short 



342 C6e Cfieatre 

time after installation, with the attendant loss and in- 
convenience to the theatre owner. The trend recently 
has been towards better seating in all classes of mo- 
tion picture theatres, from the small three-hundred-seat 
house to the large metropolitan houses seating upwards 
of two thousand persons. In fact, some of the very 
large operators, such as William Fox and Marcus 
Loew, of New York, have seated their houses with 
chairs of the full upholstered type equal in all respects 
to the chairs in use in the first-class metropolitan the- 
atres. A chair of a more moderate price which is prov- 
ing quite popular with the medium and smaller motion 
picture houses is what is technically termed semi-up- 
holstered. By this is meant that the back is uphol- 
stered, while the seat is of built-up wood, or vice versa. 

There are many so-called steel opera chairs to-day, 
mostly made of common "T" steel, which the average 
architect and contractor will emphatically state is no 
material for opera chair furniture. The standards of 
the American Steel Sanitary Opera Chairs are made of 
triangular steel tubing formed in specially designed 
machines and electrically welded throughout, erected 
and installed in such manner that all possible chance 
of dust-collecting crevices is eliminated. This fea- 
ture was brought out in these chairs, as it is entirely 
impossible to have a large corps of cleaners to take 
care of the chairs, as in our larger theatres. 

The substantial construction of these chairs, they 
being so united by the electric welding as to have the 
strength of a continuous piece of metal, coupled with 
the added advantage of being the only steel chairs on 
the market equipped with a mechanically perfect and 
indestructible seat hinge, should create a large demand 
for them. 



of Science 343 



CHAPTER XVII 

The city in this country to most completely change 
its theatrical aspect, as a result of the moving picture 
encroachment, is surely the Western metropolis. As 
recently as eight years ago Chicago was yet the Mecca 
for the barnstormer and its influence in shaping the 
destiny of the theatre was not a tithe of what it is 
to-day. Even the pioneer work of Chicago's important 
vaudeville magnates, the first to establish discipline in 
bookings for the artist, was entirely dependent on New 
York 1 interests for a source of supply. 

But when the motion picture craze created what is 
called the neighborhood theatre the theatrical map of 
the Windy City began to alter itself, and Chicago is 
to-day a film centre second to none in the world, a 
condition mostly due to the enterprise of one of those 
triumvirates with which the film industry now abounds. 

The firm of Jones, Linick and Schaefer, aided and 
abetted by Frank Queen Doyle, began to operate 
about the same time that Marcus Loew and William 
Fox started to make theatrical history in New York, 
and its development has been characterized with the 
same expansion which has caused half of New York's 



344 Cfte Cfteatte 

first-grade playhouses to become converted into ver- 
itable gold mines. Besides owning outright a dozen 
or more palatial and modernly constructed theatres, 
this trio of showmen control as many more in the vi- 
cinity of Chicago and also have recently added Mc- 
Vicker's, The Colonial, The Studebaker and La Salle 
Theatres, at the same time vastly improving the the- 
atrical situation, in that Chicago during the season of 
1913-14 recorded the most prosperous amusement sea- 
son in fifteen years. 

Klaw and Erlanger and the Messrs. Shubert have 
Jones, Linick and Schaefer to thank for the solution 
of their difficult problems in Chicago, but the effect of 
the big triumvirate's operations on the one-time vaude- 
ville monopoly possessed by Kohl Middleton and Cas- 
tle has not been so favorable. The so-called "big-time" 
houses, such as the Majestic and the Palace, no longer 
attract the overwhelming patronage of other days. 
The programs at McVicker's and the Colonial are not 
perceptibly of less merit than in the Kohl houses, 
where the scale of prices is about three times as high. 

In Chicago there are no less than thirty theatres, 
seating in excess of 1,000 persons, where no seat costs 
more than 25 cents, not one of which was in existence 
as recently as five years ago. In some of these houses 
one may not pay more than 10 cents for the best seat, 
and it was in one of these that the writer saw in one 
program such high-salaried performers as: The Four 
Mortons and Victor Moore. Practically all of these 
theatres are now devoted to feature films exclusively. 

The growth of the popular-priced movement in Chi- 
cago was primarily due to the industry of a group of 
vaudeville agents, who ventured to establish booking 
bureaus in that city at a time when the existing bu- 



o I % t i e n c e 345 

reaus scarcely paid expenses. Frank Queen Doyle, a 
descendant of the founder of the "New York Clipper," 
began by placing an act or two in the picture houses, 
and in short order became a tremendous factor. To- 
day Mr. Doyle conducts a business yielding a profit of 
not less than $25,000 annually. 

J. C. Matthews is another knight of the merry "Com- 
mish," who has prospered through the growth of Chi- 
cago's low-priced theatre movement. Matthews was 
sent to Chicago by William Morris, at the time the 
latter was fighting the so-called vaudeville trust, but 
Matthews saw the tremendous possibilities of the 
"neighborhood theatres" and he has remained in Chi- 
cago to become a central figure in Western amuse- 
ments. 

Walter Keefe, like his colleagues referred to in the 
foregoing paragraphs, is a product of the moving pic- 
ture craze in Chicago. Starting in a small way to book 
extra attractions in the theatres, which outgrew the 
nickel and dime policies, and with the advent of the 
Talbot Hippodromes, with vast seating capacity, Mr. 
Keefe's activities increased to such dimensions that 
to-day his earnings are very much in the five-figure 
class. 

The New York vaudeville booking agents have 
looked longingly on the development of the feature 
film business and the belief is now quite general that 
the next year will witness an effort on the part of the 
hookers to extend their operations into the newer field. 
These booking agents hold that the need for "stars" 
and "headliners," whether represented by famous plays 
or famous players, will create a demand for their serv- 
ices. 

"Pat" Casey has had his hand in the film game prac- 



Cfteatre 



tically since he became "the wonder boy" of the the- 
atrical rialto. It was Casey who manipulated the deal 
by which Klaw and Erlanger and their allies affiliated 
with the American Biograph Company, thus releasing 
at least a hundred old-time plays for the screen, and 
the Pat Casey Agency is now as much a motion pic- 
ture bureau as a vaudeville agency, if not more so. 

H. B. Marinelli claims that if he has lost anything 
at all through his friction with the vaudeville powers in 
control of the U. B. O., he has more than made the 
loss good by his new outlet created through the in- 
ternational demand for foreign films and the statement 
is borne out by a knowledge of almost unbelievable 
transactions in this line in recent months, while scarce- 
ly a day goes by that some one of the better known 
booking agents is not credited with having contracted 
for American feature films abroad. 

The success of the Lasky Film Company, at the 
head of which is the well-known vaudeville producing 
agent of that name, has already been effective in in- 
ducing other vaudeville producing firms to capitulate. 
Edward S. Kellar has interests in photoplayhouses, and 
is reported as about to produce feature films. 

The U. B. O. (known as the vaudeville syndicate) 
is vastly extending its film activities, maintaining in 
the Putnam Building an entire floor with a well-organ- 
ized staff of experts under the personal supervision of 
John J. Murdock, a man who has had no little part in 
the motion-picture evolution. 

