The Detroit times., 1909-01-20
BOARD OF HEALTH
ON TRAIL Of 5.CEMT
THEATERS
FouL-sMELLINo PLACES ARE DIS
EASE BREEDERS, SAYS HEALTH
oFFlcER-PoLlcE MIGHT TAKE
A LOOK, TOO.

The board OF health is going to in
vestigate the five-cent theaters which
have sprung up all over the city. AS
result, the novelty OF adequate ven-
tilation will have to be adopted In
these places or the sanitary officers
are likely to close them up.
Our sanitary engineer has been
busy on other important matters or
this would have been taken up be-
fore" says Health Omcer Guy l.. kie'
fer. However, we shall take 1t up
right away. and go to the bottom OK lie
| have had complaints
The danger in these little moving
picture theaters. as it is presented to
the board OF health, consists In the
spread OF contagious colds, grippe anu
other maladies which may be carried
from one person 10 another In these
hot, unventilated places. Conditions
are pronounced ideal for the spread OF
any sort OF contagious disease by this
means.
A tour OF the downtown five-cent
shows would indicate the police de-
partment might also profitably take
notice in few cases. Young girls.
apparently under IA years OF age. are
employed in several places for song
and dance acts, and the surroundings
ere not such as would be considered
best for children.
In the Jewel theater, located upstairs
over the saloon OF A. Herr. on Mtchi-
gan-ave., Just west OF Griswold-st.. two
girls appear In singing and high
kicking act The older does not ap-
pear to be more than 13 years OF age.
and the two pretty little creatures
have already absorbed some OF the arts
OF the stage.
IL Is good place for them TO re-
main---if their parents desire them 10
be chorus girls later. The pictures in
this house deal with the love of An
tony and Cleopatra and with the In
trigue OF a French married woman
with a lover.
The Princess theater. on the east
side OF Woodward-ave. north OF Lar
ned-st, Is larger. cleaner and less
smelly than the others. While its air
is not poisonous, as In the case OF the
Jewel. It IL far from pure. The
French woman and her amorous part
ner are I'm evidence here also. and
another set OF pictures shows French
dandy pursuing various women.
The Bijou. located upstairs on the
north side OF Monroe-ave.. is another
place OF smells. Its pictures show
"Ruy Bias, or the Love OF Queen for
a I.ackey." and very bad western
melodrama in which White Doe.
forest maiden, meets a sad death.
One should be prepared for foul air
also In going into the Casino. located
also on the north side OF Monroe-ave.
Here the principal moving picture sub
ject is a miracle, In which naughty
girl Is persuaded TO take her medi.
cine by vision in which she first sees
Christ and then sees a priest elevating
the host at the altar Further up Mon.
roe-ave. is the Alhambra which is also
upstairs and lacks ventilation most
stFikingly.
A nameless five-cent theater on Pin
gree square Is about like the rest for
smells, and its attraction is In some
crude pictures OF Arizona life as II Is
conceived in New York. Just around
the corner on Gratiot-ave. is the Star.
where dainty little miss OF appar-
emily ~ years. takes the principal
place on the bill. She IS Miss Iva Hi
der, and the fact that she Is rather
clever only makes the fact OF her en-
ployment as an actress the less ex-
cusable. The Palace, located on
Woodward-ave.. near Jefferson, Is not
quite so odoriferous as the rest and
presents a bill that is ambitious as to-
number of players If nothing else.
There are a number of similar thea
tiers scattered all over the city, from
Belle Isle bridge TO the west end.
In all OF these shows the musical
program consists OF sentimental love
ballads, usually rendered By young
man with very long and wavy hair.
who spends the intervals In visiting
with some girl friendsl in the back
seats
In a number OF places~it was noticed
that spectators were coughing thus
distributing disease germs in the air
for future patrons 20 absorb and deal
with as best they miCht