The Detroit times., 1909-01-21
BOARD OF HEALTH
ON TRAIL Of 5-CENT
THEATERS
FOUL-SMELLlNG PLACES ARE DIS.
EASE BREEDERS, SAYS HEALTH
oFFlcER-PoLlcE MIGHT TAKE
LOOK, TOO.

The board OF health is going to in
vestigate the five-cent theaters which
have sprung up all over the city. AS
Il result, the novelty Of adequate ven
tilation will have 10 be adopted In
these places or the sanitary ofhcers
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 MP
right away, and go TO the bottom OF H.
| have had complaints.
The danger in these little moving
picture theaters, as II is presented 10
the board OF health. consists in the
spread of contagious colds. grippe and
other maladies which may be carried
from one person TO another In these
hot. unventilated places. Conditions
are pronounced ideal for the spread OF
any sort OF contagious disease by TINS
means.
\ tour of the downtown fve-cent
shows would indicate the police de'
partment might also profitably take
notice in a few cases Young girls.
apparently under II years OF age, are
employed in several places for song
and dance acts, and the surroundings
are not such as would be considered
best for children.
In the Jewel theater, located upstairs
over the saloon of A. Herr, on MIGHT
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 10 years OF age,
and the two pretty little creatures
have already absorbed some of the arts
of the stage.
II is a 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 is far from pure. The
French woman and her amorous part
ner are in evidence here also. and
another set Of pictures shows a French
dandy pursuing various women.
The Bijou. located upstairs on the
north side of Monroe-ave., is another
place of smells. It's pictures show
"Ruy Bias, or the Love of a Queen for
a I.ackey." and very bad western
melodrama in which White Doe, a
forest maiden. meets sad death
One should be prepared for foul air
also in going into the Casino located
also on the north side OF Monroe-avc.
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 priest elevating
the host at the altar. Further up Mon.
roe-ave. Is the Alhambra. which is also
upstairs and lacks ventilation most
strikingly.
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 Gratlotave. is the Star.
where dainty little miss OF appar.
emily IL years. takes the principal
place on the bill She is Miss Iva ri.
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 bill that is ambitious as 10
number of players If nothing else.
There are a number of similar thee.
ters 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 younl
man with very long and wavv hair
who spends the intervals IN visiting
with some girl friends in the back
seats.
In number Of places It was noticed
that spectators were coughing. thus
distributing disease germs I'm the air