Moving Picture News (Jan-Dec 1911)

12 THE MOVING PICTURE NEWS adviser of the Arkansas Amusement Association, which controls the Orpheum and Lyceum. The question of opening on Sunday was discussed in all its many complicated phases, and the attorneys requested, if the managers were going into this matter at all, that each house subscribe $200, makmg a total purse of $1,000, one-half of which was to go for attorney fees, the other half to be used to carry the case to the Supreme Court, if this be found necessary. The Orpheum and Lyceum represented one interest. The Scenic was the first to "kick over the traces" and declined to come across with the two hundred simoleons, for the reason, they stated, that they v^^ere not sure they would get $200 vyorth run for their money. This threw the entire meeting "in the air," so to speak, and it was said that the Lyric, after the meeting had adjourned, also expressed objection to the $200 contribution. The matter is now just where it was weeks ago. No one seems to be willing to take the initiative and "buck" the prosecuting attorney, and it is very doubtful if this resort, for some Sundays to come, will witness any entertainment in the motion picture line on that day. Well, it was just as I stated in my letter last week, the bill calling for a new judicial district of Garland and Montgomery counties was presented in the General Assembly by Representative Whittington, of this city. This is the measure that has for its object the shelving of Judge Wood, prosecuting attorney. This resort the past week has witnessed an invasion of ball players of both National and American leagues, who, taking advantage of the weather, which has been like summer in its warmth, have come here for preliminary workouts prior to the regular spring training season. Many of the diamond stars are members of teams who will train in other places than Hot Springs, but there are such a number of prominent ball players who are here ahead of their clubs that the others came as much for the companionship of their acquaintances as they did for the benefits they will derive from the baths and practice they have been getting. If present condition can be taken as a criterion, it looks as if old Jiggs Donohue, the former first sacker of the V,''hite Sox, will give his younger competitors a good run for that position this year. Jiggs was promised by Comiskey some time ago that if he could get in position and deliver the goods that the place was his. He has been making Hot Springs his home, having opened up a billiard and pool emporium, as well as aiding bowling ^lley facilities, opposite the fashionable Arlington Hotel, but the past two weeks has seen him at Majestic Park getting into condition. Jiggs is also interested in the movement that is being made to organize. an Arkansas league, and he stated that he would be as well satisfied with a club in this State, where he would not be so far away from his business as would be the case if he were back in fast company. There seems to be some doubt as to just where the St. Louis Browns will train when they arrive this summer. Report had it that they would use one of the new diamonds now being built at Whittington Park. This field, when completed, will be one of the most ideal ball grounds in the South, being four hundred feet square, with grandstand and all training appointments. It seems, though, that when the Boston Americans gave up their lease at Majestic Park and decided to take the long "hike" to California, that the Browns assumed their lease and gave J. H. Jones, who controls Majestic Park, to understand that they would use the grounds formerly assigned to the classy aggregation from the Hub. Furthermore, it is known that Garry Herrman, of the Cincinnati Reds, has already arranged a series of games between his team and the St. Louis Browns, and this being the case it is not likely that they will be found training in extreme sections of the city. The Browns are expected the early part of next month, about the same time the Reds will arrive. The Brooklyn National League is also coming here for a longer stay than characterized their visit last year, and the Pirates of Pittsburg, with the veteran, Fred Clark, at their head, will arrive the latter part of next month, arrangements having already been made with the Eastman Hotel to that effect. The Eastman is the biggest and most expensive hostelry in the city, but Clark believes that nothing is too good for ball players, especially the members of his team. A big delegation of Washington players arrived this evening, including Tom Hughes, "Germany" Schaf¥er, McBride, Walter Johnson, Conroy, Doc Reisling and Gessler. Jimmie Burk. manager and third baseman of the Indianapolis team of the American Association, is here for preliminary work, together with Grover Land, who has been delegated to do the majority of the receiving for the