The Omaha Daily Bee
PARI TWO
PAGES 9 TO 16
VOL. XLVII NO. 297.
OMAHA, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 30, 1918.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
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BEAUTIFUL NEW RIALTO IS
FITTING TEMPLE DEVOTED
TU ART OF SILENT DRAMA
Omaha Motion Picture Theater Ha Classic Lines of Vene
tian Palace; Every Known Ultra-Modern Feature
j Incorporated in Monumental Playhouse;
I Opens Thursday.
A Venetian palace, costing $750,000, a monumental
building, moire beautiful in its architecture and more exquisite in
its interior decorations than any structure which adorns its
namesake of Venice, will be opened to Omaha movie lovers
.Thursday night,
The Rialto is fittingly described as
the most beautiful playhouse dedi
cated to the silent drama in Amtrica.
The exterior was designed by John
Latenser, jr., and the interior by
Frank Latenser, two Omaha archi
tects. The structure is a composite
of Venetian renaissance with modern
adaptations, suitable to its uses as' a
theater. The building is 132x132 in
dimensions, and despite its size is
perfect in its architectural symmetry.
Beautiful Exterior.
It is one of the very few buildings
in America that is treated in its fin
ish to bring out the polychrome ef
fect, the dominant tones of the trim
ming being old ivory and blue, pro
duced with terra cotta, with car
touches of sienna and stately panels
of tapestry brick in soft tones.
It is surmounted with pylons., on
which powerful stationary electric
globes are mounted with riumphal
eagles, perched with outstretched
wings on revolving globes, both bird
and sphere studded with countless in
candescent lamps. There are eight
of each dominating the two frontal
facades. .
The entrance vestibule conforms in
its wealth of space to the stateliness
of the building, and is floored with
terrazo in geometrical squares and
marble. In the center is a ticket
booth, of Alaskan marble, paneled
with mosaic inserts of gold and vari
colored glass and jewels of mother
of pearl. The booth has two win
dows to facilitate the sale of tickets.
The woodwork is of mahogany finish.
Like Italian Garden.
The interior of the theater is of
exquisite beauty. The effect pro
duced by the art motive is that of
spectators seated in an amphitheater
which looks out on a beautiful Italian
formal garden. The mural paintings,
by Holslag, are hung on canvas and
from a perspective in which tall Lom
bardy poplars and ornamental shrubs
form the foreground, and mountains
bathed in a soft, mystic haze melt
into the distant horizon of an en
chanting landscape for the back
ground. There are marble balustrades, bal
conies and stately stairs, with alcoves
in which are fairy fountains shooting
jets df jeweled waters, reflecting the
magic play of a myraid colored elec
tric lights to perfect the illusion of
the garden. Overhead are panels in
which the muraj paintings show fes
toons of wisteria.
The proscenium is a thing of per
fection. The landscape effect is
heightened by its treatment, a tri
umphal arch, with Corinthian col
umns and pediment being the central
end dominant feature. It is joined
on each side by perigolas and through
the arch and perigolas can be caught
glimpses of the formal gardens.
Boxes, filled with flowers, adorn the
colonnade and heighten the formal
effect.
Panels With Figures.
Above the arch, on each vside, are
panels with pandean figures in bas re
lief, supporting allegorical cameos of
art and music.
The majestic vaulted dome is
treated in cerulean blue and from its
center hangs a wonderful candlebra
of massive proportions, but so cun
ningly wrought that it is as delicate
in appearance as a boudoir lamp. It
is of bronze, with a bowl-like base
of onyx. A reflector shaped like a
marine shell projects from the stem
and adds to the beauty of the whole.
The illuminating devices are won
derful. The house is flooded with
light from constellations of electric
globes concealed it the dome. The
globes are in the three primary colors,
but can be so bjended as to' produce
any effect, from darkness through
dawn.tvith its somber grays and glow
ing pinks, to the witching sunsets,
pensive afterglows and deepening
shades of the twilight hours. The
chromasthesia will produce a psychic
effect in keeping with the dramatic
environment of the pictures shown.
Grand Marble Staircases.
In the lobby and on the-pil!ars of
the grand marble staircases are lo
cated electric fixtures of Roman and
Venetian lamp designs which ae
veritable studies of the ancient metal
workers' art.
All bases are in Alaska marble of
dark and light shades and of the most
beautiful veinings and traceries. This
is a new marble and will vie with any
imported marble in attractiveness and
texture.
