: : 1782 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD <strong>Dec</strong>ember 22, <strong>1917</strong> » e£ *£<
<strong>Dec</strong>ember 22, <strong>1917</strong> THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1783 Rothapfel Talks of Western Tour Rialto-Rivoli Chief Finds Manufacturers Marking Time—Rialto's November War Tax Approximately $10,000 THREE weeks to a day was the time S. L. Rothapfel devoted to a vacation. For that is what the western trip of the Rialto manager really was. He says that it was taken more for purposes of a rest than for any other reason. Mr. Rothapfel returned to the Rialto on Thanksgiving Day, refreshed for a stiff winter's work holding down his "regular" job at the Rialto and to take up his new big one in conjunction with it—the operation of the Rivoli, at Forty-ninth street and Broadway, which it is expected will be ready to receive the public some time during the holidays. The director makes no attempt to concea-1 his enthusiasm over the things he will be able to accomplish in the way of entertainment in his n e w temple. Air. Rothapfel made two stops in his trip —Los Angeles and San Francisco. To be sure, on his way home he laid over at the Grand Canyon, admitted it was and more than worth while; that what his eyes had beheld there h i m up. had filled In L o s Angeles Mr. Rothapfel visited the studios and visited old friends, and he sized up conditions. He .had a c , D iL , . long and quiet talk £>. L. Rothapfel. w ; th Charles Chaplin, just about fininshing his new studio, which the manager said would be something fine. There was a dinner with "Dug" Fairbanks. There was a moment's hallo and shakehands with "Mary," discovered in the balcony of the Orpheum Theater, looking at a picture. Also the manager met many of the prominent stars. •In San Francisco, as was told in the <strong>Moving</strong> <strong>Picture</strong> <strong>World</strong> last week, Mr. Rothapfel was given a dinner at the Press Club on November 21, the hosts being Turner & Dahnken officials. The exhibitor was full of enthusiasm in his recollection of this function. "It was remarkable in its spontaneity in the way my fellow exhibitors rose to me," he said. "They perked right up. Eugene Roth added five men to his house's orchestra as one outcome of the talk I made. I saw wonderful results of my trip of two years ago—in San Francisco, in the California Theater, and in Los Angeles, where two big theaters are building. "I noted one condition about which I warned exhibitors two years ago—they have not made the theaters the institution. They depend entirely too much upon the star and the picture. They have not done the big thing to do Make the theater come first of all. Success will come on general averages rather than in depending on any one or two units. "I did notice a great improvement in music among the theaters I visited, although I felt the organ was very much overdone. This latter condition may be attributed to the high price of musicians' salaries, but I would suggest as a remedy the employment of one or two musicians, the injection of a bit of the human element to take away the mechanical impression. "It seemed to me I found a number of imitators in lighting, but only physically. Somehow they didn't seem to know just what they were doing, but there was an honest effort to try. Those who heard me this time will have a better idea the' next time. "On the physical side, many of the houses I saw are beautiful. I noted among managers a sort of fear of charging higher prices. I don't know why this feeling prevails, why there should be this hesitancy, unless it be due to the fact that their theaters are not institutions; that they lack the stability to meet a crisis like that precipitated by the war tax. "I found the manufacturers in Los Angeles not doing much. Practically all of them arc marking time; no one doing anything very big. Everybody is working close to the line, with ears to the ground. Do you know I think there is going to be a decided change among the manufacturers? We are coming to the time when the story really is to be the thing; when we are going to make pictures not so much for the star, but the story is to count. "I think the day of the belief of the producer that the audience is not as intelligent as is the man who makes the picture is past. The sooner the producer realizes this the better for the industry. The time has come— is here when situation and subtlety are greater assets than are the obvious, the materialistic and the spectacular. I don't think it is necessary to go to the expense of building tremendous sets, to employ great mobs, but it is necessary to make pictures human; it is necessary to put into them heart throbs, above all, until such time as the conflict with the Central Powers is over; it is necessary to keep the corners of the lips turned up, to get away fr >m the tragic, to try to make things bright, to make the sun shine as much as is possible. And it should be easy for producers in California to do that last thing. "Did I bring away any impressions of theaters? Yes, a lot! I visited in San Francisco and Oakland, for instance, the T. & D. houses among others. The Imperial impressed me as one of the most interesting theaters on the coast and one of the best managed. Another house with extremly good atmosphere was Midgely's American in Oakland. The music, while perhaps a bit too long, developed more psychology, brought out more enthusiasm than I noted on any audience on the coast. As it appeals to me the picture should always dominate, the music supplement." Just as the <strong>World</strong> man arose to take his departure from Mr. Rothapfel's snug Rialto sanctum, the walls covered with photographic souvenirs of many epicurean and oratorical battles, the phone interrupted before good-bye was said. The caller was a representative of the advertising department of one of New York's dailies. The conversation brought out the remark by Mr. Rothapfel that the management of the Rialto and the Rivoli would annually expend in local newspaper advertising a quarter of a million dollars. That means approximately $5,000 a week. In the course of the talk over the wire, which the manager agreed might be printed, Mr. Rothapfel explained to the man at the other end why Rialto rates had been increased, so that now the prices of admission are 20. 