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[Illustration: PIECES OF THE BROKEN SKYLIGHT IN THE ROOF OF THE
PLAYHOUSE CLATTERED DOWN.]
The
Motion Picture Chums
at Seaside Park
OR
The Rival Photo Theatres of the Boardwalk
BY
VICTOR APPLETON
AUTHOR OF "THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE,"
"THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES,"
"TOM SWIFT SERIES," ETC.
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
BOOKS BY VICTOR APPLETON
THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS SERIES
_12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._
_Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._
THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS' FIRST VENTURE
THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT SEASIDE PARK
(_Other volumes in preparation_)
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS SERIES
_12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._
_Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE WEST
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS ON THE COAST
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE
THE MOVING PICTURE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND
(_Other volumes in preparation_)
THE TOM SWIFT SERIES
_12 mo. Cloth. Illustrated._
_Price, per volume, 40 cents, postpaid._
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER
TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER
TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
Copyright, 1913, BY
GROSSET & DUNLAP
_The Motion Picture Chums at Seaside Park_
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I Looking for Business 1
II The Motor Boat 9
III Short of Funds 18
IV An Old Friend 28
V The Bird House 38
VI A Friend in Need 48
VII Business Boys 57
VIII Kidnapped 66
IX Pep in Clover 75
X The Press Agent 87
XI Crossed Wires 96
XII Business Rivals 104
XIII All Ready! 112
XIV "The Great Unknown" 119
XV The Speaking Picture 126
XVI A Grand Success 133
XVII Boastful Peter 141
XVIII The Great Film 149
XIX Getting Along 157
XX A Rich Find 165
XXI The Tin Box 174
XXII A Big Reward 185
XXIII The Broken Sign 193
XXIV The Great Storm 201
XXV Conclusion 209
THE MOTION PICTURE CHUMS AT SEASIDE PARK
CHAPTER I--LOOKING FOR BUSINESS
"Boys, this is just the spot we are looking for!"
"Yes, I am sure a good photo playhouse on this boardwalk would pay."
It was Frank Durham who made the first declaration and his chum and
young partner, Randy Powell, who echoed it. Both looked like lads in
business earnestly looking for something they wanted, and determined to
find it. Then the third member of the little group glanced where his
companions were gazing. He was Pepperill Smith, and he burst forth in
his enthusiastic way:
"The very thing!"
The three chums had arrived at Seaside Park only that morning. Their
home was at Fairlands, one hundred and fifty miles west. Everything was
new to them and there was certainly enough variety, excitement and
commotion to satisfy any lively lad. They had, however, come for
something else than pleasure. They had a distinct purpose in view, and
Frank's remarks brought it up.
Seaside Park was a very popular ocean resort. It was a trim little town
with a normal population of less than three thousand souls. In the
summer season, however, it provided for over ten times that number. A
substantial boardwalk fronted the beach where people bathed, lined with
stores, booths, and curio and souvenir tents. There were several
restaurants for the convenience of those who had run down from the big
cities to take a day's enjoyment and did not care to stay at the
pretentious hotels.
The three friends had made for this part of the resort as soon as they
had arrived. As they had strolled down the boardwalk Frank had
studiously observed the general layout and the points where the
pleasure-seekers most congregated. Randy was quite as much interested in
peering in at the windows of the few buildings bearing "To Rent" signs.
Pep made a deliberate stop wherever a show place attracted his
attention. Now all three had halted in front of an unoccupied building
and were looking it over critically.
"I say, fellows," observed Frank, "this is worth looking into."
"It's certainly a fine location," added Randy.
"Just made for us," piped the exuberant Pep.
The building was frame and one story in height. It was of ample breadth,
and as the brisk and busy Pep squinted down its side he declared it was
over one hundred feet long. Randy went up to the chalked-over windows,
while Frank took out a card and copied the name and address of the owner
given on the rent sign.
"Hi, this way!" suddenly hailed the active Pep. "The door isn't locked."
"That's great," spoke Randy. "I want to see what the inside looks like."
"Hello, there!" called out a man's voice as they stepped over the
threshold of the broad double doorway.
"Hello yourself, mister," retorted Pep cheerily, "we were sort of
interested in the place and wanted to look it over."
Frank stepped forward. The man who had challenged them was in his shirt
sleeves, working at a plank over two wooden horses mending some wire
screens.
"We are looking over the beach with the idea of finding a good location
for a show," Frank explained.
"What kind of a show?" inquired the man, studying the trio sharply.
"Motion picture."
"Well, you've come to the right place, I can tell you that," declared
the man, showing more interest and putting aside the screen he was
mending. "Pretty young, though, for business on your own hook; aren't
you?"
