Americanizing the Movies and “Movie-Mad” Audiences, 1910–1914 The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution to this book provided by Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence. Americanizing the Movies and “Movie-Mad” Audiences, 1910–1914

Richard Abel

UNIVERSITY OF PRESS Berkeley University of California Press, one of the most distinguished univer- sity presses in the , enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, © 2006 by The Regents of the University of California Several chapters and entr’actes are revised and expanded versions of earlier essays, which are listed in the acknowledgments on pages xvi–xvii. The A. A. Milne epigraph is from Winnie-the-Pooh (New : E. P. Dutton, 1926), 70. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Abel, Richard, 1941– Americanizing the movies and “movie-mad” audiences, 1910–1914 / Richard Abel. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13, 978-0-520-24742-0 (cloth: alk. paper) ISBN-10, 0-520-24742-6 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13, 978-0-520-24743-7 (pbk.: alk. paper) ISBN-10, 0-520-24743-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Motion pictures—United States—History. 2. Motion pic- tures—Social aspects—United States. 3. Nationalism—United States. I. Title: Americanizing the movies and “movie-mad” audi- ences, 1910–1914. II. Title. PN1993.5.U6A67 2006 791.430973—dc22 2005025769 Manufactured in the United States of America 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 10987654321 This book is printed on New Leaf EcoBook 50, a 100% recycled fiber of which 50% is de-inked post-consumer waste, processed chlorine- free. EcoBook 50 is acid-free and meets the minimum requirements of ansi/astm d5634–01 (Permanence of Paper). Writing, not an automatic, but a problematic History. lucien febvre Combats pour l’histoire

It would be sheer fantasy to imagine that for each historical problem there is a unique type of document with a specific sort of use. On the contrary, the deeper the research, the more the light of evidence must converge from sources of different kinds. marc bloch The Historian’s Craft

History can work for you, you know how to use it. elmore leonard Tishomingo Blues

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[Eeyore] turned and walked slowly down the stream for twenty yards, splashed across it, and walked slowly back on the other side. Then he looked at himself in the water again. “As I thought,” he said. “No better from this side.” a. a. milne Winnie-the-Pooh

contents

list of illustrations xi acknowledgments xv

“L’Envoi of Moving Pictures,” Motion Picture Story Magazine () 1 Introduction 3

“Signs of the Times,” Motion Picture Story Magazine () 11 Chapter 1. American Variety and/or Foreign Features: The Throes of Film Distribution 13 Document: “The Backbone of the Business,” Motography (20 ) 40

“The Power of a Nickel,” Motion Picture Story Magazine () 43 Entr’acte 1. Mapping the Local Terrain of Exhibition 45 Document: “Moving Pictures and Their Audiences,” Motion Picture News (16 ) 55

“My Picture Girl,” Motion Picture Story Magazine (June 1912) 59 Chapter 2. The “Usable Past” of Westerns: Cowboy, Cowboy Girl, and Indian Pictures, Part 1 61 Document: “The ‘Bison-101’ Headliners,” Moving Picture World (27 ) 79 “Bein’ Usher in a Motion Picture Show,” Motion Picture Story Magazine (June 1912) 83 Entr’acte 2. Moviegoing Habits and Everyday Life 85 Document: “Some Picture Show Audiences,” Outlook (24 ) 96

“The Motion Picture Cowboy,” Motion Picture Story Magazine () 103 Chapter 3. The “Usable Past” of Westerns: Cowboy, Cowboy Girl, and Indian Pictures, Part 2 105 Document: “Latest Snapshots Local and Worldwide,” Leader (2 ) 122

“In a Minor Chord,” Motion Picture News (25 ) 125 Entr’acte 3. A “Forgotten” Part of the Program: Illustrated Songs 127 Document: “Unique Effects in Song Slides,” Film Index (6 ) 135

“A Dixie Mother,” Motion Picture Story Magazine () 139 Chapter 4. The “Usable Past” of Civil War Films: The Years of the “Golden Jubilee” 141 Document: “Sundered Ties,” Moving Picture World (14 ) 165 Document: “Feature Films: The Battle of Gettysburg,” New York Dramatic Mirror (11 ) 166

“He’s Seen a Lot,” New York Morning Telegraph (8 September 1912) 169 Entr’acte 4. Another “Forgotten” Part of the Program: Nonfiction 171 Document: “Reviews of Special Feature Subjects,” New York Dramatic Mirror (24 April 1912) 181 “The Maid of the Movies,” New York Morning Telegraph (14 ) 183 Chapter 5. The “Usable Present” of Thrillers: From the Jungle to the City 185 Document: “Advertising and Criticising,” Moving Picture World (23 ) 209

“The Photoplayers,” Photoplay Magazine () 213 Entr’acte 5. Trash Twins: Newspapers and Moving Pictures 215 Document: “Moving Picture Sections,” Motography (5 ) 226

