The New York Times, September 7, 1913, p. X4:
AMAZING DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE MOTION PICTURE FIELD
The First "Movies"--How the Pictures Are Made--
What Moving Picture Audiences Like to See--Educational Features--
Over Twenty Millions of Dollars Paid to See These Shows Every Year in New York Alone.
...Records indicate that the first moving picture machine was patented in 1867. It possessed but little merit, excepting that it marked the beginning of the high development since attained by this art. In 1893 the "Cinematograph" was produced by Lumiere, and was the first machine to project from the film. Edison improved upon this machine in 1896 when he produced the "Vitascope." These machines provided the models for the improved types in use to-day.
The films used at that time were very crude, not exceeding seventy-five feet in length. It was not until 1900 that longer films came into use. About this time moving pictures began to make their appearance as an added attraction in vaudeville and stock company theatres...
First Moving Picture Show.
No authentic record is found of the first actual moving picture show started in this country, but its probable inception is furnished by Marcus Loew...
"Between six and seven years ago," said Mr. Loew, "I was in Covington, Ky... While there I made the acquaintance of a man who was by profession a house painter. He told me that he was running a moving-picture show as a side line," continued Mr. Loew, who, since then, has run a "few" himself. "I became interested and was invited to the show. When I arrived at the place I found that the ingenious painter had utilized the first floor of his residence as a theatre... The interior was arranged very much like the 'store' shows of to-day. By store shows, I mean those seen all around town, which occupy buildings previously used as stores, but since remodeled for moving-picture purposes...
"The show began. Besides being the ticket seller, ticket taker, usher and proprietor, the painter proved to be lecturer as well. Each move of the actors was explained by him in loud tones...
"It was not long before I was ready to leave," confided Mr. Loew, "but the door was locked and I could not go until the show came to an end. Finally we were allowed to pass out. This was the first picture show I had ever seen, and I believe it was the first in this country. From there I went to Cincinnati, where I opened a show of my own. Four thousand nine hundred and ninety-three people came to see the first day's show. I then came to New York and opened a place at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue. It was the first one in the city. I had the first picture show in Brooklyn, also. The opening day my receipts were ten cents. At the end of the year I had cleared $63,000.
"The motion picture business has made vast strides in the past six years," he added, "and now there is hardly a town or village in this entire country which does not possess its picture show..."
Millions Spent to See Pictures.
The following figures, although a conservative estimate, reach a surprisingly large sum. They are not meant to be sensational... The figures were assembled by a prominent film company and are meant to be conservative...
It is estimated that there are in Greater New York 1,200 picture shows. The average seating capacity is 300 persons. While some of the houses are filled as high as five times daily, others accommodate their full capacity but once during the day. After compiling these figures an estimate is reached which places the average audience per day for each theatre at 600 persons. Summing up these figures, we arrive at a total of 720,000 persons who are entertained daily.
The price of admission varies. Some shows charge five cents for a ticket, others ten cents, while a few ask fifteen cents. Many sell tickets for five cents during the day and ten cents at night. Children are admitted for half price, as a rule...
The total arrived at from these figures is 5,760,000 pennies taken in daily by the moving picture theatres in Greater New York, or $57,600. The total per week is $403,200; per year $20,966,400.
Figures from the same source show a total of 18,000 picture shows in the United States, with a daily attendance of 600 persons each. From these figures we arrive at a total of 10,800,000 persons who attend the movies daily in the entire country... Using the average figure of eight cents per person, we reach a sum of 86,400,000 pennies ($864,000) daily, 604,800,000 pennies ($6,048,000) weekly, and 81,449,600,000 pennies ($814,496,000) yearly. Take the total number of pennies received yearly from this source, place them one after another in a straight line and they will extend over a distance of 372,272 miles...
Vast Sums Paid in Salaries.
Some shows are large and employ more people than the smaller ones. To arrive at a conservative figure of the actual wages paid out of this sum to those actually employed in the motion picture theatres we will use the smallest number of employees with which it is possible to run a show seating 200 people. The men who operate the machines will average $3 per day. The girls who sell the tickets will average $1 per day. The doorman will average $1.50 per day, and the pianist, though only employed a few hours daily, will average $1 per day.
The lowest possible estimate of the wages paid in one day by the average picture show is $12.50; $225,000 per day is paid in wages alone in the United States. Then there are the tickets to be bought, electricity to be paid for, rent, heat, insurance, films, and incidentals. These various items account for a large percentage of the total. What is left goes to the proprietor. The average man who runs a picture show on a small scale does little more than earn a living by his efforts...
A large part of the money which, through the rental of films finds its way into the coffers of the film manufacturing companies, is again put into circulation through the same means. A large company will employ about 600 people the year round. There are, of course, times when this force is greatly increased. When a large spectacular play is under way as many as 1,500 extra people are taken on. When it is considered that there are over forty companies, some larger than others, of course, but all more or less important, it is easy to realize that in salaries alone a large sum is spent yearly.
A tour of inspection through the various departments of the Vitagraph Company of America gives one an insight into the intricacies of this art...
The starting point is, of course, the studio, where all indoor scenes can be taken. This consists of four large glass studios. Other scenes, which will not permit of studio work, are taken in the open. In the scenic department the vast amount of scenery used in the studio and outside pictures is made. The stage carpenter also comes under the supervision of this department. Then there is the costume department, which contains costumes suitable to all ages and nationalities. There are at least 10,000 different articles of clothing in this department, and 5,000 pairs of footwear. Included in the equipment is an upholstering department and a machine shop...
In the engine room are two immense boilers and three latest pattern engines. These supply the power for lighting the plant and running the machinery in the various departments. The next department in line is the negative developing department.
Process of Manufacture.
After the pictures are taken they are delivered at once to this department, where they are developed. They are then sent to the negative department and examined by a force of experts. The negative is now ready for its first appearance on the screen. It is taken to the exhibition room after being wound on reels. Here the heads of the departments gather to watch its qualities as it is exhibited on the screen... After being carefully trimmed, the negative is turned over to the printing department, where a positive is made from the negative...
The positive is returned to the exhibition room and is finally passed on and sub-titles added whereever they are thought necessary to explain. After the various heads of departments are satisfied that all is as it should be the negative of the film and sub-titles are sent to the printing department, where the amount of films necessary to supply the "movies" are made. The positives or completed films are then developed, cleared and washed. They are then put on racks and the racks are placed within a large rotary drying machine, where they are dried by the circulation of an air current kept at a certain temperature.
The positives of each play are now forwarded to the joining room, where, after being joined together with cement, they are wound on reels, placed in cans, and gotten ready to be shipped to the film exchanges, through which they are supplied to exhibitors the world over.
The film is similar to an ordinary one used in small cameras. It is somewhat heavier, however, so as to stand the wear and tear of the projecting machine. The film is 1 3/8 inches in width. The picture occupies a space 11-16 of an inch by 15-16. When it is thrown on the screen it has been magnified 15,000 times its actual size. A reel of 1,000 feet of film contains 16,000 separate pictures. The average life of a reel of film is about six months. It is estimated that during that time it is run through the projecting machine about 500 times...
|