Automatic Age

T h e a u t o m a t i c A ge
Smaller ‘Orchestra’
Hire, But It’s
Larger One, Too
One-armed piano players, music-
boxes and “ player-pianos” that since
the birth of the cinema have furn­
ished alleged music in theaters are
due either for a prolonged vacation
or the discard, with the arrival of
the “ vitaphone,” an orchestra of 100
instruments incased in a box four
feet high.
A t least, that’s what Jack L. War­
ner, director of production for War­
ner Brothers, on the west coast, said
as he and his wife stopped here for a
few hours on their way to New York
to hear the new melodious marvel do
its stuff.
“ It isn’t intended to displace the
orchestras in huge theaters, such as
your Chicago theater,” explained the
producer. “ It’s for use in small the­
aters in outlying neighborhoods or
suburbs or country towns, where a
piano has furnished the only music.”
The vitaphone, made by the West­
ern Electric Company and the Bell
Telephone Company, is an ortho-
phonic instrument, playing records.
Each record lasts fifteen minutes,
said Mr. Warner, and the records are
automatically changed, so that they
play the duration of the film. The
vitaphone is hooked on the projecting
machine and the music bounces off a
sounding box to reach the audience.
Sure Thing!
The proprietor of a Braddock Ave­
nue restaurant, who has for some
time been conducting a legitimate
business, refraining from all sorts ot
vice, two weeks ago installed a five-
cent slot machine. He informed the
city editor of this newspaper that if
the machine was patronized suffi­
ciently within the course of a week,
he would have profited enough to
pay the salaries of several waitresses.
—-Braddock (Pa.) Herald.
© International Arcade Museum
11
Free Mutoscope
Reel Exchange
In response to the persistent re­
quest of Penny Arcades and Opera­
tors for a Mutoscope Reel Exchange,
the Exhibit Supply Company are now
adding this feature to the already
well known Exhibit Service.
This exchange will be run— not for
a profit—but as an accommodation.
The operators prepay the trans­
portation charges of any amount of
reels up to 20. The company agrees
to exchange the reels received from
you for an equal number of different
subjects free of charge. With every
reel reshipped to you the company will
furnish a hand painted s'gn with new,
attractive titles, in colors, either 10%
x20 inches or 10x8 inches for $1.00
each.
The company reserves the right to
reject any broken reels or reels not
in usable condition, and will not be
responsible for breakage or loss in
transit. The dollar charge per reel
will just reimburse them for the cost
of sign and exchange service.
All reels must be shipped in indi­
vidual boxes. If they must furnish
reel boxes an additional charge of
$1.00 per box must be made.
Wants Coin
Operated Typewriter
“ Attached you will find a letter
from the Southern Novelty & Type­
writer Company of Spadra, Ark.,
who are inquiring about a typewriter
with a slot attachment.
We have a slight recollection of
having seen an article somewhere
about a typewriter of this kind used
in hotels, but are unable to locate it.
It has occurred to us that perhaps
in your files you may have a record
of such a machine. We would appre­
ciate it if you can pass on any infor­
mation to this company.”
Popular Mechanics Magazine.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/