The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-16

|
Throughout the United States the news
papers, the disadvantages, the theatre
1requenters, the many men who have left
theatres in disgust because they could
not see-all of these will be surprised to
lind that San Francisco has solved the
problem. 1t was not done by Legisla.
ture or by statelstatute. 1t is merely a
municipal ordinance. Supervisor T. A.
Rottanzi originated it, the Board of Su-
pervisors passed it, and Mayor Phelan ap-
for the manager Of San Francisco thea
tire to permit any person in the audience
toy wear. any hat or bonnet or other head
covering during the rendition of
any programme on the stage or platform
| OF said theatre =. provided, how
ever, that the above in hibition shall not
be held to include any small or
closely fitting head-dress or covering
which does not interfere or obstruct the
view OF the stage or platform of such thea
ire OF persons in the rear of such wearers
while in such THEATRE
Pessimists prophesied that this law
could never be enforced. Gloomy pictures
were painted of frail and delicate women
shrieking for help as they were dragged
to jail by big and burly officers. Other
pictures were presented of valorous escorts
knocking down ushers and meeting with
| bloody deaths at the hands Of impulsive
policemen. None of these things has
come to pass. What has happened is
this: When the women were made to
take Oft their hats, they took them off.
In all the theatres Of San Francisco the
| fashion of wearing hats has practically
| ceased to exist. When a woman enters
theatre wearing high hat, an usher is
sent to her with printed card on a sal
yer, politely requesting her to remove her
bat. If the hat be, not removed after a
decent interval, another usher brings her
another card on another salver, requesting
her to remove her hat. If this be not
effectual, still another usher, with anoth-
er card and another salver appears, to be
followed by more ushers, more salvers,
and more cards. But this is rarely neces-
sary. 1t has been found that respectable
women fear nothing so much as con-
spicuity. Once the woman without head
| gear was conspicuous at San Francisco
theatre. Now the woman with high
hat is more conspicuous. Therefore the
woman with high hat soon takes hers
off, feeling that she is stared at. And
she is
The result has brought about a most
remarkable change in the appearance of
San Francisco theatre audiences. Ameri-
cans abroad have always remarked the
elegant-there is no other word-appear-
ance presented by the audiences is the
stalls Of the London theatres, and in the
orchestra chairs of the Paris theatres.
Even in this country, at grand-opera per-
formances, many of the women come
without hats. But there are always some
who will wear them. Therefore the
spectacle in San Francisco of an UNDATED
feminine audience is most unusual. We
may add, also, that it is most seemly
Any one looking over an audience in a
theatre today, with the women bareheaded
as well as the men, cannot fail to be
struck by the difference. It gives an in :
door air to a theatre. 1t makes 1t look
less like cafe or beer-hall, or transitory
place where people drop in, and more like
place where people intend to stay
| Those who have witnessed private theatre
calls and similar entertainments given in
| large private houses will find the indoor
air presented by the audiences recalled by
the appearance of the audiences today in
our San Francisco public theatres. San
Francisco Argonaut