Aunt Jane's Nieces out West
CHAPTER XII
PICTURES, GIRLS AND NONSENSE
"Well, Aunt Jane," said Maud Stanton, when their car was rolling towardthe hotel and the girl had related the remarkable interview in theoffice, "what do you think of Ajo now?"
"He is certainly an amazing young man," was the reply. "I cannot in anyway figure out his connection with Goldstein, or his power over the man.The Continental Film Manufacturing Company is a great corporation, withheadquarters in New York, and Mr. Goldstein is the authorized head andmanager of the concern on the Pacific coast. I understand his salary isten thousand a year. On the other hand, young Jones has only been in thiscountry for a year, coming from an insignificant island somewhere in theSouth Seas, where he was born and reared. Much of the time since hearrived in America he has been an invalid. Aside from this meagerinformation, no one seems to know anything about him."
"Putting the case that way makes it all the more remarkable," observedMaud. "A big, experienced, important man, cowed by a mere boy. WhenGoldstein first met this callow, sallow youth, he trembled before him.When the boy enters the office of the great film company he dictates tothe manager, who meekly obeys him. Remember, too, that A. Jones, by hisinterference, has caused a direct loss to the company, which Goldsteinwill have to explain, as best he may, in his weekly report to the NewYork office. A more astonishing state of affairs could not be imagined,Aunt Jane!"
"The puzzle will solve itself presently," said the lady. "Abnormalconditions seldom last long."
Maud passed the day in bed, quietly reading a book. Her injury was reallyslight and with rest it mended rapidly. Patsy and Beth came in to see herand in the conversation that ensued the girls were told of the latestmystery surrounding A. Jones.
"It is surely queer!" admitted Miss Doyle, impressed and thoughtful."Uncle John and Arthur were saying this noon, at lunch, that Ajo was ahelpless sort of individual and easily influenced by others--as witnesshis caving in to me when I opposed his doctor's treatment. Arthur thinkshe has come to this country to squander what little money his father lefthim and that his public career outside the limits of his little islandwill be brief. Yet according to your story the boy is no weakling but haspower and knows how to use it."
"He surely laid down the law to Goldstein," said Maud.
"He is very young," remarked Beth, ignoring the fact that she was herselfno older, "and perhaps that is why we attach so much importance to hisactions. A grown-up man is seldom astonishing, however eccentric he mayprove to be. In a boy we expect only boyishness, and young Jones hasinterested us because he is unique."
After a little the conversation drifted to motion pictures, for bothPatsy and Beth were eager to learn all about the business details of filmmaking, which Maud, by reason of her months of experience, was able toexplain to them in a comprehensive manner. Flo came home toward evening,but had little more to tell them, as the day had passed very quietly atthe "studio." Jones had remained closeted with the manager for a fullhour, and it was remarked that after he had gone away Goldstein wassomewhat subdued and performed his duties less aggressively than usual.
Maud's visitors now left her to dress for dinner, at which meal she wasable to rejoin them, walking with a slight limp but otherwise recoveredfrom her accident. To their surprise, young Jones appeared as they wereentering the dining room and begged for a seat at their table. Uncle Johnat once ordered another place laid at the big round table, whichaccommodated the company of nine very nicely.
Ajo sat between Patsy and Maud and although he selected his dishes withsome care he partook of all the courses from soup to dessert.
The morning interview with Goldstein was not mentioned. Ajo inquiredabout Maud's hurt but then changed the subject and conversed upon nearlyeverything but motion pictures. However, after they had repaired to thehotel lobby and were seated together in a cosy, informal group, Patsybroached a project very near to her heart.
"Beth and I," said she, "have decided to build a Children'sPicture Theatre."
"Where?" asked Uncle John, rather startled by the proposition.
"Here, or in Los Angeles," was the reply.
"You see," explained Beth, "there is a crying need for a place wherechildren may go and see pictures that appeal especially to them and are,at the same time, quite proper for them to witness. A great educationalfield is to be opened by this venture, and Patsy and I would enjoy thework of creating the first picture theatre, exclusively for children,ever established in America."
"You may say, 'in the world,'" added Arthur. "I like this idea of yours,girls, and I hope you will carry it out."
"Oh, they'll carry it out, all right," remarked Uncle John. "I've beenexpecting something of this sort, ever since we came here. My girls,Mr. Jones," he said, turning to the young man, "are always doing somequaint thing, or indulging in some queer enterprise, for they're arestless lot. Before Louise married, she was usually in these skirmisheswith fate, but now--"
"Oh, I shall join Patsy and Beth, of course," asserted Louise. "It willmake it easier for all, to divide the expense between us, and I am asmuch interested in pictures as they are."
"Perhaps," said Patsy musingly, "we might build two theatres, indifferent parts of the city. There are so many children to be amused. Andwe intend to make the admission price five cents."
"Have you any idea what it costs to build one of these picture theatres?"asked Arthur.
"We're not going to build one of 'these' theatres," retorted Patsy. "Manyof the dens I've been in cost scarcely anything, being mere shelters. Thecity is strewn with a lot of miserable, stuffy theatres that no one canenjoy sitting in, even to see a good picture. We have talked this overand decided to erect a new style of building, roomy and sanitary, withcushioned seats and plenty of broad aisles. There are one or two of thisclass already in Los Angeles, but we want to make our children's theatresa little better than the best."
