Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-11
ACTORS OPPOSE
SUNDAY CLOSING
ARE CONTENT TO GIVE USUAL
PERFORMANCES
Ezra Kendall Explains Their Stand In
Discussion with Secretary Ire
land Of the Sunday Rest
League


Kendall yesterday in an effort to enlist
Mr. Kendall's support in his campaign,
which has as it's object the closing of
theaters on Sunday. He failed in his
mission, however, Mr.. Kendall explaining
that he is steadfastly opposed to Sunday
closing, and giving his reasons for that
attitude.
The discussion between the two men
was brief. Likewise 1t was compr chem
sive. Mr.. Ireland, who has himself been
upon the stage, said his organization
favored Sunday closing not because of
any question of morals or religion in
volved, but because members thought the
actor, in common with other worwers,
should have one day in the week for rest.
To this Mr.. Kendall replied that the
actor has fair part of every day for
rest and that the actor himself does not
wish the theaters closed on Sunday.
snake the World Laugh"
1.-THE eleventh commandment" con-
tinued the comedian, "is, Make the world
laughs 1 know it is a good one, because
I wrote it myself. Moses wrote the first
ten, but 1 wrote that one. Now, believe
the ability to make perhaps $500 persons
laugh is a God-given attribute, and feel
that 1 am nearer to my Maker. that
am doing his work when cause working
men and women to forget their troubles,
If only for the few hours they pass in
the theater. We have trouble enough In
this world, and 1 feel that when l am
lessening that trouble or lessening it's
effects, 1 am doing Gods work, whether
it is on Sunday or any other day.
"As / conceive it, 1t is the duty of the
actor to provide the public a healthful
means for relaxation. We can't all rest
at the same time. Cars must be run to
take the people into the country or to the
beaches, excursion boats must run and
actors must act. There are many persons,
persons who labor all week with their
hands, who are too tired to go to the
theater any day except Sunday. You
would have us deprive them of that one
opportunity"
Suggests the Beaches
Mr.. Ireland suggested that outdoor re-
Taxation at the beaches would prove more
beneficial in such cases, and Mr.. kendall
retorted that the weather sometimes
makes such excursions impracticable. Mr..
Ireland expressed the opinion that work
ing people in eastern cities, where the
Sunday closing law is enforced, do not
find that it works hardship upon them.
To this Mr.. Kendall replied that were the
question left to a referendum vote, in
either New York. Philadelphia or Boston.
the proposition to have theaters opened On
the Sabbath would carry by a large ma
jority. Mr.. Ireland declared that such
would not be the case in Los Angeles, and
said his statement was based upon
careful investigation made by the league.
Regarding the situation in the east, Mr..
Kendall said that rainy and inclement
Sundays in Boston were a source of more
immortality than in any city in the coun-
try, solely, in his opinion, because Bos-
ton enforces the anti-Sunday theater law
with greater strictness than any other
city He declared the morality of Boston
to be lower than that of either New York
or Chicago, despite the popular opinion
to the contrary, and attributed this to
the fact that the people are driven to
questionable places of amusement, So
called, by being deprived of the theater.
"CIose the Saloon
"If you must close something" he said
"close the saloon, close everything else,
but close the theater last of all. 1t keeps
people out of mischief If theater is
not properly conducted then close 1t, but
close it every day in the week, not only
one in seven. If 1t is bad influence you
don't need it at all. If 1t is an influence
for good then you need it on the seventh
day of the week not less than on the first
or the sixth.
'The actor, in whose behalf you say
you are working, does not want Sunday
closing. TOO often III WOulu mean lower
salaries and no less work, since the time
ordinarily devoted to public performances
would be given up to rehearsals. Twenty
years ago L might have thought as you
do, but 1 have grown older since then.
and / hope wiser; and now believe that
Sunday closing would be unjust. that IT
would be wrong and that it would be
great mistake, whether from the actors
standpoint or the standpoint of the
public"
In the beginning of his talk with Mr..
Kendall the secretary of the Sunday Rest
league explained that the league is circu-
lating petitions addressed to the mayor
and council. asking for the passage of an
ordinance closing all theaters on Sunday.
He said these petitions are being signed
very largely. They will be presented to
the mayor in the near future.
At one of the local theaters it was said
Yesterday that the actors have signed
petition of their own, asking to be let
alone and explaining that they are against
Sunday closing. This petition has been
circulated in every stock house in the
city and has been signed almost unani-
mously 1t also will be sent to the mayor.