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The History of Cinema Exhibition in Exeter 1895 - 1918
Alex Rankin
(The text of this dissertation is copyright Alex Rankin, 2001. No part of it may be reproduced without the permission of the author.)
Notes
(1) Exeter Evening Post, Wednesday, 14 August 1895.
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(2) Robert Allen and Douglas Gomery, Film History: Theory and Practice, IV.
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(3) Robert Newton, Victorian Exeter 1837-1914, p.973.
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(4) Robert Newton, Victorian Exeter 1837-1914, p.970.
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(5) Robert Newton, Victorian Exeter 1837-1914, p.758.
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(6) Ernest Betts, The Film Business, p.21.
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(7) John Barnes, Vol 1, p.150.
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(8) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 6 October 1896.
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(9) Duncan Petrie, 'History and Cinema Technology', John Hill and Pamela Church Gibson (eds.), Oxford Guide to Film Studies, p.238.
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(10) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 6 October 1896.
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(11) Birt Acres was a cameraman who, in the very early years, worked with Paul as a partner in the business before the pairing broke up and they set up individual businesses.
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(12) Martin Quigley, Magic Shadows, p.153, and M. Jackson-Wrigley and Eric Layland, The Cinema, p.11.
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(13) Beerbohm Tree in Michael R. Booth, Victorian Spectacular Theatre 1850-1910, p.14.
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(14) Exeter Evening Post, Wednesday, 7 October 1896.
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(15) Peter Dyson, A Centenary of Cinema in Dorset 1896-1996, p.39.
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(16) Poole, 100 Years of Showmanship.
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(17) John Bames, Vol. 2, p.14.
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(18) Eric Rhode, A History of the Cinema, p.19.
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(19) Exeter Evening Post, Wednesday, 6 May 1897.
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(20) Robert W. Paul, 'Kinematograph Experiences', Raymond Fielding, A Technological History of Motion Pictures and Television, p.45.
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(21) Noel Burch, Life to those Shadows, p.47.
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(22) Lilly May Richards, The Biography of William Haggar, p.11.
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(23) Focus, Vol 1, 1903.
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(24) The Post Office Directory of Exeter and Suburbs (1897 and 1898).
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(25) John Bames, Vol 2, pp.188-9.
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(26) Robert C. Allen, 'Contra the Chaser Theory', John L. Fell (ed.), Film Before Griffith, p.108. For a longer discussion of this issue see Allen, Vaudeville and Film.
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(27) Charles Musser takes a quotation from Keith's Boston manager: "It seems a shame to waste [a good act] down in this part of the bill, for that is practically what it means as people keep going out all through the act. Personally I believe it would be better to close the show ... with a medium act, as no more than half the audience will remain to see a good one, no matter what it is." Taken from Charles Musser, The Emergence of Cinema, p.298. Also in Allen, Vaudeville and Film.
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(28) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 23 November 1897.
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(29) The Western Times, Tuesday, 23 November 1897.
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(30) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 24 January 1898.
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(31) Exeter Evening Post, 3 February 1898.
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(32) Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan (eds.), Who's Who of Victorian Cinema, p.83.
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(33) Exeter Evening Post, Monday, September 5 1898.
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(34) Rachel Low and Roger Manuel, The History of the British Film 1896-1906, p.37.
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(35) The Western Times, Tuesday, September 20 1898.
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(36) The Western Times, Tuesday, September 23 1898.
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(37) The Photogram, Volume IV, 1897.
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(38) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 3 January 1899.
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(39) Exeter Evening Post, Monday 20 November 1899.
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(40) Exeter Evening Post, Monday, 27 November 1899.
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(41) The fight film is most likely to be Edison's re-enactment after the original fight, in June 1899, lost to the cameras when the lights around the ring bumt themselves out. With the Buller departure, the actual date, 14th October, is clearly known. However, there is some danger in relying on this date the actual film exhibited at the Victoria Hall. Film companies were known to reuse old mat and, through the use of new titles, make them applicable to current events. Military subjects were apparently especially easy to 'fake' in this way. (See Chamber's Journal,Series Six, p.489 for more on this matter). Thus, whilst the Buller film was, in all likelihood, one of the genuine films, there is also a possibility that it could have been old shots of Buller or even old military hardware films, that had been recommissioned in light of current events.
