Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-23

ever passed up your MONDAY Iuncneon'
and in that short half-hour slipped sneak
ingly around to the nearest haven OF
the futtering Aim and the hoarse talking
machine? If you have. then you are
fit candidate for the "Moving-picture
Fiends' Society,"
You won't be lonely. So don't worry.
There are thousands of fellow-members
to keep you the best kind of company.
but. joking aside. the cases are very
pitiable. There have been many other
sorts of fends-camera fends, post card
fends. rs it warm enough for your
fiends. dope fiends-but they all fail and
sink into ignomnious insignifcance when
compared with this newly developed form
OF dementia Americana Why. 1t is prob
ably no exaggeration to say that more
than half of the population of Wash
ington has caught the disease. 1t is
regular epidemic If you are doubling
Thomas" then some comfortable, clear
evening after you have had nice filling
dinner and have finished your cigar
bundle I'D the wife and babies and take
trip downtown.
Suddenly. as you have been riding down
through the half-light of the ordinary
city street you round a corner and shoot
into a VERT able of brilliancy. Here
YOU are Everybody crowd OF and Join
the surging mass of humanity that Is
headed toward the myriads of vari-col-
ored electric stars that mark the entrances
all along the block.
Now take your choice as to what kind
of a show YOU will start in upon. Start
in upon is the correct expression. Tor
if you are like the majority of the fellow
men with whom you are rubbing elbows
for the time you will not have missed a
single one by the time the evening is
over II you go in this one you can see
stirring war drama. where the sweet
heart of the trusty diSpatch-Dearer saves
her lovers life and the fate of the army
by her bravery in the disguise of a soldier
of the opposite side.
Take this one to see how the train
robbers planned their villainous scheme
and would have carried 1t out but for the
timely appearance of a brave boy cOnduc-
tor. who uncoupled the express car with
all the money and foiled the bad men.
There pictures of real events or
current time and the like that are really
beyond the realm OF pure amusement and
reach the instructive stage. OF late 1t
has become a fad to put on prize fights.
The crowd which will go out for these
pictures stand in long lines ofttimes for
hours waiting for chance to get in. The
Passion Play has been a favorite
picture TOO here in Washington the Aim
being moved about from theater to theater
The moving-picture show is the poor
mans theater He can take his family
and go for a few cents where heretofore
practically all such amusement was bar
red to him because of prohibitive prices.
But not the poor men alone take In the
shows All classes and conditions rub
together in the little dark halls to watch
the whrring. stirring scenes of thrilling
action or sentimental quietude.
or the Objectionable part Of these shows
as presented to the public of Washington
there is room for argument. Reformers
and churchmen are at the present time
after the showmen through Congress for
keeping their places open Sunday.
Others have claimed that many of the
films shown to the audiences are sug-
gestive and unfit for presentation.
Speaking of the District fire regula-
lions governing the erection and control
OF these moving-picture establishments.
Deputy Fire Marshal l.. V. Seib said TO a
representative OF The Star:
THE District fire regulations are very
strict in regard to the moving-picture
Ibea,ers With the advent of the NOV
ing-picture machines and their use in
churches halls and finally in theaters
erected solely for that purpose the fire
regulations were amended to meet the
requirements.
Every theater now is passed upon and
watched in erection by District officials.