The seating arrangement of the
great amphitheater is in keeping with
the ideal perfection of the house. The
seats in the pit are so located that
a perfect view of the screen is given
from any part of the floor. There
?re no columns or pillars to obstruct
the view. The chairs are upholstered
and the seats placed at an angle that
does not throw the weight on the
spine, but give a reclining position
that is restful to a degree. The seats
are wide and there is plenty of space
between the rows, the idea being to
do away with crowding of any kind.
The house has a seating capacity 6f
2,500 and the sloping floors, rising to
an angle of 30 degrees, places each
spectator so that he can see over the
heads of those sitting in front. The
boxes are on the main floor and the
loges in the balcony.
Absolutely Fireproof.
All of the seating and the aisles are
wider than the city ordinances call
for, and the arrangement of the aisles
and exits permit of the passing of the
spectators without bothering those
who remain seated or interrupt the
view of the screen. The house can
be emptied in an emergency, although 1
It is absolutely fireproof, in five min
utes,
The draperies of the curtain and
screen are of old rose silk velour, and
all of the carpets of solt-toned gray.
Usherettes will be costumed in simple
and modest toilettes of gray, in
keeping with the color scheme of the
theater.
As in lighting, the ventilation of
the building is perfect. Air is drawn
into the building from an intake in
the basement and is passed through
a washing machine which removes all
dust and impurities. A huge fan cir
culates pure atmosphere through the
building and the air supply is on a
basis that permits 10 changes in an
hour. The evaporation in the wash
ing process, in summer, reduces the
temperature of the air three degrees
and produces comfortable coolness.
In summer three big ventilating fans
are also used, changing the air every
five minutes. The temperature of the
theater, winter and summer, is regu
lated by a thermostat system.
Unique Heating System.
In winter the house is heated in a
unique manner. Heat conductors are
placed under the seats, thus warm
ing the air from the floor, and a most
comfortable temperature will be main
tained all the time.
The pipe organ used is wonderful
and possesses every stop known to
music, even simulating the solo tones
of harp and violin. It is one of the
largest organs in the world and has
choir, echo, great and swell chambers.
Kenneth Widenor, who is a widely
known Omaha musician, and who has
been in New York for the last year,
studying under the master organists
of America, will be the organist. A
fine orchestra has been assembled
and will be under the leadership of
Harry Silverman, former conductor
of the Orpheum orchestra.
A vacuum cleaner, of immense ca
pacity, is located in the basement and
has tubes accessible to every part of
the house. A daily renovation of the
interior, in hygenic thoroughness, will
insure healthy environment to all
audiences.
Hygienic Drinking Fountains.
No convenience that will add to the
comfort of the patrons of the theater
has been neglected. Hygienic drinking
fountains are placed at intervals on
all floors of the house. On the
balcony landing will be located a
roomy and luxuriously furnished
foyer for the women. The furniture
will be of enameled wicker with cre
tonne upholstery.
In time children's play room, lo
cated on the same floor and easily
accessible, will be finished. The
business offices are all on this floor,1
as is also a private projection room,
where pictures can be viewed for
criticism, musical and chromasthesia
adaptations.
Novel Advertising Plan.
Among the many novel features
of the playhouse will be the adver
tising shutters on the main facade.
These are arranged so that the titles
of the screen subjects can be placed
from a room in the inside and no out
side climbing will be necessary.
The Rialto is essentially an Oma
ha institution, owned by Charles
Grotte, Walter Brandes, John Laten
ser, sr., and A. H. Blank, and is a
monument to their enterprise, as well
as a tribute to the art-loving popu
lace of the city.
The opening play will be John Bar
rymore in "Raffles." Paramount and
Fox standard pictures will be shown.
War Risk Bureau Is Flooded
With Innumerable Inquiries
Mary Pickford and Charlie Chap
lin may get more mail that President
Wilson, but the war risk bureau of
the United States War department
outclasses them all. They receive an
average of 11,000 letters each day and
have received more than a million the
last five months.
Major Maher of the Omaha quar
termaster corps tells that they re
ceive every conceivable kind of in
quiry. He cites these: "Please tell
me if Mr. John Smith has put in an
application for his wife and three chil
children. My Bill has been put in
charge of spittoons. Shall I get more
pay?" A telegram brought this news,
"Child born, named Elizabeth, wants
allowance."
The war risk bureau have mailed
more than 2,000,000 checks for allow
ances and allotments of a total of
more than $74,000,000.
BLANK'S SUCCESS
IN 'MOVIE' GAME .