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(42) John Barnes, Vol. 4, p.7.
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(43) Victor W. Cook, 'The Humours of "Living Picture" Making', Chamber's Journal, Series Six, December 1899-November 1900, p.488.
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(44) John M. MacKenzie, Propaganda and Empire, pp.69-70.
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(45) Exeter Evening Post, Friday, 1 December 1899.
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(46) Penelope Summerfield, 'The Effingham Arms and the Empire: Deliberate Selection in the Evolution of Music Hall in London', Eileen and Stephen Yeo (eds.), Popular Culture and Class Conflict 1590-1914, p.222.
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(47) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 27 February 1900.
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(48) The Optical Magic Lantern Journal and Photographic Enlarger, Volume XI, January to December 1900, p.30.
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(49) John Wrench and Son, statement from The Era, taken from John Bames, Volume 5, p.109.
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(50) Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan (eds.), Who's Who of Victorian Cinema, p.149.
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(51) Exeter Evening Post, Thursday, 24 May 1900.
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(52) The Victoria Hall in fact performed a number of functions. As well as providing entertainment of the kind found in the traditional music halls, it also served as a venue for dancing, auctions, trade exhibitions, general meetings and other entertainments.
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(53) Dave Russell, '"We Carved our way to Glory": the British soldier in music hall song and sketch, c. 1880-1914', John M. MacKenzie (ed.), Popular Imperialism and the Military 1850-1950, p.58.
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(54) The Devon Weekly Times, Friday December 27, 1901.
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(55) Charles Musser, The Emergence of Cinema, p.225.
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(56) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, 26 February 1901.
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(57) Exeter Flying Post (also known as Trewman's Flying Post), Saturday, March 9 1901.
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(58) See his account in W. K.-L. Dickson, The Biograph in Battle.
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(59) John Barnes, Volume 5, p.113.
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(60) Exeter Evening Post, Monday, 6 May 1901.
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(61) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, May 7 1901.
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(62) Exeter Evening Post, Thursday, October 10 1901.
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(63) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, October 15 1901.
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(64) Exeter Evening Post, Thursday, November 19 1901.
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(65) Exeter Evening Post, Tuesday, November 19 1901.
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(66) John Bames, Vol 5, p.115.
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(67) John Bames, Vol 3.
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(68) Exeter Evening Post, Friday, December 20 1901.
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(69) Exeter Evening Post, Friday, December 27 1901.
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(70) Rachael Low, The History of the British Film 1906-1914, p.13.
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(71) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 6 1901.
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(72) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 13 1902.
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(73) John Barnes, Vol. 4, p.103.
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(74) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 27 1902.
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(75) Robert C. Allen, Vaudeville and Film, p.144.
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(76) Robert C. Allen, 'Contra the Chaser Theory', John L. Fell, Film Before Griffith, p.114.
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(77) Details taken from advertisements placed in the Flying Post during the given months.
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(78) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 19 1903.
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(79) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 20 1904.
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(80) Tom Dewe Matthews, Censored, chapter 1.
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(81) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, April 30, 1904.
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(82) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, April 23 1904.
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(83) 'Index of Submarine Names', http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/jdholt/index2.html [link no longer exists]
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(84) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 7 1904.
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(85) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 18, 1905.
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(86) Charles Musser, The Emergence of Cinema, p.368.
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(87) Rachel Low and Roger Manvell, The History of the British Film 1896-1906, p.120.
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(88) Audrey Field, Picture Palace; a social history of the cinema, p.14.
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(89) The term 'original topicals' is to differentiate between subjects that were current, important events that would certainly be deemed newsworthy and 'stock subjects', that is, old news stories that continued to be offered in the absence of any new films to take their place.
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(90) Robert C. Allen uses a quotation from the Moving Picture World of February 1908 to indicate this: "The present-day subjects of drama, melodrama, and tragedies, etc., are not a drawing card. The demand of the public is now for the picture machine to bring them its immense possibilities. Show to the patron what they cannot see or realize in any other way except by attending these theaters." Taken from Vaudeville and Film, p.214.
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(91) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 17, 1906.
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(92) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 24, 1906.
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(93) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 31, 1906.
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(94) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 8, 1906.
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(95) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 23, 1907.