The dissolution of the firm of Weber & Evans in- 
terested many persons familiar with the earlier ca- 
reers of its individual members. Frank Evans, though 
best known as one of the larger booking agents, is an 
old-time actor whose career in vaudeville was replete 




FRANK Q. DOYLE 

General Manager for Jones, Linick 6* 
Schaefer, Chicago 



J. C. MATTHEWS 

Chicago 




LESTER MAYNE 

New York Manager W. E. Greene Feature 
Film Co. 




H. B. MARINELLI 

International booking agent who has entered the feature film field 



A Group of Vaudeville Agents Who Are Closely Associated with Moving Pictures 



of Science 347 

with achievement; for a long period being the artistic 
associate of Joseph Coyne. It was the same Frank 
Evans who was active in the West and later in the 
East, when the Independents struggled for a place in 
filmdom in 1906 to 1910. Evans was associated with 
John Murdock, and it was through the latter's influ- 
ence he became a vaudeville agent. It would not sur- 
prise anyone to see Evans come forth as a vital factor 
in the U. B. O.'s film operations in the near future. 

M. S. Bentham, perhaps the most successful man in 
the vaudeville booking field, and surely the one to 
produce the best attractions, told the writer that he 
had found during the past year a source of income so 
large through unexpected business with the film pro- 
ducers that he proposed to establish a film department 
of large scope where he would encourage his clients 
who represent the cream of stellar vaudevillians to 
produce photoplays and also to reproduce vaudeville 
acts on the screen that have had their day but are at 
least as likely to attract the public as the present stage 
play movement. Bentham knows, too, what the out- 
come was from the filming of the several dancing acts, 
such as the Castles, Joan Sawyer, and others less 
known. The Castles made a fortune on their films 
alone. 

Joseph Hart has not up to this writing produced for 
the screen, which is surprising in view of his enthusi- 
asm as expressed at recent premieres of important 
photoplays. Hart is afflicted with partial deafness to 
an extent that he no longer can enjoy a spoken play 
without the aid of an Acousticon. I expect to see Jo- 
seph Hart as one of the most prolific film producers of 
to-morrow. In the entire theatre zone of the Metrop- 



348 Cfre Cfreatte 

olis one may not find a better qualified man to organ- 
ize and direct for the screen. 

The persistency with which the various inventors of 
singing and talking pictures are developing improve- 
ments during the present year has caused many here- 
tofore skeptically inclined persons to alter their views 
as to the future possibilities of the efforts to create a 
perfect synchronism between the film and vocal rec- 
ords. 

Dr. Kitsee has proved with the Harry Lauder "vocal 
films" that he has at least evolved a production that is 
good enough to induce vaudeville managers all over 
the country to pay $1,000 a week for the privilege of 
exhibition, and the outlook for the immediate future is 
excellent for the reproduction of distinctly musical 
numbers without large demands for stage action. 

Wholly apart from the Edison preparations, by 
which grand opera is likely to be available to all of 
the people instead of a luxury for the very few, there 
is nothing to prevent the popular vaudeville stars from 
emulating the Morris-Lauder success. 

One may name offhand a dozen celebrities of the 
"two-a-day" form of entertainment who would add not 
only immeasurably to their income from the already 
existing status of the various brands of talking and 
singing pictures, but their fame would extend into the 
remotest districts, thus greatly enlarging their value to 
the managerial faction, though as always is the case 
when an effort is evidenced to cater to the masses the 
men most likely to benefit ultimately may enforce an 
embargo on the stage talent, threatening to bar the 
performers from their stages. 

What Dr. Kitsee, Mr. Mahan and Mr. Webb have 
accomplished so far, however, plainly indicates that 



of Science 349 

while Mr. Edison may confine his efforts to reproduc- 
ing grand opera quite as effectively as presented in our 
majestic opera houses, the improvement in the syn- 
chronism of the talking pictures will go on, until per- 
haps the greatest problem in the history of public en- 
tertaining will have been wholly solved. 

The managerial interest in the latest developments 
along these lines is best illustrated from the manner 
in which contracts are being issued by showmen all 
over the country for the Lauder offering, while Mr. 
Mahan is releasing his "Imperial Singing pictures" 
a wholly novel entertainment with much the same 
general demand from exhibitors as for photo^- 
plays. 

For the moment the trend of these newer brands of 
talking and singing pictures is toward evolving a 
vaudeville program, and if the Webb electrical pic- 
tures, as shown at the Fulton Theatre, survive, as 
seems almost certain, the general belief about Long 
Acre Square is that vaudeville is due to witness a de- 
creased demand for performers in the flesh, with many 
of the smaller theatres and the majority of the cities 
of moderate size presenting entertainments involving 
no problems as to whether "the spectre will perambu- 
late with regularity." The only salary to be paid will 
be to the company providing the scientific entertain- 
ment. 

Augusta Glose has been wanted for at least two of 
these brands of singing pictures, and it is with such 
musical monologues as she has been so successful with 
that the present-day talking picture inventions can best 
cope. 

The Edison Kinetophone director sent for John T. 
Kelly, with a view to specializing with the countless 



Cfre C&eatre 



Irish farces which the comedian was wont to conjure 
with in the days of the variety show, which also indi- 
cates that while Mr. Edison is lying awake nights to 
hasten the day when Caruso, Amato, and Farrar will 
be heard and seen alike for a dime, the Kinetophone 
will be confined to vaudeville offerings in fact, this 
same Kinetophone is yet a dividend payer, with im- 
provements constantly progressing. 

As the writer sees the talking picture situation, the 
outlook for its survival as a tremendous factor in pub- 
lic entertaining is better than it has ever been but it 
should never be regarded as a competitor of the mov- 
ing pictures. The latter are now evolving into their 
vital stage of development with 1914 recording a far 
higher plane for their productivity than all the years 
that have passed combined, whereas the effort to ac- 
complish a perfect synchronization is yet in the primi- 
tive stage; but the Wizard of Menlo Park never ut- 
tered a greater truism than when he predicted that the 
final achievement in reproducing the $5.00-a-seat grand 
opera for a dime will be the greatest boon to man- 
kind the world has ever known. 

Viewing the subject as an entity, the writers in the 
trade press who so recently expressed their opinions 
as to the comparative fiasco of the talking pictures 
must confess that the latter are far from "a dead 
issue." Just as soon as world-famous stars are se- 
cured, the talking-picture problem will begin to solve 
itself. 

Mark M. Dintenfass was a conspicious figure in 
that group of independent producers of photoplays who 
began in 1908 to greatly enlarge the nation's film out- 
put for entertainment purposes. Mr. Dintenfass, how- 
ever, started two years before the independent move- 



of Science 351 

ment began by opening a small photoplay house called 
"Fairyland," a name which reflected the possession of 
showmanship at the outset. In 1907 he became in- 
terested in "The Cameraphone," which was the first 
concrete effort to synchronize the motion picture and 
the phonograph. I recall a production of Planquette's 
"Chimes of Normandy'* by the cameraphone that com- 
pared quite favorably with more recent efforts to 
evolve perfect talking pictures. 