IS PHENOMENAL
President of Rialto Theater
Entered Motion Picture Busi
ness in Iowa Only Seven
Years Ago. v
DeMille Chooses Stars
For His Next Feature Picture
A cast that is undoubtedly one of
the most notable ever assembled for
a motion picture is that which will
appear in "Old Wives for New," the
forthcoming Attcraft special, directed
by Cecil B. De Mille, taken from the
novel by David Graham Phillips.
While no one person is stored, the
emphasis b?ing placed upon the pic
ture itself, no one role has been
slighted. The olavcrs in this notahle
production will include Elliott Dexter.
Wanda Hawley, Sylvia Ashton. Flor
ence Vidor, Theodore Roberts, Helen
lerome Eddy, Marcia Manon, J.
f'arkes Jones. lulia Fave. Edna Mae
Cooper, Gustave Scyftertitz, Tully
Marshall, Lillian Leighton and Maym
Kelso
Let us introduce to you A. II.
Blank, president of Omaha's newest
and the most beautiful theater in
America, The Rialto. which opens
Thursday, May 30.
It is not known by many that Mr.
Blank was originally a Council Bluffs
boy, where he lived and attended the
public schools before leaving for Des
Moines in 1896.
His success in the motion picture
industry has been phenomenal. Start
ing only seven years ago in this won
derful industry, he first acquired the
Casino theater in Des Moines and
later the Star theater. Then he built
Iowa's finest theater, the Garden, in
the same city.
At the present time he controls
three fine theaters in Davenport, the
Garden, the Family and the Casino,
the Garden in Des Moines, the Strand
in Marshalltown, as well as the Strand
and Rialto in this city.
Strand First Movie Here.
The Strand theater was the first
real motion- picture palace to make its
appearance in Omaha, and was con
sidered, when known as the Ameri
can, one of the worst "lemons" in
the show business. However, Mr.
Blank offered a theater and presenta
tions of pictures in a manner that
had often been promised Omaha, and
although wiseacres predicted that the
theater would only be operated for
a possiMe period of three mouths, it
still remains open and has become
Omaha's chief place of amusement.
At the present time Mr. Blank has
plans in mind for the remodeling of
the theater that will transform it
into a veritable palace. In the past
two years he has also been identified
with some of the largest film organi
zations in the country, and his Doug
las Fairbanks smile is equally well
known among the big men of the
business in New York City and with
the most prominent actors and ac-
wv u j . . . j v.t iiiv v v turn '
ha and Des Moines. , (
Film Rights in Three State. '
When the Triangle Film corpora-
tion was at its zenith, he controlled
the distribution rights for Nebraska;
Iowa and Missouri, at the same time
controlling the Select productions for
the same territory.
At the present time he is a member
of the I-irst National Exhibitors 'Cir
cuit, which is composed of the lead
ing theaters in America and Canada,
which organization controls the best
pictures on the market.
They hold 'contracts with Charlie
Chanlin for his productions, released
JGerard's "My Four Years in Ger
many," "Tarzan of the Apes," J.
Forbes Robertson in "The Passing of
the Third Floor Back," Monk Illidor
in the Herbert Brennon production
of "The Downfall of the Romanoffs
and pictures of a similar high class
character.
Blank Never Tires.
With these connections, he is as-'
sured of the very best the motion
picture field offers for his own the
aters. So summing the situation up
he is one of the biggest motion pic
hire men in the game today, and it
was not so long ago that one of the
leading motion picture trade papers
published his picture as a frontis
piece. When asked the secret of his suc
cess Mr. Blank replied. "I love tha
business and never tire of work, glad
ly putting in 20 hours a day and
wishing that the day was only long
er, so that I would thus be enabled
to put in more hours of work each
day. I am very fond of Omaha and
the manner in which they have re
ceived me in their midst, and don't
be surprised if one of these fine days
I make the announcement that I shall
make my home and headquarters it
Omaha."
To handle his large business Mr.
Blank has a number of salesmen cov
ering Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and
Missouri, with branch offices in Des
Moines and Kansas City, and an of
fice for Omaha is under considera
tion. Ben Still Cross -Eyed .
When Ben Turpin, the well known
cross-eyed comedian in Paramount
Mack Sennett comedies, was knocked1
out in a fight a short while ago, the
first thing he said when he came to,
was. "Where's a mirror? I want to
see if my eyes are still crooked." Ben
explained that they got that way
through his being hit on the head
while in vaudeville, and a doctor told
him that if he ever got another crack
like that it might jar them back JO
shape,