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(96) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, June 1, 1907.
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(97) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, November 7, 1908.
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(98) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, November 7, 1908.
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(99) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, November 14, 1908 and Saturday, November 28, 1908.
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(100) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 20, 1909.
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(101) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 20, 1909.
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(102) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 15, 1909.
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(103) David Atwell, Cathedrals of the Movies, p.8.
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(104) Council Minutes and Reports of the Committees of the Council (hereafter Council Minutes), Watch Committee, Wednesday July 7, 1909.
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(105) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Wednesday October 13, 1909.
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(106) A. Humphrey Williams and Alfred Harris, The Cinematograph Act, 1909 with notes and an appendix of statutes and regulations, p.1.
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(107) Dorothy Knowles, The Censor, The Drama and the Film 1900-1934, pp.169-70.
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(108) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Wednesday April 13, 1910.
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(109) Rachael Low, The History of the British Film 1906-1914, p.62.
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(110) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, January 29, 1910.
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(111) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, April 23, 1910.
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(112) David Atwell, Cathedrals of the Movies, p.10.
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(113) Council Minutes,The Watch Committee, Wednesday, September 14, 1910.
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(114) David Atwell, Cathedrals of the Movies, p.14.
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(115) Rachael Low, The History of the British Film 1906-1914, p.16.
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(116) William Lewis, 'Down Memory Lane in Exeter and Devon', Cinema Organ, Winter 1991.
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(117) Richard Gray, One Hundred Years of Cinema Architecture, p.23.
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(118) Stuart Smith notes that the Express and Echo covered the opening although he apparently has seen the article himself and seems to be relying on the memories of someone who did. The information that he details is not credited and consequently cannot be checked. If the details are correct (and doubts must be raised given the inaccuracy of other information in the book), the op performance was given to selected invited guests. These guests presumably would have include council officials and city leaders; Exeter's first cinema was apparently seeking middle-class approval from the start.
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(119) Richard Koszarski, An Evening's Entertainment, p.192.
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(120) It is important to note that the term 'picture palace' in this sense does not indicate a building of the size and style of the picture palaces in America. In Britain, 'picture palace' was simply the generic term given to early cinemas.
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(121) Stuart Smith puts the Franklin's opening as February 1911. However, Smith's data has been incorrect on several occasions and consequently must be considered unreliable. It is, however, sufficient to say that the Franklin opened in the first half of 1911 and was, by the summer, providing adequate competition to the Empire.
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(122) Epes Winthrop Sargent, Picture Theatre Advertising, p.21.
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(123) Nicholas Hiley, 'At the Picture Palace: The British Cinema Audience, 189 -1920', John Fullerton (ed.), Celebrating 1895, p. 97.
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(124) How to Run a Picture Theatre, (published by Kinematograph and Lantern Weekly), p.85.
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(125) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 16, 1912.
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(126) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 11, 1912.
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(127) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, January 10, 1912.
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(128) David Atwell, Cathedrals of the Movies, p.46.
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(129) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, July 27, 1912.
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(130) Black's Guide to Exeter and East Devon of 1911 has this to say about when discussing entertainments in the city: "The Theatre Royal, erected in 1886, was burnt down soon afterwards, with great loss of life, and has been rebuilt, but now seems to take the title of Hippodrome", p.35.
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(131) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Wednesday, March 13, 1912.
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(132) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, April 6, 1912.
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(133) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 28, 1912.
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(134) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Wednesday, August 7, 1912.
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(135) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, November 16, 1912.
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(136) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, October 26, 1912.
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(137) The Times, April 9, 1913.
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(138) The Times, April 12, 1913.
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(139) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, January 18, 1913.
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(140) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, May 12, 1914.
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(141) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 24, 1913.
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(142) Noel Burch, Life to those Shadows, p.105.
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(143) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, December 20, 1913.
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(144) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, December 27, 1913.
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(145) Robert C. Allen, Vaudeville and Film, p.230.
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(146) Eileen Bowser, The Transformation of Cinema 1907-1915, p.40.
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(147) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, December 27, 1913.
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(148) Meloy, Theatres and Picture Theatres, p.3.
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(149) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 28, 1914.
