Boxoffice-Febuary.28.1953

—
Matches Zukor's 50-Year Span in Films
Carl Christian, Tuckerman, Ark., Played First Pictures of Original Famous Players Corp.
TUCKERMAN, ARK.—Fifty years in the
motion picture industry, occasion for the
golden jubilee celebration of Adolph Zukor,
also is a milestone this year for Carl Chiistian.
owner of the Cozy Theatre here. And,
in honor of his half-century in show business.
Christian is overhauling and renovating the
Cozy, because, he says, "I want to do more
I expect my 51st year in .show business to be
the best of all."
Christian, who calls himself an "amateur
scientist, experimenter, technician, hobbyist
and student." started in show business via
sound with an Edison phonograph in 1903 and
later added slide lecture shows, then motion
pictures.
His background of 50 years in the industry
brings Christian many memories, including a
number of reminiscences about Zukor.
"In 1912." Christian wrote BOXOFFICE,
"Adolph Zukor came out with the first fulllength
feature attraction—the immortal Sarah
Bernhardt in 'Queen Elizabeth.' Zukor's associate
was that able Broadway producer. Daniel
Frohman. Zukor's company was named
Famous Players Corp. Soon after 'Queen
Elizabeth.' Jesse L. Lasky. with that genius
of production and direction, Cecil B. DeMille.
made 'The Squaw Man.' a virile he-man story
starring Dustin Farnum.
"Zukor and Lasky later formed the Famous
Players-Lasky Corp., establishing the feature
pictiu-e as a permanent top attraction in the
movie world. Feature nights in theatres were
increased to double program prices with
heavy attendance.
In 1913. after ten years as a traveling exhibitor
in the south and southwest, I settled down
and opened my first theatre where I had the
Carl Christian, owner of the Cozy Theatre,
Tuckerman, Ark., is celebrating his
50th anniversary in theatre business. He
is shown here in a photograph made in
1912 when he was traveling the south
and southwest with a photo-slide show,
which he photographed then showed in
local theatres.
profitable pleasure of playing all the first
pictures of Zukor and his associates. The two
previously mentioned, and others such as the
Mary Pickford pictures when she was a mere
slip of a girl, too young to play anything
but juvenile roles, such as 'Tess of the Storm
Country,' a real tear-jerker.
"In 1915, the Famous Players-Lasky Corp.
bought Paramount Picture Corp. with Paramount
as its distributing channel. This
brought to the .screen greater art and talent,
like the Barrymore family, Wallace Reid,
Marguerite Clark. Douglas Fairbanks sr., and
others too numerous to mention."
FILMS WERE ONLY SHORTS
All of these events, starting in 1912, occurred
some nine years after Christian originally
entered the business. In 1903, when he first
started showing pictures, the films were
merely short subject shots from 40 to 75 feet
long, no reading, no beginning and no end.
"Edison's machine instructions." he wrote,
"recommended that the exhibitor write the
name of the subject on a slide and run it before
running the film. Most of the early
motion picture projection machines were sold
and made to operate as attachments to slide
projectors. The upper reel holder had a gear
and crank for rewinding film right back on
the machine.
"The MotiogTaph of 1905-06 had a gear
shift whereby the operator could shift a
lever and rewind with the same crank that he
had cranked the picture through with. One
reel, about 16 minutes, constituted a show, if
the exhibitor knew how to put that much
film together on one reel. Edison's first film
with a coordinated story. 'The Great Train
Robbery.' was only 885 feet long, running
about 14 minutes."
During his first ten years in business. Christian
traveled, making photographs in the daytime
and showing them at night. His biggest
success, he said, came in 1911-12 with a highspeed
high-pressure photo-exhibition show,
whereby he came into a town and made snapshots
and speedshots of the natives, then
showed them on the screen at the local
theatre.
BROKE RECORDS REGULARLY
"I had a good line of advertising and created
much excitement shooting people going
and coming, and I often rigged up and shot
funny stunts on the streets to the delight
of the public and a terrific rush at the boxoffice.
