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Moving Picture World, New York, April 29, 1916.

Chaplin Breaks Theater Record

      Police Reserves Called to Handle Crowd at the Broadway

      – Reports from Many Cities Indicate Capacity Houses.

      THE tremendous popularity of Charlie Chaplin accounted

for an unprecedented attendance at the Broadway theater,

New York, last week, when he appeared in the Essanay Company‘s

burlesque of „Carmen.“ At the opening performance

on Sunday, April 9, the house was packed fifteen minutes after

the opening of the doors,the lobby was filled by those

awaiting admittance and lines leading to the box office extended

for two blocks. Police reserves were called to handle

the constantly increasing crowd.

      Leon H. Langsfeld, manager of the Broadway, admitted

that in all his experience he had never seen anything

like the sensation caused by the Chaplin exhibition. His box

office statement indicated 10,000 paid admissions

on the first day of the run, and throughout the remainder

of the week all previous records of the theater were

surpassed. Mr. Langsfeld is ready to give the picture his emphatic endorsement as the most popular attraction ever offered

an exhibitor. On April 16 Chaplin was moved to the Stanley theater,

in the same neighborhood, for a seven-day showing,

by no means exhausts the possibilities of a production of this

description. In speaking of the attitude of his audiences

Manager Langsfeld said that he never had seen all classes

of patrons so thoroughly amused.

      Reports from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago,

Cincinnati and other important cities indicate

that the Chaplin film is playing to capacity at every performance.

(...) Moving Picture World, April 29, 1916

„No Danger from Chaplin“

Editorial content. „Carmen Burlesque will Run

      Spoor Says He Was Not Satisfied with Two–Reel Picture,

      So Made It Four – No Danger from Chaplin.“

      Photo. „Crowd Besieging Broadway Theater During

      Third Night of Charlie Chaplin in Carmen.“

      „George K. Spoor, president of Essanay, has issued

a statement in reply to the threat of Charles Chaplin

that he would enjoin the showing of the Burlesque on Carmen

in four reels.“

      „This is one of the last two photoplays produced

by Chaplin for Essanay, the other, Police, not yet having

been released. It seems that there were originally

16,000 feet of negative taken in Carmen, that Chaplin

trimmed it to two reels, that the Essanay company

was dissatisfied with it as it stood, took it apart and recut

it in four reels. Then came Mr. Chaplin and said

he would stop its appearance.“

      „Mr. Spoor said in regard to the rumor:

      ,No matter what Mr. Chaplin says, his contract with

Essanay is in no way violated. Mr. Chaplin‘s O. K.

was not necessary. We have paid Chaplin for 16,000 feet

of negative made taking Carmen, and our contract

gives us the right to use any or part of anything he made

for us under that contract.‘

      ,I will say to the exhibitors, if Chaplin sees fit to

restrain, he is at liberty to do so, but I wish to remind them

that they take no chances in booking Carmen, as

the bond necessary for Chaplin to furnish will be ample

to protect them.‘

      Charlie Chaplin‘s burlesque on Carmen has its

initial showing at the Broadway theater, Forty-first street and

Broadway, New York City, and took the spectators

by storm. Police reserves were called out to hold the crowds

in check, so great were the throngs about the doors

of the theater trying to gain entrance.“

      Broadway Theatre, B‘way at 41st Street, New York.

      Essanay‘s Carmen Fake.

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