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(150) The Barnfield Hall, in July 1914, put on pictures of Scott's expedition to the South Pole. Although this is a long time after these films first became available (the first half reaching exhibitors in the autumn 1911, followed by a second instalment in August 1912) the quality of the films, coupled with the story behind the expedition, would presumably have made these highly prized films. For more information see Rachael Low, The History of the British Film 1906-1914, pp.155-6 and Kevin Brownlow, The War, The West and The Wilderness,pp. 425-34.
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(151) John MacKenzie, Propaganda and Empire, p.74.
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(152) Tom Dewe Matthews, Censored, p.32.
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(153) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 19, 1914.
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(154) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, October 31, 1914.
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(155) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, November 21, 1914.
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(156) Exeter Flying Post, Thursday, December 24, 1914.
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(157) Tino Balio (ed.), The American Film Industry, p.54.
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(158) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Tuesday, December 8, 1914.
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(159) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, December 19, 1914.
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(160) Feature films dealing with war subjects topped the bill five times during February and March whilst the news films continued to provide support.
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(161) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 20, 1915.
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(162) Exeter Flying Post,
Saturday, March 27, 1915.
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(163) John MacKenzie, Propaganda and Empire, p.74.
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(164) The first of these pro-enlisting evenings at the Victoria Hall seems to have been in the week commencing 8th November, 1915. In addition to the films there were guest speakers and a military band. This format is also reminiscent of the entertainment evenings during the Boer War.
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(165) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, April 10, 1915.
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(166) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, May 29, 1915.
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(167) The Times, 1915, taken from Audrey Field, Picture Palace, p.30. Rachael Low also identifies this move away from war films in The History of British Film 1914-1918, p.30.
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(168) Kevin Brownlow, The War, The West and The Wilderness, p.40.
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(169) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, February 19, 1916.
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(170) Rachael Low, The History of the British Film 1914-1918, p.42.
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(171) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, January 1, 1916.
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(172) Eileen Bowser, The Transformation of Cinema, p.258.
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(173) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, June 3, 1916.
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(174) See Tom Dewe Matthews, Censored, p.32 for a full account of this documentary and its filming.
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(175) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, September 23, 1916.
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(176) For full details see Nicholas Hiley, 'At the Picture Palace: The British Cinema Audience, 1895-1920', John Fullerton (ed.), Celebrating 1895, p.97.
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(177) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, August 19, 1916.
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(178) Lord Derby's message, 22nd December 1916: "On behalf of the Army Council I take this opportunity of thanking the whole of the Cinematograph Trade for the great services that you have rendered in the past in giving the fullest possible publicity to the Official War Office Film of our Armies in France, and in other theatres of War. I feel sure that we can count on your continued support in this useful work of bringing home to us all the great sacrifices that are being made daily by our brave troops in the field, and of reminding us that it is our duty to do in our respective spheres all that we can to help them."
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(179) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 24, 1917.
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(180) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 31, 1917.
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(181) Express and Echo, Saturday, August 11, 1917.
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(182) Express and Echo, Tuesday, August 14, 1917.
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(183) Exeter Flying Post, Saturday, March 31, 1917 and Express and Echo, Saturday, July 14, 1917.
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(184) Express and Echo, Saturday, July 14, 1917.
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(185) Express and Echo, Tuesday, October 9, 1917.
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(186) Express and Echo, Tuesday, November 6, 1917.
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(187) This legislation was enforced through the Cinematograph Licenses: "That upon receipt of a notification in writing by the Chairman of the City Education Committee and the Medical Officer of Health for the City that in their opinion the exclusion of children for the time being will tend to prevent the spread of infectious disease, the licensee shall until such notification is withdrawn exclude from licensed premises all children under 14 years of age." As taken from Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Tuesday, January 16, 1917.
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(188) Express and Echo, Thursday, October 11, 1917.
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(189) Council Minutes, The Watch Committee, Tuesday, January 18, 1918.
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(190) Express and Echo, Tuesday, April 23, 1918.
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(191) Express and Echo, Tuesday, May 7, 1918.
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(192) Express and Echo, Monday, June 24, 1918.
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(193) Rachael Low, The History of the British Film, 1906-1914, p.52. See Appendix B for the complete figures.
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(194) David Atwell, Cathedrals of the Movies, p.31.
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(195) John Mackenzie, Propaganda and Empire, p.76.
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