But it would seem that the talking picture problem 
has not even to this day been solved. There have been 
at least a score of different brands of talking pic- 
tures, but of the earlier output, aside from the camera- 
phone (now extinct), but two have endured with the 
public (the Edison and the Gaumont brands) ; the lat- 
ter has had considerable vogue abroad and has seemed 
to find a larger public response than the American 
brands. Yet it is fair to state that in theatrical his- 
tory nothing to compare with the Edison talking pic- 
tures as a theatrical attraction during its first two 
weeks in the vaudeville theatres has ever been known. 
That the public was attracted by the name of Edison 
alone is hardly true. Close observers during these 
two first weeks of the Kinetophone were impressed 
with the idea that, given proper subjects and an ef- 
fort to confine these to monologues, duos, trios and 
petite comedies and operettas without large "ensem- 
bles," the success would have been prolonged. 

As it is, the Kinetophone is yet a live proposition, 
with as many "companies" on tour now as at the out- 
set, while improvement in the mechanism and in the 
subject matter is still going on. Mr. Edison is at work 
now on some vital problem dealing with the synchro- 
nism effect and has promised that the day is near when 



352 Cfte Cfteatte 

the world's greatest singers will be heard in grand 
opera scenes, with voice and action concretely repro- 
duced, and this, too, he promises will be available at 
extremely low prices of admission. 

The future of the so-called talking picture, in the 
opinion of the writer, will depend greatly on the utili- 
zation of celebrities, whose artistry has entailed high 
admission prices for the public to enjoy. How long 
\ve will have to wait for a synchronized production 
of "Pagliacci," with Caruso and Amato in the cast, 
one may not forecast; yet such productions are pos- 
sible to-day, seeing that both the motion picture and 
the phonograph separately have forced famous stars 
to capitulate, and Caruso has stated that he will wel- 
come the day when real "musical films" are evolved. 

Some one has said, I believe it was Mr. Hoff, of the 
"Moving Picture World," that we would know when 
the talking pictures were perfect only when a new gen- 
eration of Rockefellers and Carnegies was revealed. 
The point is well taken, for it is certain that upon the 
final outcome of the effort to present plays and operas 
in their entirety, with the players and singers utilized 
only for the original films and records, will depend 
the greatest amusement attraction the world has 
ever known. 

As an illustration of the benefit to mankind the pro- 
ducer of talking pictures can be, I venture to state that 
an effort to present film and vocal records of the Ade- 
lina Patti of to-day would attract the public all over 
the world as has no other production of modern times. 

Patti is 73 years young, and she can sing "Home, 
Sweet Home," and "The Last Rose of Summer," as 
only Patti has sung the ballads for more than half a 
century, yet as there are no vocal records of the Patti 



o f S c i t n c e 353 

of her prime, who shall say that the preservation of 
what yet remains of her voice and artistry will not be 
appreciated by the generations to come, and our chil- 
dren and grandchildren of to-day who are wont to hear 
their elders say, "But you ought to have heard Patti." 

I have singled out the famous diva merely in an il- 
lustrative sense in the hope that Mr. Edison or Mr. 
Mahan will act on the suggestion. Evidently the lat- 
ter has in mind productivity of this nature, and from 
what I have seen and heard of the Imperial singing 
pictures, these are likely to become a far greater fac- 
tor in the field of public entertainment than any effort 
of the kind up to this time. Not all of us have for- 
gotten the craze that followed the advent of "the ani- 
mated song sheet" which was one of the immediate 
forerunners of the motion picture and the phonograph, 
and Mr. Mahan has indicated thus early in his opera- 
tions that he has the intention to utilize the two great- 
est inventions for public entertainment in a way that 
will gladden the hearts of the exhibitors why not 
call them managers now? who lay awake nights in 
an effort to improve the musical side of their pro- 
grams. 

When Madame Patti made her "last farewell" tour 
of this country, under the direction of the writer, she 
was then 63. This was ten years ago, yet despite that 
she was hoarse at the opening concert she sang rather 
than forfeit the $5,000 she was paid for singing two 
arias and two ballads. The average gross receipts of 
this tour was in excess of $6,500 per concert, and the 
Patti of to-day, even at 73, is still not only a name 
to conjure with, but at her last appearance at Albert 
Hall, London, England, less than a year ago, the diva 
drew an audience of 10,000 persons. It was at this 



354 Cfte Cfteatre 

time that Jean De Reszke pronounced her voice unim- 
paired and her execution faultless. 

In view of such a proclamation from perhaps the 
greatest authority on the subject, who can doubt that 
any effort to make possible the perpetuation of her un- 
exampled artistry will add vastly to the glories of 
this wonderful scientific era. 

And Patti herself would be receptive to such a plan. 
At her castle in Wales, "Craig-y-Nos," where the writer 
spent a never-to-be-forgotten week in 1904, the diva 
has a collection of phonographs, with records of all 
the great singers; also a projection machine and even 
a bijou playhouse, where the peasants about her estate 
are entertained. Of course, Patti is always Patti when 
it comes to financial negotiations, but that problem 
presents no obstacle in these days. 

Aside from Patti, there are other great public idols 
over whom the nations have raved, but who are now 
in the evening of life and retirement. Lilli Lehman, 
for instance. As a proof that in its present status 
talking and singing pictures should be confined to ce- 
lebrities over whom the public raves, the success of 
Harry Lauder's "talking pictures" speak eloquently. 
Once more that great showman, William Morris, has 
shown his calibre. It is just such an attraction as 
Lauder who comes hither for limited engage- 
ments, always going to the same cities that will draw 
the public in large and small cities. 

Simultaneously with the advent of the Harry Lauder 
talking pictures in New York came Webb's electrical 
pictures, first exhibited at the Fulton Theatre, in New 
York, on May 4th, 1914, though for more than a year 
previous to this the trade press had recognized the im- 
portance of the new invention and the metropolitan 



c f % t i t n t e 355 

premiere followed many experimental exhibits. The 
initial program of the Webb electrical pictures was in- 
dicative of much preparatory activity in that practi- 
cally the entire range of stage productivity was em- 
braced. Grand opera was represented by Gounod's 
"Faust" sung and acted by artists of no mean quality, 

DeWolf Hopper's famous "Casey at the Bat" was 
quite as lifelike and surely as distinct as the original 
in the flesh has accustomed us to. I hold that the 
greater the artist utilized for talking and singing pic- 
tures, the greater the illusion achieved. This is so true 
that I am inclined to believe a virgin field still exists 
and the progress and development will go on until one 
day the complete problem will be solved. 

There are those who believe plays may be presented 
in this decade in their entirety, with the players util- 
ized solely in the rehearsals. Petite comedies with 
small casts may now be concretely presented and 
fairly enjoyed as well, but as for elaborate plays in- 
discriminately selected, the obstacles yet pervading are 
too overwhelming. Rather do I believe that Mr. Edi- 
son's view is the correct one, namely, that grand opera 
with the world's greatest singers will be enjoyed by 
that tremendous majority of mankind which, up to 
now, has been prohibited from paying the high prices 
of admission. 