"Oh, we're regular business men, we are," vaunted Pep. "This is Frank
Durham, and this is Randolph Powell. The three of us ran a photo
playhouse in Fairlands for six months, so we know the business."
"Is that so?" observed the man musingly. "Well, I'm the owner of the
building here and as you see, want to find a good tenant for the season.
I'm mending up the screens to those ventilating windows. I'm going to
redecorate it inside and out, and the place is right in the center of
the busiest part of the beach."
"What was it used for before?" inquired Frank.
"Bowling alley, once. Then a man tried an ice cream parlor, but there
was too much competition. Last season a man put in a penny arcade, but
that caught only the cheap trade and not much of that."
Frank walked to the end of the long room and looked over the lighting
equipment, the floor and the ceiling. Then he nodded to Randy and Pep,
who joined him at a window, as if looking casually over the surroundings
of the vacant place.
"See here, fellows," Frank said, "it looks as though we had stumbled
upon a fine opportunity."
"Splendid!" voiced Randy.
"It strikes me just right," approved Pep. "What a dandy place we can
make of it, with all this space! Why, we'll put three rows of seats, the
middle one double. There's all kinds of space on the walls for posters.
I'll have to get an assistant usher and----"
"Hold on, Pep!" laughed Frank. "Aren't you going pretty fast? The rent
may be 'way out of our reach. You know we are not exactly millionaires,
and our limited capital may not come anywhere near covering things."
"Find out what the rent is; won't you, Frank?" pressed Randy.
"There's no harm in that," replied Frank.
He went up to the owner of the place while Randy and Pep strolled
outside. They walked around the building twice, studying it in every
particular. Randy looked eager and Pep excited as Frank came out on the
sidewalk. They could tell from the pleased look on his face that he was
the bearer of good news.
"What is it, Frank?" queried Randy, anxiously.
"The rent isn't half what I expected it to be."
"Good!" cried Pep.
"But it's high enough to consider in a careful way. Then again the owner
of the building insists that nothing but a strictly first-class show
will draw patronage at Seaside Park. The people who come here are
generally of a superior type and the transients come from large places
where they have seen the best going in the way of photo plays. It's
going to cost a lot of money to start a playhouse here, and we can't
decide in a moment."
"How many other motion picture shows are there in Seaside Park, Frank?"
inquired Pep.
"None."
Both Randy and Pep were surprised at this statement and told Frank so.
"The movies tried it out in connection with a restaurant last season,
but made a fizzle of it, the man in there tells me," reported Frank. "He
says there may be a show put in later in the season--you see we are
pretty early on the scene and the summer rush has not come yet. In fact,
he hinted that some New York fellows were down here last week looking
over the prospects in our line. I've told him just how we are situated,
and I think he has taken quite a liking to us and would like to
encourage us if it didn't cost him anything. He says he will give us
until Monday to figure up and decide what we want to do. There's one
thing, though--we will have to put up the rent for the place for the
whole season."
"What--in advance?" exclaimed Randy.
"Yes--four months. It seems that one or two former tenants left their
landlord in the lurch and he won't take any more risks. Cash or the
guarantee of some responsible person is the way this man, Mr. Morton,
puts in."
"Humph!" commented Pep. "Why doesn't he make us buy the place and be
done with it?"
"Well, if we start in we're going to stick; aren't we?" propounded
Randy. "So it's simply a question of raising enough money."
"Mr. Morton says that along Beach Row there is nothing in the way of
first-class amusements," Frank went on. "There's a merry-go-round and a
summer garden with a band and some few cheap side shows."
"Then we would have the field all to ourselves," submitted Randy.
"Unless a business rival came along, which he won't, unless we are
making money, so the more the merrier," declared Frank, briskly. "We'll
talk the whole business over this evening, fellows. In the meantime
we'll take in the many sights and post ourselves on the prospects."
"I do hope we'll be able to get that place," said Pep, longingly. "What
a fine view we have! I'd never get tired of being in sight of the sea
and all this gay excitement around us."
The chums left the boardwalk and went across the sands, watching the
merry crowds playing on the beach and running out into the water. Big
and little, old and young, seemed to be full of fun and excitement.
Early in the season as it was, there were a number of bathers.
"That would make a fine motion picture; eh?" suggested Randy, his mind
always on business.
"Yes, and so would that!" shouted Pep. "Jumping crickets! Fellows--look!"
There had sounded a sharp explosion. At a certain spot a great cascade
of water like the spouting of a whale went up into the air. A hiss of
steam focussed in a whirling, swaying mass at one point. There was the
echo of yells and screams.
"What's happened, I wonder----" began Randy.
"I saw it!" interrupted an excited bather, who had ran out of the water.
"A motor boat has blown up!"
"Then those on board must be in danger of burning or drowning, boys,"
shouted Frank. "To the rescue!"