Cleveland Naps. Art Fromme, on whom Clarl Griffith, of the Cincinnatis, depends for a great deal of the box work, arrived this week and has been chumming with George McQuillan, who came to the Reds in the historic trade with Philadelphia, which some months ago set the baseball world agog. These ball players, by the way, are rapidly rounding into condition, and if they are not in perfect form when his "umps" calls "Play Ba-al!" at the beginning of the season It won't be their fault. They are taking the best of care of themselves. The greatest and most violent form of dissipation they are indulging in is an evening's visit to the movmg picture shows and vaudeville theater. They love their pictures, but after the "good-night" slide is flashed on the curtain they hike for their hotels and the ha}'. The Lyceum this week is running the famous Independent pictures of the Cheyenne, Wyo., roundup of celebrated cowboys, at which Colonel Roosevelt managed to get in front of the camera. In fact, Teddy is billed as heavily as any of the cowpunchers, and business is good. After waiting many, many weeks, the Princess has at last succeeded in arranging a split week and is now giving two complete shows. One show, I understand, is booked by Sullivan and Considine, and the other comes from the Majestic circuit. The Lyric this week packed them to the doors, the great attraction being Astro Conlin, who manages to get in the limelight at most unexpected times. Astro is the lad who predicted the return of Belle Elmore, wife of Dr. Crippen, who figured recently in a "necktie party" in foggy old London town. Of course, Mrs. Crippen failed to materialize, but there were local papers which "fell" for this yarn and Astro is getting a munificent salary. He is a very pleasant and brilliant young man, and he gives the kind of a show that keeps every one guessing. And, speaking of guessing, I'm going to take a guess myself, to tlae effect that I guess this will be about all for this week. Good-night. Good guess! THE MAN IN THE BATHS. FILM CRITICISM As one who watches the films, day by day, and reports impressions thereon in the columns of this newspaper, I feel it is time to make a few remarks from a personal standpoint. I know full well in certain circles it is an article of faith, that the best preparation for criticism is to be profoundly ignorant of the subject matter and then use lots of adjectives, the whole to be adequately seasoned with malice and personal spite. This set can be ignored as outside the ken of any decently honest man. I am not dealing with scenario writing, where we are told all manner of experience, and even success, in books or dramas, are less than nothing worth. The people v/ho see the films, may not know anything of photographing, or operating, or manufacturing, of course, the majority do not, but to say that people who have studied art, read a good deal and lived the common life with their eyes and ears open, do not know a good picture, or a clean one, is simply the egotistic nonsense of a braggart. This ridiculous despotism that some are trying to set up, must, and will, share the just fate of all usurping czars. We must not say what we think of a play because we are not Maeterlinck, D'Annunzio, and David Belasco rolled together with Sarah Bernhardt's genius as a seasoning. We may not say we like a musical composition unless we are Chopin, Schubert, Rossini and Bach in one entity with Paderewski, Joachim and Patti thrown in. In other words, we are forever to hold our peace. Because a man cannot manufacture films, construct cameras, understand perforations and write scenarios, he is to pay his money at the theater, take his seat, and meekly murmur "magnificent," "spectacular," "grandiose," "prodigious," "miraculous," as twaddle, villainy, vice and rot dances before his bewildered eyes, with the smallpox of "expert" performations dancing hither and thither! How charming! The film is to be a Czar and I tremble, as I recall scenes 'twixt Petersburg and the Urals, where the strings of "criminals" because they were not Tolstoi, wearily trudged on to the mines because they dared to express an honest opinion. Miserable wretches, who, not being noblemen or officials, honestly said, and wrote of life as presented on the screen out there. En passant, who had a ghost of a claim to be film experts not so many years ago! Many manufacturers — I shudder and remember Tobolsk and Omsk at this point — are either sublimely ignorant of who goes to moving picture theaters or else take up old Vanderbilt's opinion of the public and do not care one continental what the common, vulgar, unwashed think. Here's where their majesties make a bad mistake, and one that is going to hit them in their only tender sport, their bank account. I claim from a life, nowadays, spent in watching pictures and in talking to a few who go to the theaters that some film mak