But the ingenious plans of Mr. Mahan, with the Im- 
perial singing pictures, should he develop their full 
possibilities and perhaps create a new craze for let 
us not forget that illustrated songs once had a sensa- 
tional vogue the much-needed improvement on the 
musical side of the picture plays will have come ; also 
presenting just the diversion so many now find lack- 
ing. 



356 Cfte Cfteatte 

Up to now the musician has seemed to be wholly 
immune from the great gift which science has be- 
stowed upon mankind, but the next two years may al- 
ter this condition materially. 

Already the popular song composer has his ear to 
the ground, and one at least is preparing for the fu- 
ture as is his wont along lines that will find many 
emulators in due course. Charles K. Harris, who 
wrote "After the Ball," a generation ago and who aver- 
ages about three "hits" a year, is preparing a play and 
a photoplay around the theme of his first success. Mr. 
Harris is also planning to visualize all of his most com- 
pelling ballads. 

If Harris should enter the musical film field on a 
large scale, as now seems likely, his procedure will 
be watched by his confreres of "tin-pan alley" with 
intense interest. The time is ripe now for some mu- 
sical craze. Nothing has developed since the vogue 
of "illustrated songs" and the "animated song sheet," 
though both were the forerunners of the present 
"movie" craze. The cabarets are seeking musical tal- 
ent now in preference to that of vaudeville, and if Har- 
ris can evolve some method of producing song films 
that will represent the modern spirit of doing things, 
the craze that would follow would be even greater 
than that which followed the advent of modern dances. 

Somewhere, too, in this big town Alfred L. Simpson 
must be figuring on the song film problem. Simpson 
will be recalled as the artistic member of the once- 
famous kings of illustrated songs Maxwell and Simp- 
son that is to say, he was the electrical genius and 
Maxwell sang as only he could render songs requir- 
ing "tears in the voice." 

When illustrated songs exhausted their vogue to a 




MR. J. W. MAHAN 

Who introduced the Imperial Singing Pic 




THE FIRST RELEASE OF IMPERIAL SINGING PICTURES 



of Science 357 

great extent, Simpson turned to inventing. His "Solar 
screen" is in use in the best film houses all over the 
country. I recall now that Simpson predicted a decade 
ago that moving pictures would one day create the 
greatest song-picture craze the world has ever known. 
Is that day at hand? Stranger things can happen. 

$ 

H. B. Marinelli, the world's greatest individual book- 
ing agent, made his first appearance on the stage as an 
artiste when he was only twelve years old, and for 
eighteen years he continued as a performer, creating 
an entirely new style in this line that was afterwards 
adopted by the whole world. For two years he trav- 
eled in the States on his own account, after which he 
rested for four years in his country home at Courbe- 
voie, near Paris. The following fifteen years he was 
active as a manager, creating new productions, and 
formed the World's International Agency, which is an 
absolutely unique organization, having branch offices 
in New York, Berlin and London, with the main of- 
fice in Paris. This organization expends about $100,- 
000 a year in salaries, maintenance of offices, cables, 
telegrams, rent, etc. 

The salaries paid to artistes booked through the 
World's International Agency during the year 1912 
amounted to $2,825,865. During the period of fifteen 
years the salaries paid to artistes booked through this 
organization amounted to over $20,000,000. 

Mr. Marinelli was the exclusive adviser in regard to 
international attractions for Isola Freres during their 
management of the Folies Bergere and the Olympia 
in Paris. 

Mr. Marinelli managed the Olympia, Paris, with Mr. 



358 C6e C&eatte 

De Cottens for three years, during which period he de- 
voted all his time to the International Agency, and 
during Mr. Marinelli's management the style of the 
shows was entirely a new creation, and an absolutely 
new atmosphere in the vaudeville world was formed, 
with the result that the receipts that were, previous to 
Mr. Marinelli's management only $220,000, immediate- 
ly rose to $400,000. These enormous receipts were 
easily maintained during the management of Messrs. 
Marinelli and DeCottens, and after that Mr. Marinelli 
was the artistic adviser for three years to the Alham- 
bra, Paris, with the same result as in the case of the 
Olympia, Paris. 

The International Agency founded by Mr. Marinelli 
has been responsible for the transportation of the great 
European stars to America, and vice versa. 

All offices are in daily cable communication with 
each other and also in perpetual communication with 
all artistes of importance by cable, phone and wireless, 
and are thus fully conversant and up-to-date with all 
matters theatrical. In 1914 Mr. Marinelli added a Fea- 
ture film department to all of his offices, vastly in- 
creasing the annual revenue as a result. 



When the telephone first began to solve many of 
mankind's problems of business procedure, I recall that 
it was in the then-primitive amusement field that its 
usefulness seemed most apparent, yet it is also true 
that theatrical business men were decidedly reluctant 
to embrace this source of instantaneous communica- 
tion. Even the larger booking institutions did not 
resort to its use in the first years and as late as 1894 
when, owing to the advent of B. F. Keith in the vaude- 



of Science 359 

ville field, the number of booking agencies vastly in- 
creased, many of these still confined their method of 
communication with the performer and the manager 
to the old-fashioned correspondence, using the tele- 
graph system when expedition was a necessity. 

The writer being somewhat hard of hearing and 
assuming that the advent of science as an aid to man 
was beyond his reach, transacted all of his business 
(which in the period from 1893 to 1898 was the largest 
and most important of the vaudeville-booking bu- 
reaus) without installing telephone service, and as it 
was my wont to have my office in my own home far 
from the business centre, the spectacle of many of the 
men now millionaires who control vaudeville's output 
presenting themselves at my apartments to procure at- 
tractions for their programs was daily on view. One 
day seated in my office (three flights up, and no ele- 
vator) were S. K. Hodgdon (fancy this Keith execu- 
tive going daily to an agent's home at this period), 
M. C. Anderson, Hurtig and Seamon, Henry Behman 
(who came from Brooklyn to West 53rd Street to 
see me twice daily), William Morris (then an office 
boy for George Liman), Nick Norton, and many oth- 
ers; while outside in the hall standing and awaiting 
an exodus from inside, were a half dozen men who to- 
day sit in sumptuously appointed sanctums in the 
United Booking Offices, while no less than one hun- 
dred sub-agents with offices in the same building rare- 
ly come personality in contact with them, an extensive 
telephone service being the sole method of communi- 
cation. Such is progress. 

In all those years (1893-1898) I had not once held 
a receiver to my ear. I heard many mutterings of 
complaints from managers and artists alike, but some- 



Cfteatte 



how I managed to operate on a truly vast scale with- 
out serious inconvenience at least, so it appeared to 
me; but as I now look back into those years, I can 
only conjecture as to what measure of prosperity 
would have been meted out to me had I recognized 
the value of the great scientific invention that was 
lying dormant within my reach at every turn. 

But one day in the year 1898 something happened 
that greatly changed my future mode of business pro- 
cedure. I had booked Pauline Hall (then the most- 
compelling headline attraction in vaudeville) to appear 
at Buffalo for a week's engagement at Shea's Theatre. 
Mr. Shea had advertised the original "Erminie" in truly 
spectacular fashion, but Miss Hall, who was noted for 
her reliability, never before having disappointed the 
public, had telephoned to Mr. Shea at midnight preced- 
ing the date of her opening, that because of the serious 
illness of her infant daughter she could not leave her 
home in New York. 

