The “unique” Mozart, “conducted almost entirely by women”
Advertisement, Moving Picture World, July 20, 1912:

Excerpts from Moving Picture World, August 17, 1912:
“The new Mozart motion picture theater, which opened August 5, is unique in that it is conducted almost entirely by women. The only male employee on the premises is the operator in the projection booth. The proprietor and manager is Mrs. Anna M. Mozart. All her assistants–ushers, ticket sellers, doorkeepers, the musical director–even the press agent–are women. There is a ‘policewoman’ on duty at each performance.
“The new enterprise is housed in the Walker Theater, formerly a regular playhouse, on Grand Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets. It has a seating capacity of about 900 and before it opened its doors Mrs. Mozart spent nearly $25,000 in getting ready.
“The largest single item of expense was $10,000, which was invested in a Photoplayer, the first of its size to be installed on the coast. It is an instrument designed to take the place of a full orchestra but it can be operated by one person.
“The one in the Mozart Theater is 25 feet long, eight feet wide and ten feet high and occupies the entire orchestra pit. Inside it are thousands of pipes and reeds, a piano and the necessary apparatus for producing 33 different sound effects, such as bird calls, locomotive bell and whistle, thunder, rain, horse trots, cannon, drums, cymbals, castanets and tambourine. Another feature is a set of reeds which reproduces the tones of the human voice.
“Nothing but big special features will be shown in the house. Among the films advertised to be shown in the near future are Blanche Walsh in ‘Resurrection,’ ‘St. George and the Dragon,’ ‘The Raven,’ Nat Goodwin in ‘Nathan Hale,’ Custer’s Last Fight,’ and ‘The Odyssey.’ Summer prices will be 10, 15 and 25 cents.”
Advertisement, Moving Picture World, October 5, 1912:

Mozart Theatre
Cezar Del Valle is the author of the Brooklyn Theatre Index, chosen 2010 Best Book of the Year by the Theatre Historical Society.
He is available for theatre talks and walks in 2014, historical societies, libraries, senior centers, etc.
Like this:
Like Loading...