I broke records with this show in
every house I showed in for two years. Nearly
every town had a theatre, if there was any
electricity. Admissions were five and ten
cents and added attractions like my photoslide
show or vaudeville brought ten and
20 cents.
"While the present day. practical talking
pictures started around 1927-28 with Warner
Bros, and Western Electric. Edison in 1912
with his diamond disk phonograph did bring
out a complete roadshow talking picture deal,
which was sold over the nation on states
rights. This was a once-over roadshow, having
no repeat program. It was very good and
was synchronized. Along about 1906-07 there
was a Fi-ench sound picture introduced, just
a song or two, not synchronized and not very
satisfactory."
In 1941, with a circuit of six prosperous theatres,
two in county seat towns, and after
having been a bachelor for 60 years. Christian
married and "settled down." It was then that
he began working on plans to build a model
ATTENTION
MOVIE FANS!
The Coty ThMire will bo cloMd down lomporarily lor a complole
overhauling Bod redecoraling job. tn prepainllon lor the celebra
Hon of C«rl ChrUliftn, SOth SHOW ANNIVERSARY — Marking up
lllly yean In a wonderluUy Intoreallng and somelkmes exciting
business. Ihrough good limes and bad.— through three wars, alorms.
burrlcines. lidal waves, fires, highwater. drouths, boal waves,
bittiards. dust btorma. and cpidomtcs. With all these experiences,
and seme were pretty rough.— there has b«oD thousands of sun
shiny days in whirh I b'tvo shown to, and brought joy and «dtortainmeni
to more than a million p«oplo. This alone is a cherished
reward that will long bring many pleasant momorios to the remaining
years of a humble and opliraisllc scul- Optimistic because
I want to do mor»—havmg marked up mdny accomplishments and
successes in these fifty years, that have added much to my know
ledge and wisdom. 1. therefore, expect my 51st year to bo the best
of all—so walch tor further announcements and our reopening
date.
The first show I put on. lilty years ago. was in a school house
demonstrating Edison's Talking Machine (phonograph) with records
of bands, orchestras, songs and talking sketches— with playback
records, made with audience participating. It was a marvelous
experience to many patrons, aa it was their first lime to hear
be reproduction of sound. Very few h=)d even henrd of the telephone
with its strange voice coming over a wire. The Ihirteon dol
lars and aixty-flve cents 1 took in on this first show was a big
linanclal success to a country boy who liked to tinker with machines
and. tor that mailer, still does.
Incidentally I have right hore in Tuckerman the ortgloal Edison
Phonograph and some of the records with which I pat on that
lirst show titty years 370. and will have it on exhibit on my anni
versary opening night and give everyone an opportunity to s«e and
hear it— if I can make it work— I think I can!
Thanking everyone tor the confidence and patronage tbey
have given me in Ihe past and invillag you to my SOth Anniversary
Party—watch for dale.
I im yours sincerely.
Carl Christian
Advertising is very important to
Carl Christian, owner of the Cozy Theatre,
Tuckerman. This is a copy of a
2 column, 7 Viz -inch ad which he ran
in the Tuckerman Record after closing
the Cozy for renovation in observance
of his SOth anniversary in show business.
theatre which would incorporate in its design
the lessons he had learned in his years of theatre
experience, and eight or ten inventions
of his own in projection, lighting, electronics
and sound.
Christian, who does all his own blueprints,
had his plans completed by Dec. 1. 1941, but
along came Pearl Harbor.
"Since then." he said, "with taxation, government
regulations, discrimination and persecution,
it has been tough sledding. But, I
still have a desire to build that theatre and
can do so. if the government eases up the
burden it has saddled on the theatre business.
"I have brought my theatre plan up to date
and have incorporated in it an idea which I
think will bring the public back to the theatre.
It has to be an event, like going to a
picnic. In other words, the public is going to
want to go to the movies because 'everybody
else will be there.' That's just what I propose
to build into my model theatre, just old,
tried and proven showmanship, put together
in a new combination and on a more elaborate
scale. And, believe me, I think I can give
it top billing."
BOXOFFICE
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: February 28, 1953 sc 63