All efforts to communicate with Miss Hall failed, 
she having denied herself to all. Hence Mr. Shea was 
in a state of near insanity about 3 :00 A. M., with no 
headline attraction to replace Miss Hall for the mat- 
inee eleven hours later. It seems that all other efforts 
to reach me by telephone having failed, the Buffalo 
Manager called up the Metropolitan Opera House at 
4:00 A. M., asking for my brother, the late Maurice 
Grau, who was at home asleep. A private wire be- 
tween the Opera House and my brother's apartment 
was utilized with the result that a messenger was dis- 
patched to my home to inform me that I was wanted 
at "Central" to answer a Buffalo call. Reaching the 
latter I learned that Mr. Shea was "holding the wire." 
I told the operator I could not take the message my- 



of 



self, but Mr. Shea would not talk to the operator. Said 
he, "You tell 'Bob' Grau to come to the 'phone. I 
don't believe he is deaf. He is just bluffing to avoid 
duty." Reluctantly I took the receiver in hand for the 
first time in my life, placing it to my ear, and to 
my complete amazement and joy I heard distinctly 
every word the now-irate showman uttered. "What 
in H - do you mean to leave me without a head- 
liner? If you don't send Pauline Hall on the first 
train, or some one just as good, I'll never book another 
act of you as long as I live," and any one can tell you 
that whatever Mike Shea says he means. 

Overcome with the truly sensational novelty of a 
long-distance talk that seemed to electrically restore 
my hearing, I talked and listened, until Mr. Shea shout- 
ed, "Sixteen dollars; I'll pay it, but it comes off your 
commission bill in any event." 

On the 1 o'clock train I sent another attraction to 
replace Miss Hall, but so impressed was I with the out* 
come of this matter that I proceeded to the Hotel Ma- 
jestic, where the prima donna had her home, and after 
pleading for more than two hours, I persuaded Miss 
Hall to go to Buffalo at midnight. Then I rushed to 
the 'phone booth to tell Mr. Shea the good news. Again 
I heard distinctly. The sensation was so invigorating 
and inspiring that I need hardly add that the next 
morning I ordered the telephone company to install 
its service, which I have never been without since. 



362 Cfte Cfteatre 



CHAPTER XVIII 

It was Gene Gauntier, now a producer of feature pho- 
toplays, who influenced the American Biograph Com- 
pany to engage the world-famous director, D. W. Grif- 
fith. Miss Gauntier was leaving the Biograph studio 
to join the Kalem company, but before her departure 
she earned the gratitude of Henry N. Marvin because 
of her plea to give Griffith a directorship. I recall 
Miss Gauntier in the play "Texas," in which she played 
the leading role in 1907, but she had spent the previous 
season with the Biograph as its scenario editor. 

The work being too confining, Miss Gauntier ac- 
cepted the position of leading lady with the Kalem 
Company, also writing the scenarios for the first film 
organization to leave New York. Also this lady headed 
the first company of photoplayers to go abroad. Fol- 
lowing this European tour of film producing, Miss 
Gauntier proceeded to the Orient, where, under Sidney 
Olcott, the Kalem Company began to do the big 
things for which it is now famous. The culmination 
of this remarkable entourage came in Palestine, where 
the production of "From the Manger to the Cross" 



/' 

*l> 




>9 



GENE GAUNTIER 





LOIS WEBER 



PHILIPS SMALLEY 



Brilliant and Unique Equally as Authors, Directors and Stars in Their'f 
Own Productions 



SS=SBZ 



o f @ 1 1 e n c e 



was conceived by Miss Gauntier and directed by Mr, 
Olcott. 

In December, 1912, severing her relations with the 
Kalem Company, the Gene Gauntier Feature Players 
was formed. Its large studio in West Fifty-fourth 
street was formerly the Church of St. Ambrose. Here 
this slip of a girl still in her twenties superintends 
everything from the dark-room to the business offices. 
She is the star, author, director, and technician, while 
with Jack J. Clark she is also an equal owner of the en- 
terprise. 

In addition, Gene Gauntier has written ninety-five 
per cent, of the scenarios of the productions in which 
she has appeared. Perhaps the best of her portrayals 
were her Irish colleens and her Virgin Mary, the last 
of which the writer was not enabled to see until the 
spring of 1914. 

Miss Gauntier was wedded to her leading man, Jack 
J. Clark, in Jerusalem, Palestine, in 1912. 

Henry Otto was born in St. Louis and educated for 
priesthood at Birmingham, Ala. Otto was obliged to 
hunt around for a living, and for four years was an 
expert accountant. Possessed of a fine baritone voice, 
he attracted the notice of a manager of a traveling 
opera company, and went on the road, taking the bari- 
tone roles. He was helped in this by having sung in 
Catholic choirs. The engagement gave him lots of ex- 
perience, although stranded in Iowa. Later he was in 
Richard Mansfield's company in "Old Heidelberg," and 
has been in a number of stock companies in St. Louis, 
Chicago, Seattle, and other cities. He was with the 
original Edwin Stevens "Devil" Company, in which he 
played in New York and on the road, and he went over 
the Orpheum circuit with Minnie Seligman in "The 



364 Cfte 

Drums of Doom." There came a desire to settle down 
and live at home with his mother, and he went into 
pictures and was under Thomas Ricketts, of the Nes- 
tor Company for one year, playing leads. He next 
joined the Selig Polyscope Company in California, and 
played a variety of parts with that company for two 
years, and he also directed his first picture there. He is 
now a member of the American Film Company, at San- 
ta Barbara, Cal. He writes most of his productions. 
"A Will o' the Wisp," written and produced by Otto 
during the flood disaster at Long Beach in 1914, as a 
four-reel feature for the Balboa Company, created a 
sensation at the recent exposition in New York. 

Carlyle Blackwell is probably the youngest motion 
picture male star in the moving picture field, for he is 
still in his twenties and has managed to crowd a 
wealth of experience into a few years. His birthplace 
is Syracuse, N. Y., and he got the "stage bug" while 
studying at Cornell, making his entry into a dramatic 
career at Elitch's Gardens, Denver. From Denver, he 
joined the Keith & Proctor stock company in New 
York, playing juveniles. Then followed several sea- 
sons in and out of New York in the "Gay White Way," 
"Brown of Harvard," and "Right of Way." His work 
attracted attention and he received a flattering offer 
from the Vitagraph Company, which led him to adopt 
the moving pictures as a profession. After some 
months he joined the Kalem Company, with whom he 
acted and directed for upwards of three years. Of the 
photoplays he has acted in he prefers "The Redemp- 
tion," "The Invaders," "The Honor System," "Intem- 
perance," "Fate's Caprice," and "The Wayward Son." 

