The Detroit times., 1909-12-25

the exhibition OF the photographs 'ot
e---~ the various import
ux y.,r ant prize fights oi
THE FIGHT recent dates, insist
rICTI REST on being animated
s-. apparently by the
desire 10 see how rapidly the films
can be flashed through the machine?
In The name OF sore-eyed and
mystihed public the architect of this
column ventures protest. When
everyone knows that the space oi
three minutes is consumed for each
actual round OF battling. why should
the showmen insist on befuddling us
by rushing the counterfeit present
ment OF scrap through at the rate
of 80 40. yes. even 80 in OK
tremely aggravated eases. Things
were not always SO The Jeffries
Sharkey flms, the best by all odds
that were ever shown on any stage
and virtually the first films OF the long
series which has followed. We're care
fully timed To the minute The artific
ial light under which the men fought
brought out the negatives clear and
bright and the result OF the combna-
tion has been a recollection which
causes an increasing dissatisfaction
with the productions that have fol-
lowed.
The battles which followed were
the Office for similar pictures and the
speedingup process began very short
ly after AS n result, in n few sea
sons. we saw the OBrien-Burns fight
flash across the screen at the rate OF
exactly double sped. while almost an
equal distortion has been in evidence
In every one OF the current moving
picture attractions. Men--heavy-
weights. often-leap across the ring
at the sound OF the imaginary gong.
and collide in the middle with force
apparently enough to annihilate both.
out flashes blow which can he
likened I'm speed only To an electric
shock side-step by one man Is
accomplished with speed that would
make Arthur Duffey green with envy.
Blow follows blow so rapidly that the
eye cannot follow and eventually
referee stoops over fallen boxer with
a celebrity suggesting that he has been
hit in the stomach by a brick, and
pumps his arm up and down ten times
AT a rate so fast the eye can hardly
follow. whereupon the crowd breaks
for the exits with speed that would do
credit 10 Lou Dillon at her best.
asked Battling Nelson the other
dav why in the world he. in common
with other producers OF picture-fgnt,
insisted on running of the films at so
unseemly a clip and he replied that
the purpose was 10 give the crowd an
/ impression that the fight had been
very animated affair.
1T wouldn't do" said the Bat. TO
run of the pictures OF me and Hyland
at a slower clip than Burns. Johnson
and that push. would IL? The crowd
would set us down for Holsters.
Vainly did I try 10 argue with Bat
that there was no use practicing an
attempted deception of the kind on
persons who have seen real boxing as
has the average burlesque-theater
crowd in Detroit. But Rat insisted
that. in practice I was wrong. You
might notice II" he continued, "and
always insist on having the pictures
run slow when I want TO watch the
blows and the way the men are taking
them. But the crowd doesn't care. II
wants to see action--lots OF IL and as
fast as il can be shot along"
Perhaps Bat Is right; it wouldn't
be polite for anybody TO assert
greater knowledge that that OF the
lightweight champion OF the world.
But doubt II.
And. Just for fun. next time YOU see
one of those moving-picture fights,
time a round or two.
SO zoo Canadian trotting race tracks
are now tottering TO their fall as tho
result of the efforts to stop the run
ners and their attendant evils Well,
the Canadians are going through the
same experience most Of the states
have had And they will all continue
TO be under the necessity OF Oucking
legislative action until the law wmak-
ers are educated up 10 stage where
they can dfferentiate between the
short. sportsmanlike meetings OF the
trotters and the prolonged tourna-
ments OF the equine gambling tools
that exist for that purpose alone.
\ few more winters like this and
wen have "a hockey league in Detrof
after all
Having waited in vain for sope
days ID permit someone else TO take
tho responsibility this column is go
ing to express M OF alarm over the
fact that Lynch law now prevails In
the National league
OH yes Baseball is slavery all
right all right, Only how many peo-
ple would be willing TO exchange bur
dens with the oppressed athletes who
must annually take their choice OF
whether to DO one thing for = certain
employer AT staggering pay or do
Whatever else they fancy for anyone
else7 II isn't so tough when you
Elew IL that way,