This week 1923, the Fountain Cinema opened on James's Street, Dublin. Its first programme included Jim the Penman (US: Whitman Bennett, 1921), with Lionel Barrymore, and Married Life (US: Sennett, 1920), with Ben Turpin. Images: Evening Herald and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #LionelBarrymore #BenTurpin #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

This week 1923, Belgian-born Irish cinema pioneer Louis De Clercq delivered the paper "Projecting Machines" to the Irish Cinema and Amusements Guild, showing early projection equipment and discussing dangers of fire. Image: Freeman's Journal. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #CinemaHistory

Robinson stated: "If I had power I would make it compulsory for every cinema in Dublin to give its audience half an hour of slum life every night - and within a year the slums would be gone, bought out by the cinema proprietors to save themselves from ruin." #EarlyIrishCinema1923

In the Freeman's Journal this weekend 1923, Irish playwright Lennox Robinson championed a realist cinema against "a tiresome reiteration of Wild West shows, of millionaire life in America, of English novels and plays twenty years old badly screened, of crude comics." #EarlyIrishCinema1923

On 18 February 1923, Nenagh's Ormond Picture Palace was showing Perjury (US: Fox, 1921), starring William Farnum, but warned - or is it reassured? - patrons that "performances will not start until after church devotions." Images: Nenagh Guardian and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Nenagh #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

On 17 February 1923, Derry's Picture Palace was showing The Song of Life (US: Mayer, 1922), an "outcry against divorce" starring Grace Darmond. "As an exposition of domestic discontent results, it is an original conception." Images: Derry People and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Derry #SilentFilm #CinemaHistory

"As for the film 'fans' themselves - they are easily discovered in a crowd. An up-turned head, strained eyes, and a readiness to grasp a neighbouring arm are infallible signs of a haunter of picture palaces!" #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #FilmAudience #CinemaHistory

This week 1923, M.G.'s Familiar Faces column in the Evening Herald took Screen Stars as its latest topic of scrutiny. It focused on film stardom as a phenomenon audiences encountered at the cinema. "There are, generally speaking, five types of cinema stars - the Hero, the Heroine, the Villain, the Vamp, and the 'Stunters.' The minute a face appears on the 'silver sheet,' if you are addicted to picture-going at all, you will recognise at once what character it represents." #EarlyIrishCinema1923

Citroën advertised that it had an ad for its cars running at Belfast's Imperial Picture House this week 1923. The Imperial's ad focused on horses rather than cars, in the races of The Scarlet Lady (UK: Hopson, 1922). Images: Belfast News-Letter & Bioscope. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Citroën #TheScarletLady #Belfast #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

#OTD 1923, Dublin's La Scala Theatre was showing The Conquering Power (US: Metro, 1921), directed by Rex Ingram and starring Rudolph Valentino and Alice Terry, based on Balzac's novel Eugénie Grandet. Images: Freeman's Journal, IMDb and Wikipedia. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #TheConqueringPower #RexIngram #RudolphValentino #AliceTerry

On 14 February 1923, the management of Dublin's soon-to-open Fountain Picture House placed a teaser ad in the Evening Herald headed "City Film Offices Raided To-Day," probably a reference to the arson attack that destroyed Pathé's Dublin office the previous week. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #IrishCivilWar #CinemaHistory

On 14 February 1923, Magner's Theatre, Clonmel offered diver scam Below the Surface (US: Ince, 1920) but more heavily advertised the upcoming Prizma Color Great Fire of London feature The Glorious Adventure (UK: Blackton, 1922). The push for The Glorious Adventure included a full column ad. The publicity image of Victor McLaglen might have done the job more effectively. Images: Nationalist and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Clonmel #VictorMcLaglen #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

In the Irish Independent this week 1923, dedicated cinemagoer R.J. Purcell suggested some improvements to cinema, including the hope that closeups would follow the demise of poorly synched sound effects. "A tear as big as a potato fails to awaken the desired response in a damp climate like ours." #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #CinemaHistory

On 10 February 1923, Dublin's Stella, Rathmines offered The Card (UK: Ideal, 1922), starring Laddie Cliff, and the Larry Semon comedy The Bell Hop (US: Semon, 1921), accompanied by Terry O'Connor's orchestra. Images: Irish Independent, Bioscope & IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Rathmines #LarrySemon #LiveAccompaniment #SilentFilm #CinemaHistory

On 6 February 1923, Nenagh's Ormond Picture Palace offered Jeanne of the Marshes (AKA Behind Masks; US: Famous Players-Lasky, 1921) featuring "wonderful diving of Dorothy Dalton into a storm-tossed sea." Images: Nenagh Guardian and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Nenagh #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

On 5 February 1923, Longford's Cinema was showing "something extra good": The Swamp (US: Hayakawa, 1921), based on a story of big-city poverty by its leading man Sessue Hayakawa. Images: Longford Leader and IMDb. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Longford #SessueHayakawa #CinemaHistory #SilentFilm

#OTD 1923, Meath Chronicle carried the full story of how the film Man-Woman-Marriage (US: Holubar, 1921) rescued from a Civil War arson attack on a train at Drumree on 24 January had been shown at the Navan Picture Palace the following night. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #Navan #IrishCivilWar #SilentFilm #CinemaHistory

#OTD 1923, Meath Chronicle carried the full story of how the film Man-Woman-Marriage (US: Holubar, 1921) rescued from a Civil War arson attack on a train at Drumree on 24 January had been shown at the Navan Picture Palace the following night. #EarlyIrishCinema1923

"What do the citizens like at the pictures?" Irish Independent's JHC asked #OTD 1923. "As a general thing romantic films pleased Dublin best. Comic matter ranked next. Cowboy incidents had still a grip...travel scenes...news... Problem plays...stood last."
#EarlyIrishCinema1923 #CinemaAudience

This week 1923, cinemas & theatres became part of the Irish Civil War in Cork, when anti-Treaty forces demanded they close when their members were being executed and the National Army insisted they remain open under pain of arrest. Image: Irish Independent. #EarlyIrishCinema1923 #IrishCivilWar #Cork