Blackwell is a favorite with the public and num- 
bers his professional friends by the hundred, for he 



of Science 



is cheerful and good tempered. He is one of the best 
dressed men on and off the stage, and has to keep a 
secretary to attend to his mail. He owns a beautiful 
home, where he is fond of entertaining his friends, 
and is especially fond of society dramas and light com- 
edies. Fortune has favored him with ability, good 
looks and energy, and although his popularity is as- 
sured, his important career is ahead of him. Carlyle 
Blackwell has accepted an engagement with the Fa- 
mous Players' Company, where it is expected he will 
have a greater opportunity than ever before. 

<& $? <& 

Thomas Ricketts, dramatic producer with the Amer- 
ican Film Company, was born in Kent, England, com- 
ing from a long line of actors, musicians, and artists. 
Of the latter, on his mother's side, were Joshua, Arthur, 
and John Penniall, celebrated in their day. Of the stage 
were William Ricketts and family, members of the old 
Drury Lane and Sadler's Wells theatres, London, and 
associated with the Siddons, Phelps, et al. Of the mu- 
sicians there was a longer line. His father, Robert 
Ricketts, was the leading musician of his day. 

Ricketts came to America the latter part of the 70's, 
and, until seven years ago, he has been actor, stage 
director, author and producer without intermission for 
the leading New York managers, i. e., Charles Froh- 
man, Klaw & Erlanger, the Shuberts, the New York 
Casino, the Garrick, Daly's, etc., making during that 
time many Broadway productions. 

Seven years ago he was induced to play the part of 
Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol" for the Essanay Com- 
pany in Chicago. This was his first experience in mov- 
ing pictures. 



366 Cfte Cfteatte 

Success was so pronounced he quit the stage for the 
silent drama and became the Essanay's chief dramatic 
producer, in which capacity he remained for several 
years. Leaving that company he organized the first 
acting company for the American, and produced their 
first releases. Leaving that company he assumed the 
directorship of the Nestor Company with David Hors- 
ley, where for a year and a half he produced the feature 
films of that brand. The consolidation of the Univer- 
sal changed the existing conditions and, after a few 
months, he withdrew and rejoined the American. 

Mr. Ricketts stands alone in the distinction of hav- 
ing produced the famous one-thousand-feet-no-stop pic- 
tures, that is, one entire scene of a thousand feet with- 
out a stop or sub-title. Motion picture followers will 
recall the earlier Essanay releases, "Justified," "Grati- 
tude," "The Adventuress," "A Woman's Wit," and 
similar productions, produced, written and acted in by 
Ricketts, in which there was no change of scene for 
one thousand feet of film. 

There are many photoplayers, authors and directors 
whose contribution to the present status of moving 
pictures as an entertainment entitle them to far more 
space in the present volume than can be allotted. To 
wholly ignore them here, even with the assurance of 
a second volume, would present an incongruity. 

With no less than sixty new stars of the screen re- 
corded in the past six months, half as many more 
risen from the ranks to stellar position while the 
work is in the process of making and with the spec- 
tacle of the unknown of yesterday on view as the ce- 
lebrity of to-day, one may comprehend why the 
American play producer is looking to the English 
stage for new acting timber. Laura Sawyer, long 



of Science 36? 

with the Edison Company, and recently with the Fa- 
mous Players' organization, though successful on the 
speaking stage, became famous almost from the day 
she entered the film studio. Miss Sawyer's portray- 
als for the screen were usually of that character re- 
quiring something more than mere stage experience, 
and in one production, "The Daughter of the Hills," 
she gave an interpretation of a difficult role with con- 
summate artistry and fine discernment in that Miss 
Sawyer's effects were accomplished without resort to 
stagecraft in fact, here was silent acting and repres- 
sion combining to simulate "the actuality." This is 
the one effect that the famous stage players invarably 
fail to achieve in the film studio. 

How many seasoned playgoers have ever heard of 
Ford Sterling up to very recently? Probably not one 
per cent, of New York's theatregoers know Sterling by 
name even to-day, yet here we have a screen star who 
would not change places with John Drew or Willie 
Collier, nor would he care to risk an exchange of pay 
envelopes on salary day with either. Will the won- 
ders of filmdom never cease? As recently as a year 
ago, Sterling was quietly entrenched in the Keystone 
organization. His name may have been known to 
those who read the "trade issues," but surely he was 
not extensively advertised. Now Ford Sterling heads 
one of the Universal Company's newer brands of film 
and is extensively advertised as the funniest man in 
the moving picture field a claim that few of us will 
wish to question. Can any one doubt that conditions 
are different in the two modes of entertainment when 
a recently struggling actor becomes a screen celebrity 
almost over night, and finds his weekly salary in- 
creased one thousand per cent and not undeservedly? 



368 Cfte C&eatte 

Perhaps the writer is unfamiliar with the stage ca- 
reers of some of the stars of the newer field, yet from 
1890 to 1907 his own line of endeavor brought him in 
contact with practically every recognized thespian in 
this country. Nevertheless, when visiting the studios 
and important gatherings of screen folk, a familiar face 
was rarely on view. 

William Garwood and Harry Benham, long with the 
Thanhouser Company (the former now playing "leads" 
with the American brand of films), came to the first- 
named company at a period when a three-figure salary 
was unknown in the studios. To-day both are fea- 
tured to an extent which leads one to believe that pro- 
longed service in one organization, so much in evi- 
dence in filmdom, is rewarded to a greater degree than 
on the speaking stage. 

James Cruze has been a Thanhouser star for nearly 
three years. If he ever played for any other film com- 
pany, I cannot recall it, nor do I recall Mr. Cruze's 
stage career ; yet the instant he began to face the cam- 
era important roles were meted out to him. Not al- 
ways was this intelligent actor well cast, however. Ar- 
tistic and picturesque in his Dickens portrayals as he 
was when it came to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde/' Mr. 
Cruze was wholly miscast. This performance merely 
reflected lack of physique and illusion. Some one has 
said that any fair actor could score in this dual role. 
Cruze is more than a fair actor, but he failed to pre- 
sent the contrasts so typical of the two characters. So 
did that great actor, Daniel Bandman, who made peo- 
ple forget where they were as "Shylock," but Band- 
man's " Jekyll" was forced in its apparent contrast to 
the ferocious and cruel "Hyde." With Cruze the oppo- 
site effect resultedhis "Jekyll" was too goody-goody 



of Science 369 

to seem real; while the kindly, ingratiating personal- 
ity of the player was scarcely concealed in his concep- 
tion of the monster Hyde. Here was evidence, too, that 
the camera will reveal the incongruity as surely as it 
will the blemish. 

Edgar Jones, of the Lubin Company, like Romaine 
Fielding and Harry C. Myers, of the same organiza- 
tion, not only plays the "leads" in many of its impor- 
tant releases but he also directs the majority of the 
productions in which he appears, often contributing 
the scenarios as well. It is in this triple capacity that 
prolonged service to one film organization is fittingly 
rewarded financially. 

The productivity of Edgar Jones presents the best 
reason why lurid melodrama of the kind that was wont 
to enthrall in popular-priced playhouses up to four 
years ago no longer has an appeal. It is not a strange 
condition when one considers the superiority of the 
film thriller with each scene staged as if it were a play 
by itself. Al H. Woods was quick to grasp the signifi- 
cance of things when he "called in" a dozen of his 
melodrama companies. But Woods proved that he can 
meet such an issue by his productions of Bayard Veil- 
ler's "Within the Law" and Michael Morton's "The 
Yellow Ticket." 

Woods saw that it must be a two-dollar-a-seat melo- 
drama or none to compete with the science thriller 
released from the film studios. In another year or so 
the directors of photoplays hope to eclipse the two- 
dollar-a-seat production such as Mr. Woods has scored 
with so emphatically, and I will not be surprised to 
see D. W. Griffith and Thomas Ince produce melo- 
dramas within twelve months that will attract the 



370 Cfre 

public, even though prices of admission are as high 
as in the first-grade playhouses. 

That the "two-dollar photoplay" will come from the 
efforts of the established film manufacturers rather 
than as a result of the final recognition of the camera 
man by the barons of Long Acre Square is indicated 
already through the financial outcome of more than 
one of the much heralded film undertakings of the 
latter. 

The gentlemen who were so reluctant to recognize 
the modern trend until confronted with the problem 
of meeting their financial obligations have not seem- 
ingly prospered in the newer field. One of the most 
pretentious of the newcomers has already abandoned 
film producing; another whose proclamation presaged 
a revolutionizing of the moving-picture field has dis- 
posed of his film interests after two productions which 
iailed to score, while still another perhaps the one 
most was expected from has discovered that theat- 
rical successes which have had their day in stage- 
land when unaccompanied with the moving-picture 
"punch," make little appeal in these days of such pro- 
ductivity, as "Judith of Bethulia," "Captain Alvarez," 
"A Million Bid," "Antony and Cleopatra," "Cabiria," 
and many other offerings of the established producers 
of moving pictures. 

The day has passed, perhaps never to return, when 
the name of a stage celebrity alone will attract the 
public. Charles Frohman is so well aware of this con- 
dition that aside from Maude Adams and John Drew, 
who still attract though by no means as of yore, the 
largest producer for the stage has fewer stars for the 
season of 1914-15 than in any year since he began his 
long and honorable managerial career. 



of^cience 371 

But simultaneously with the decline in the vogue of 
the celebrities of the stage came the decision of the 
film producers to exploit the most talented and popu- 
lar photoplayers, and now the electric signs in front of 
the nation's playhouses emblazon with such names as 
Florence Lawrence, Gene Gauntier, Maud Fealy, Bar- 
bara Tennant, Alice Joyce, Florence Turner, John 
Bunny, Maurice Costello, Kathlyn Williams, Bessie 
Eyton, Marion Leonard, Romaine Fielding, Harry C. 
Myers, and a score more of equally compelling names, 
not one of which, however, was wont to conjure in 
theatredom as recently as two years ago. 

Florence Lawrence has the reputation of being the 
highest salaried screen star of her sex. Miss Law- 
rence has gone from one film company to another dur- 
ing the past seven years, always increasing in popular- 
ity and adding to the amount in her pay envelope. Nor 
has her persistent progress been impeded through the" 
coming into filmdom of famous stage players. 

Like Mary Pickford, Marion Leonard and a few of 
their colleagues who entered filmdom about the same 
time Miss Lawrence did, the latter is a greater attrac- 
tion to-day than ever before, and the multiple-reel pro- 
ductions of the Victor brand, in which she is featured, 
are of that kind the exhibitors fight for. 

Frederick Mace I recall as one of Harry Askin's 
comedians in the productions of musical comedies that 
were invariably first presented in the Askin playhouse 
in Chicago. Mace is just another one of the many 
comic opera and musical comedy artists who have 
found a tremendous vogue on the screen. 

Long with the American Biograph Company, Mace 
was one of that incomparable quartet of comedians 
who gave to that company's output individuality. 



Cfte Cfteatte 



When the Keystone Film Company was organized, 
Mace was not only given greater opportunity, but the 
embargo on publicity which the Biograph Company 
maintained vigorously was now lifted, and Mace be- 
came a celebrity in name, though his face was already 
familiar to seventy-five per cent, of mankind. 

In the early part of 1914 Mace decided that the time 
was ripe for his advent as a producer of his own films. 
Like so many of his successful colleagues, Mace wrote, 
directed and acted in the majority of the productions 
released by the Keystone Company; therefore he felt 
well equipped for the producing end of the industry 
when he organized the Fred Mace Film Company. In 
May of this year Mace came to New York from his 
studio at Los Angeles, Cal., for the purpose of placing 
the first releases of his own film company on the mar- 
ket; but while in the metropolis the comedian was so 
importuned by other producers to join their forces that 
at the time of this writing his future plans are some- 
what befogged. In the same month Mace sailed for 
Europe, where it is likely he will establish outlets for 
the Mace productivity. 

Edward Sedgwick, who is now playing comedy leads 
with the Lubin Company under the direction of Ro- 
maine Fielding, is one of the most interesting charac- 
ters among the younger comedians now playing for 
the pictures. He comes from a family of actors and 
has been on the stage since he was four years old. He 
says of himself: "I was born in Galveston, Texas, 
November 7, 1889, and went on the stage when I was 
four years old, doing a singing specialty in my father's 
company, known in those days as the "Sedgwick Com- 
edy Company." I played child parts and did vaude- 
ville acts with the .company until I was seven years 



of Science 373 

old, when I was given my first comedy part that of 
an Irish immigrant in a comedy written by my fa- 
ther called 'Just Over/ During this time, however, I 
was only on the stage during the summer months. 
Every winter my father took me back to Galveston and 
sent me to school." 

Mr. Sedgwick graduated from St. Mary's Univer- 
sity of Galveston, and was then sent to the Peacock 
Military College at San Antonio, from which he grad- 
uated with the rank of first lieutenant. During his 
sophomore, junior, and senior years, he was recognized 
as the best tactician in the corps, and won his medal 
as such. After graduation, he seriously contemplated 
a military life as his profession, but the lure of the 
stage proved the stronger, and in the end he joined his 
family in a troupe known as "The Five Sedgwicks." 
The troupe consisted of father and mother and two 
sisters. They played the two-a-day in a comedy sketch, 
"Jerry the Booby Boy." 

Forced to close the act through the father's illness, 
Sedgwick went into musical comedy and soon had a 
company of his own, known as "The Cabaret Girls," 
produced, directed, and managed by himself. In this 
triple capacity, Mr. Sedgwick was very successful, and 
it was only after repeated offers from Romaine Field- 
ing that he was induced, at the end of his third success- 
ful season, to close his company and become a photo- 
player. 

