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Animated Pictures 341 despite the fact that in some instances the most luxurious seats can be obtained for a “quarter,” while the greater part of the house is available to the humble “nickel” and "dime”—2jd. and 5d.—respectively. Paris, the cradle of the craze, has never abandoned its latest love. Indeed, it possesses what is undoubt- edly the largest building in the world devoted to the “ movies.” In Montmartre a huge building was run up several years ago for spectacular entertainments, exhibitions, circuses, and any other object for which plenty of space was required. But it was invariably closed for longer spells than it was open. A French picture producer, Monsieur Léon Gaumont, decided to acquire the building and to adapt it to the new fashion. His friends were somewhat staggered by his proposal, despite the fact that every picture palace in the city was enjoying great prosperity. Conversion in this instance proved a somewhat expensive task, owing to the vast size of the building ; but the enter- prising entrepreneur spared no expense, and in due course the “ Hippodrome,” as it was re-named, was opened. Those who had doubted its success, in view of its former chequered career, were compelled to revise their opinions. The wiseacres, when they gleaned tidings of the undertaking, shook their heads and sagely maintained that no one would go to the Montmartre to see moving pictures. But it is no uncommon circumstance for this picture theatre to be crowded with 6,000 persons, all enthusiastically following and applauding what is revealed to them upon the white sheet in photographic movement. It was the boom in the picture palaces which stimulated the production of the pictures. The firms