“The M. P. Girl,” New York Dramatic Mirror (12 June 1912) 229 Chapter 6. “The Power of Personality in Pictures”: Movie Stars and “Matinee Girls” 231 Document: “Personality a Force in Pictures,” New York Dramatic Mirror (15 ) 252 Document: “ ‘Miss Billie Unafraid’—Torn by a Tiger but Nervy as Ever to Act the Most Daring Things Ever Seen on the Stage!—Heroine of Movies,” Des Moines News (17 November 1912) 254 Document: “Sees the Movies as Great, New Field for Women Folk,” Toledo News-Bee (30 ) 255 notes 257 bibliography 351 index 357

illustrations

1. Rock Island Railroad map, 1893 7 2. Distribution of foreign stock in the United States, 1910 7 3. Clyde Wolfe (seated left) and the Odeon Theater orches- tra, Canton, ca. 1913 8 4. Motion Picture Distributing & Sales Co. ad, Moving Picture World (5 ), 260 17 5. Universal Film Mfg. ad, Motion Picture News (22 June 1912), 40 20 6. Lake Shore Film & Supply Co. ad, Cleveland Leader (15 ), S5 21 7. Mall ad, Cleveland Leader (17 September 1911), N4 23 8. General Film Co. ad, Moving Picture World (13 November 1912), back cover 29 9. General Film Co. ad, Motion Picture News (26 April 1913), 5 30 10. Queen Elizabeth (production still), Photoplay Magazine front cover (September 1912) 32 11. Helen Gardner, New York Dramatic Mirror cover (24 ) 34 12. Famous Players Film Co. ad, Journal (13 September 1913), 5 38 13. Penn Square Theater, Cleveland, Moving Picture World (23 ), 998 49 xi xii illustrations

14. Crystal Theater, Minneapolis: exterior and interior, ca. 1910, Historical Society 51 15. Central Square Theatre, Lynn, ca. 1912 53 16. Mona Darkfeather (Kalem), Motion Picture Story Magazine (March 1914), 13 65 17. American Film Co. ad, Moving Picture World (16 Septem- ber 1911), 770 67 18. Essanay ad, Moving Picture World (21 ), 226 69 19. Broncho Billy’s Christmas Dinner, 1911 (production still) 71 20. Bison-101, War on the Plains, 1912 (production still), Moving Picture World (27 ), 298 71 21. Bison-101, Indian Massacre, 1912 (production still), Moving Picture World (9 March 1912), 857 73 22. New York Motion Picture Company ad, Motion Picture News (21 September 1912), back cover 78 23. “The Movies,” Des Moines News (12 ) 88 24. Cartoon, Cleveland Leader (21 May 1911), M8 90 25. People leaving a motion picture show, World’s Work (), 14024 91 26. “The Moving Picture Show,” Motion Picture Story Magazine (September 1912) 93 27. Mutual Movies ad, St. Paul News (30 ), 12 94 28. G. M. Anderson as Broncho Billy, Motion Picture Story Magazine (October 1913), 3 109 29. Essanay, Broncho Billy’s Gratitude, 1913 (production still) 110 30. Kay-Bee, The Invaders, 1912 (production still), Moving Picture World (9 November 1912), 542 115 31. Alice Joyce, Motion Picture Story Magazine cover (Septem- ber 1913) 119 32. “When a Feller Needs a Friend,” Moving Picture World (5 April 1913), 40 121 33. Scott & Van Altena, “Butterflies” (1912), Marnan Collec- tion 132 34. Scott & Van Altena, “Just to Live the Old Times Over” (1909), Marnan Collection 133 illustrations xiii

35. Scott & Van Altena, “That Swaying Harmony” (1912), Marnan Collection 134 36. Theatre Voyons ad, Lowell Courier Citizen (8 November 1911), 9 147 37. Biograph, The Informer, 1912 (production still), Motion Picture Story Magazine (December 1912), 80 150 38. Kay-Bee, Sundered Ties, 1912 (production still), Photoplay (), 30 153 39. Empress Theater ad, Toledo News-Bee (24 ), 4 155 40. New York Motion Picture Corporation ad, Moving Picture World (7 June 1913), 1061 159 41. Pathé Weekly ad, Moving Picture World (29 July 1911), 179 175 42. Colonial Theater ad, Des Moines Register and Leader (21 ), 3 177 43. Paul Rainey African Hunt ad, New York Dramatic Mirror (25 September 1912), back cover 179 44. Feature and Educational Film Co. ad, Billboard (6 Decem- ber 1911), 81 191 45. Selig Polyscope ad, Moving Picture World (2 November 1912), 417 193 46. “The Auto Cracksman Loots—Sometimes Slays—and Is Off Like a Flash,” New York Tribune (3 November 1911), 2: 1 197 47. “Bonnot, Tiger Bandit,” Cleveland Leader (12 May 1912), C1 198 48. Gaumont ad, Moving Picture World (31 July 1913), 119 203 49. Globe Theatre ad, Boston Journal (17 ), 4 205 50. Adventures of Kathlyn ad, Tribune (7 January 1914) 206 51. “Photo-Plays and Players” logo, Cleveland Leader (10 De- cember 1911), S5 220 52. “News and Doings in the Motion Picture World” logo, Boston Journal (15 November 1913), 5 222 53. “The Movies,” Des Moines News (11 November 1912), 2 223 xiv illustrations

54. “Movies! The New Crop They Are Growing in the Land of Oranges,” St. Paul News (14 December 1913), 3 224 55. Mary Pickford, New York Dramatic Mirror front cover (6 December 1911) 234 56. Souvenir Postal Cards of Vitagraph Players, Motion Picture Story Magazine (June 1912), 159 238 57. “Name the Star” contest, Des Moines News (10 ), 3 241 58. Pauline Bush, Motion Picture Story Magazine (March 1913), 5 243 59. Mary Pickford, Motion Picture Story Magazine (April 1913), 9 246 60. “Miss Billie Unafraid,” Des Moines News (17 November 1912), 7 249 61. “Absence Maketh the Heart Grow Fonder,” Motion Picture Story Magazine (), 112 251