* * * 

Margarita Fischer was born in the Missouri Valley, 
Iowa, and her family moved west to Salem, Oregon, 
while she was a baby. When she was eight years old, 
a manager persuaded her father to let the child take a 



Cfte Cfteatre 



part in "The Celebrated Case," which he did unwilling- 
ly, but her talent and charm were such that he 
decided to let Margarita adopt the stage as a profes- 
sion. After a series of child parts Mr. Fischer formed 
a company featuring Miss Fischer and assumed the 
management, and from that day to this she has always 
been a popular favorite and never idle. The company 
toured for seven years, Margarita playing the leads 
and her elder sister, known as Mary Scott, taking the 
character parts. At the age of fourteen Margarita, 
who up to that time had been known as Babe Fischer, 
put her foot down and insisted upon being known as 
Margarita, as she was taking parts in long trains; in 
fact, their repertoire covered every conceivable style 
and variety of play, the finest education a young 
actress can have. One day she would be Mary Magda- 
lene and the following night romp through Topsy in 
"Uncle Tom's Cabin." Then her father died and Mar- 
garita took the fortunes of her family into her own 
small hands and secured an engagement to play leads 
with Walter Sanford in San Francisco. After a period 
of stock she and Harry Pollard toured the country 
with a vaudeville sketch entitled "When Hearts Were 
Trumps." She also took leads with T. Daniel Frawley 
and played with Grace George at the Grand Opera 
House, Chicago. Following this she was starred by 
Joseph M. Patterson in "By Products." 

Margarita Fischer then started with Harry Pollard 
in their association with the motion pictures and ac- 
cepted an engagement with the Selig Polyscope Com- 
pany, where they remained for nine months. Then 
they went to Arizona with the American and left to 
join the Imp Company, then came west with the Imp, 
and when the company became an integral part of the 



o t Science 375 

Universal, Miss Fischer played under the Nestor and 
then the Rex brands. This led to the flattering offer 
from the American Company and their alliance with 
the Mutual program under the new brand known as 
the Beauty series of film. 

Louise Glaum, the clever little comedienne who is 
playing opposite to Universal Ike Carney, was born in 
Washington, D. C., which probably accounts for her 
diplomacy, for Louise never quarrels with anyone, she 
settles everything with a smile. Her parents were Ger- 
man and they brought her to Los Angeles while yet 
a baby and there she was educated. She went into the 
dramatic profession because she thought she might as 
well do that as anything else and not because she was 
enamored of it. In fact, she played the ingenue part 
in "Why Girls Leave Home" to emphasize the idea. 
She made very good and went to Chicago and played 
there in "The House of a Thousand Candles" and other 
plays. 

Then came a period of stock with the Imperial Stock 
Company with Augustin MacHugh, who wrote "Offi- 
cer 666," and in which Louise played the ingenue part 
in the West. Miss Glaum came to Los Angeles and 
joined the Auditorium Stock Company and finally went 
into motion pictures, taking the comedy leads with Al. 
E. Christie, of the Nestor Company. She was with the 
Kay Bee for some time and took leads with Carlyle 
Blackwell in the Kalem Company. 

William Garwood was born at Springfield, Mo., and 
was educated at Drury College in that town, where 
he took the prizes for dramatic readings, oratory and 
for several branches of athletics. 

He made his start at Elitch's Gardens, in Denver, 
where he played juveniles in stock. Then came a sea- 



376 C&e Cfteatte 

son with Virginia Harned in New York, followed by 
an engagement with Charles Frohman, during which 
time he acted in "Mizpah" and "J ust Out of College." 
He has also appeared with Kyrle Bellew and with S. 
Miller Kent in "Raffles," as well as with Dustin Far- 
num in "Cameo Kirby." Added to this Mr. Garwood 
had several stock engagements. 

His first appearance in pictures was a three-years' 
engagement with Thanhouser and the Majestic, during 
which time he lead in some of the best pictures pro- 
duced by these companies and thereby became a uni- 
versal favorite. 

William Garwood owns many acres in San Fernando 
Valley and has a prosperous onion farm there. He 
recently joined the American Company, with which 
he is being featured. 

It does not often happen that a man so well endowed 
with good looks chooses to obscure them in character 
make-ups as is Earl Metcalfe's preference ; but the de- 
lineation of the unusual in human nature appeals 
strongly to the young Lubin actor, and it is in such 
roles that he has won his greatest spurs. 

Studious, ambitious, keenly observant, his talents 
are rapidly maturing at an age when most photoplay- 
ers are only feeling their way. People are his never- 
ending study, and after them come the plays of Ibsen 
and the stories of Poe and Kipling. Subscriptions for 
every publication devoted to the photoplay keep him 
informed on every point before the film world. His 
interest is unflagging, his study unceasing, his modesty 
invariable. 

Earl Metcalfe's destiny can lead him nowhere but 
the heights. He can pronounce "Abgergevenny" just 
as readily as you and the rest of the world can't. That's 



at Science 377 

because he was born there. It is somewhere in Wales, 
and he left it and sailed for the States as soon as he 
heard of the stars and stripes and Cincinnati. He was 
educated in the university of that city, studied for 
West Point, then he changed his mind about wanting 
to be a soldier and decided upon the stage as a profes- 
sion. That was twelve years ago and since then he has 
played in big city stock, was leading man for Stella 
Hammerstein and juvenile man for Zelda Sears. He is 
a writer of short stories, but first of all, he is one of 
the Lubin Company's very best men at their Eastern 
studio. 

Myrtle Stedman was born in Chicago and was edu- 
cated there. She studied elocution and voice culture 
and being possessed of a beautiful voice, was trained 
for the operatic stage. Miss Stedman made her first 
appearance at the age of twelve, giving a solo dance 
with the Whitney Opera Company in Chicago. Later 
the family moved to Black Hawk, Colorado, where 
Miss Stedman's father became interested in mining 
and the family still possess a big log house in the 
mountains there. While in Colorado Miss Stedman 
used to visit the Canon City Penitentiary in order 
to sing to the convicts. 

Returning to Chicago she again joined the Whitney 
Opera Company as prima donna and went on the road 
with them singing in comic opera and musical comedy, 
and later toured in concerts. 

Miss Stedman first joined the Selig Polyscope Com- 
pany, playing under Otis Turner, and remained with 
them for four years playing leads. She then joined the 
Hobart Bosworth, Inc., and has since been taking 
leads in the Jack London stories. Jack London and 



378 Cf)e Cfteatre 

Hobart Bosworth both declared that she was "just the 
type" for his heroines. 

Pauline Bush, who plays for the Universal 
Company, was born at Lincoln, Nebraska. Her father, 
uncles, grandfather and brothers are all medical men. 
Her mother is a talented singer and musician, her 
aunts all artistic, readers or musicians. 

Educated in Virginia and brought up for the oper- 
atic stage and concert platform, she preferred the 
stage. Being delicate, she went to California and took 
a literary course in elocution, voice culture and Shake- 
speare. 

Miss Bush played in "stock" in California and went 
to New York to join the "Kitty Grey" Company, fea- 
turing G. P. Huntley and Julia Sanderson; under- 
studied and later played "Lady Binfield" in that play. 
Returned to California and joined the Liberty Theatre 
stock company at Oakland. 

Miss Bush started her motion picture career with 
the American Film Company and took leads under Al- 
lan Dwan's direction for two years when she went 
with Dwan and J. Warren Kerrigan to the Universal, 
where she has now been for over a year. 

Miss Bush is a great student of the photoplay and 
very much in earnest, believes in the power of expres- 
sion and especially likes psychological plays, although 
is equally good in light comedy. She has written many 
scenarios and contributed to a number of magazines, 
is a splendid musician, an artistic dresser, and, being 
young, beautiful and very ambitious, has a brilliant 
future. 






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