El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-11

~HE development Of the motion
picture from the crude eyeblind-
ing spectacle Of 1886 to the fin
ighed photoplay Of today is a wonder
egualed only by the rapidity with which
the moving picture sprang Into popular
favor and employment in all parts Of
the world.
On St. Patrick's day 1897 Bob Fitz-
simmons wrested the championship OF
the pugiustic world from Jim CoTbett IN
Carson City, Nevada. They fought IN
der the glare Of scores Of electric
lights placed in the position for the
purpose Of enabling the camera men TO
take moving pictures of the mill The
resultant films were the first moving
pictures to be widely exhibited in the
United States. They were shown in the
big theaters of the country and left
TRAN Of acnIng eyes and frayed nerves
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ihe
pictures jumped, nickered, flashed, and
did almost everything possible to make
the spectator close his eyes in selt-de-
fence. But they moved! That was the
wonder, and the people risked head
ache to see them move.
Is Different Now.
Now, after the lapse Of less than 10
years, one may sit before the moving
picture screen and see there all the
WOrld-real and mimic. He may see
madame Sarah Bernhard. the foremost
actress Of the time, playing Camille as
q photoplay; he may see the newly
crowned BeOrge Y. receiving the hon.
&c Of his people; he may see the bird
men cleaving the air; ships at sea. wild
beasts in their 1ungles, children at play,
men at work plants growing and flow
ers blooming, and a thousand and one
wonders-all in moving pictures And,
If they are of the best, the pictures do
rot jump nor flicker nor flash.
People Easily Pleased.
In the beginning the success or
moving picture exhibition depended
almost wholly upon the quality Of mo-
ton. The simple fact that pictures
thrown upon screen by stereOpucOn,
could move, was enough to please the
spectator. Pictures were taken Of
groups walking on the street, Of men
/ leaving factories at the end Of the
days work, