Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1920)

Photoplay AUgazine — Advertising Section "California Syrup of Figs" Mother! You can always depend upon genuine "California Syrup of Figs," but you must always say California or you may get an imitation. Laxative for Children All children love the fruity taste of this harmless laxative. Directions for babies and children of all ages are on bottle. Say California. Look for the name California Fig Syrup Company. \ Beauty ii Every Box The Finest Face Bleach ever pioducfd. Uofs Wonders for a bad compU-xinn. All dL-alers or by mail. $1.25. Free Booklet. OR. C H. BERRY CO.. 2375 Michigan Ave.. CHICOGO MOVIE FANS, ATTENTION! Ilerp is a chance to secure Kenuine photos of your movie fuvoritefl. All oriKiDal i>osee l>y the Stars. Beautiful and Artistic, nnd they are sure to please you. If not, we refuml \onr money. 50c •■ch, 12 for %3 OO. Exccntional value. M.'iko your selection NOW from this li^t : ThedaRara Clara K. Young Alice Joyce FVwnk Mayo MnryMifcH Mintcr Katherine Mnbol Normand McD«>nald Olga IVtrorn Mac Murray Mary Pickford Charte:* Ray Blanche Sweet Nazimnva Anitn Stewart CharlcN Chnnlfn Norma Tnlmadffo Mildred HarrU iVarl WhiU Richnrd Earlo Williams IlarthelmcAM or any ul tho other popular stars SOe Each 12 for $5.00 Money clioorfiillv rt^fnndi^ if nnts:iti«f.irtory Mail at once witli iidUiu aud udircos iila.uly written to S.BRAM, Dept. 91. 209W.48th St., NowVo^^City Put one in your mouth at bedtime kmi^niimiii^imi^uiiiiiiiiniiii^iuiiiuiiiuiu The Mighty Messenger ( Continued from page 48) so much more about folks to start with, than I did. There was a bunch of boys, "The Union Street Gang," who just naturally flocked to William from the lime he went out on the sidewalk to nail up his first poster. They sold tickets, they took tickets at the door, they ushered, they swept, they dusted, they ran errands, they carried reels, they watched the e.vit to prevent those outside the fold from sneaking in. They had free admission of course and the proud privilege of bringing sister or little brother. They . were as proud as kings of their privileges, and somehow profanity, cigarette-smoking and mischief-making dropped away from them. Not that William ever mentioned those things to them, but they were too busy for miichief and "The Boss" didn't smoke or swear, so why should they? They were the nucleus, the first point of contact which brought the whole neighborhood, naturally, to our doors. Their famihes became our allies, and good fellowship, once started among those people, rolls up like the proverbial snowball. We got to know everybody, their joys, their griefs, their problems, as William had prophesied. We helped them as much as we could, and they help>ed us immeasurably more. AnJ all this lime we were coming to realize, more and more, that the motion picture theater was, as John O'Reilly had e.xpressed it, "putting a crimp" in the saloon business! Not iusl our motion pictures cutting in on O'Reilly's business, but all the motion piclures cutting in on all the saloons. The people of the poorer districts of OUT large cities do not stay at home in the evening. They have a few overcrowded rooms, too cold in winter, too hot in summer, with no quietness, no privacy, no good lights to read by, nothing to make them attractive. Before the days of the motion picture, the children played in the streets, after supper, in imminent danger of beins run over by street car or truck. The girls and boys strolled up and down or sought vacant stairways or park benches. The women gathered in groups to gossip. The men. and the older boys went to "the poor man's club," the saloon. It was the nearest approach they (ould find to comfort, good cheer, companionship. Then the motion picture came and gave the poor man the first place to which he had ever been able to take his whole family. He found that the films interested him. and gave him something new to think about. He spent less money, and he felt better the morning after. For a few years old John Barleycorn rolled up his sleeves, gnashed his teeth, and put up a good fight. Then he succumbed to two enemies. The organized reformers who had worked long, patiently and heroically for prohibition, and the motion picture industry which in promoting iu own interests h.Vd automatically opposed the interests of the liquor makers and dealers. John Barleycorn himself recognized his natural enemy almost from the beginning He knows how great a factor it was in hi* defeat. Do the reformers know it? \ few of them do. Most of them do mil. With a curious reflex which is cither lilindness or gross ingratitude they have turned to attack their most efficient ally. Vou see. in this country, reforming ha* become a real bu.*iness; a hichly orcanizcd, offiiicnt. and fairly well paid business .\nd when prohibition came in it struck the reforming industry a blow from which it can never recover. .\fter the first flush of victor>-. the reformer began to feel a great vacancy in l.ver) a>lvvili»i'ii>i'iit ui rilolul'l,.VV MAU.Y/.I.Ni: i!> i:iijraiitml.