"And the expense?"
"Well, it will cost money, of course. But it will be a great delight tothe children--bless their little hearts!"
"This is really a business enterprise," added Beth gravely.
Uncle John chuckled with amusement.
"Have you figured out the profits?" he inquired.
"It really ought to pay, Uncle," declared Patsy, somewhat nettled by thisflaccid reception of her pet scheme. "All the children will insist onbeing taken to a place like that, for we shall show just the picturesthey love to see. And, allowing there is no money to be made from theventure, think of the joy we shall give to innumerable little ones!"
"Go ahead, my dears," said Uncle John, smiling approval. "And, if yougirls find you haven't enough money to carry out your plans, come to me."
"Oh, thank you, Uncle!" exclaimed Beth. "But I feel sure we can managethe cost ourselves. We will build one of the theatres first, and if thatis a success we will build others."
"But about those films, made especially for children," remarked Arthur."Where will you get them?"
"Why, there are lots of firms making films," replied Patsy. "We canselect from all that are made the ones most suitable for our purpose."
"I fear you cannot do that," said Mrs. Montrose, who had listened withwonder to this conversation. "There are three combinations, or 'trusts,'among the film makers, which are known as the Licensed, the Mutual andthe Independents. If you purchase from one of these trusts, you cannotget films from the others, for that is their edict. Therefore you willhave only about one-third of the films made to select from."
"I thought money would buy anything--in the way of merchandise," saidLouise, half laughing and half indignant.
"Not from these film dictators," was the reply.
"They all make a few children's pictures," announced Maud Stanton. "Eventhe Continental turns out one occasionally. But there are not nearlyenough, taken all together, to supply an exclusive children's theatre."
"Then we will have some made," declared Patsy. "We will order some fairytales, such as the children like. They would be spl
endid in motionpictures."
"Some have already been made and exhibited," said Mrs. Montrose. "Thevarious manufacturers have made films of the fairy tales of HansAndersen, Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll and other well-known writers."
"And were they successful?"
"Quite so, I believe; but such films are seldom put out except atholiday time."
"I think, Beth," said Patsy to her cousin, in a businesslike tone, "thatwe must organize a company and make our own films. Then we can getexactly what we want."
"Oh, yes!" replied Beth, delighted with the suggestion. "And let us getMaud and Flo to act in our pictures. Won't it be exciting?"
"Pardon me, young ladies," said A. Jones, speaking for the first timesince this subject had been broached. "Would it not be wise to considerthe expense of making films, before you undertake it?"
Patsy looked at him inquiringly.
"Do you know what the things cost?" she asked.
"I've some idea," said he. "Feature films of fairy tales, such as youpropose, cost at least two thousand dollars each to produce. You wouldneed about three for each performance, and you will have to change yourprogrammes at least once a week. That would mean an outlay of not lessthan six thousand dollars a week, which is doubtless more money than yourfive-cent theatre could take in."
This argument staggered the girls for a moment. Then Beth asked: "How dothe ordinary theatres manage?"
"The ordinary theatre simply rents its pictures, paying about threehundred dollars a week for the service. There is a 'middleman,' calledthe 'Exchange,' whose business is to buy the films from the makers andrent them to the theatres. He pays a big price for a film, but is ableto rent it to dozens of theatres, by turns, and by this method he notonly gets back the money he has expended but makes a liberal profit."
"Well," said Patsy, not to be baffled, "we could sell several copies ofour films to these middlemen, and so reduce the expense of making themfor our use."
"The middleman won't buy them," asserted Jones. "He is the thrall of oneor the other of the trusts, and buys only trust pictures."
"I see," said Uncle John, catching the idea; "it's a scheme to destroycompetition."
"Exactly," replied young Jones.
"What does the Continental do, Maud?" asked Patsy.
"I don't know," answered the girl; "but perhaps Aunt Jane can tell you."
"I believe the Continental is a sort of trust within itself," explainedMrs. Montrose. "Since we have been connected with the company I havelearned more or less of its methods. It employs a dozen or so producingcompanies and makes three or four pictures every week. The concern hasits own Exchange, or middleman, who rents only Continental films to thetheatres that patronize him."
"Well, we might do the same thing," proposed Patsy, who was loath toabandon her plan.
"You might, if you have the capital," assented Mrs. Montrose. "TheContinental is an immense corporation, and I am told it has more than amillion dollars invested."
"Two millions," said A. Jones.
The girls were silent a while, seriously considering this startlingassertion. They had, between them, considerable money, but they realizedthey could not enter a field that required such an enormous investment asfilm making.
"I suppose," said Beth regretfully, "we shall have to give upmaking films."
"Then where are we to get the proper pictures for our theatre?"demanded Patsy.
"It is quite evident we _can't_ get them," said Louise. "Therefore we maybe obliged to abandon the theatre proposition."
Another silence, still more grave. Uncle John was discreet enough to saynothing. The Stantons and Mrs. Montrose felt it was not their affair.Arthur Weldon was slyly enjoying the chagrin visible upon the faces ofMr. Merrick's three pretty nieces.
As for A. Jones, he was industriously figuring upon the back of anenvelope with a stubby bit of pencil.