30 and 60 cents instead of the former 15, 25 and 50. The manager said that his records showed net receipts remained just about the same figure they were an appreciable period ago, and said that the increased cost of running a theater now had, with the war admission tax, eaten up the extra price charged, and therefore justified the added sum. "I want to ask you a question which you don't have to answer if you think it too personal," said the <strong>World</strong> man as the telephone conversation ceased. "You are contributing for the Rialto a pretty big sum to Uncle Sam for the month of November, are you not?" "I rather think so," was the unhesitating response. "Approximately ten thousand dollars. Sounds big. doesn't it? Well, last "week, with Bill Hart, we took in $21,000. We hit the same figure the week before with Fairbanks. The average has not gone below $16,000 in many weeks. It jusl goes to show what can be done with management and efficiency." The manager drew from his files his daily reports, which made clear in detail how these remarkable figures were totaled, with their big Saturdays and Sundays and the Thanksgiving, the latter, if the <strong>World</strong> man recalls, in the neighborhood of four thousand dollars. A NEW ARRIVAL IN FILMDOM. Director Lynn Reynolds, of the Triangle Culver City studios, is celebrating the arrival of a baby son at his home in Hollywood. Reynolds now sports a wide, "pleased with himself" smile, and says the boy is "one wonderful chap,"
- Page 1 and 2:
Vol. 34, No 12 December 22, 1917 Pr
- Page 3 and 4:
GEORGE K. SPOOR presents 15 • m i
- Page 5 and 6:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 7 and 8:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 9 and 10:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 11 and 12:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 13 and 14:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 15 and 16:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 17 and 18:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 19 and 20:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 21 and 22:
December 22, \9\7 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 23 and 24:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 25 and 26:
presents Tlislia.hy Grand Stars Jan
- Page 27 and 28:
Produced by American Film Comparrp,
- Page 29 and 30:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 31 and 32:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 33 and 34:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 35 and 36:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 37 and 38:
Pathe to NewVork means* laughter. N
- Page 40 and 41:
Pathe I'aifie VreSeniS as a special
- Page 42 and 43:
Rathe What comedies average hiqhest
- Page 44 and 45: THE ym distinguishable feature of t
- Page 46 and 47: Clara Kimball Young looks her lonel
- Page 48 and 49: 1 , & THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Dece
- Page 50 and 51: 174U THE .MOVING PICTURE WORLD THE
- Page 52 and 53: 174 2 THE .MOVING PICTURE WORLD Dec
- Page 54 and 55: 1744 THE MOVING PICTURE WOI
- Page 56 and 57: 1746 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 58 and 59: 1748 THE .MOVING, • PJ€TURI£ ,
- Page 60 and 61: 1750 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 62 and 63: I PARALTA PLAYS PICK OF THE PICTURE
- Page 64 and 65: 1752 Till-: MOV INC, L'H I IKE WORL
- Page 66 and 67: 1754 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 68 and 69: 1756 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 70 and 71: 1758 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 72 and 73: 1700 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 74 and 75: 1762 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 76 and 77: 1764 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 78 and 79: 1766 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 80 and 81: 1768 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 82 and 83: 1770 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 84 and 85: 1772 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 86 and 87: 1774 THE MOVING PICTURE WOSLD Decem
- Page 88 and 89: 1776 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 90 and 91: 1778 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 92 and 93: 1780 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Decem
- Page 97 and 98: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 99 and 100: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 101 and 102: December 22, THE MOVING PICTURE WOR
- Page 103 and 104: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 105 and 106: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 107 and 108: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 109 and 110: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 111 and 112: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 113 and 114: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 115 and 116: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 117 and 118: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 119 and 120: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 121 and 122: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 123 and 124: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 125 and 126: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 127 and 128: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 129 and 130: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 131 and 132: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 133 and 134: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 135 and 136: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 137 and 138: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 139 and 140: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 141 and 142: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 143 and 144: December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 145 and 146:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 147 and 148:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 149 and 150:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 151 and 152:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 153 and 154:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 155 and 156:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 157 and 158:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 159 and 160:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 161 and 162:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 163 and 164:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 165 and 166:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 167 and 168:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 169 and 170:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 171 and 172:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 173 and 174:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR
- Page 175 and 176:
December 22, 1917 THE MOVING PICTUR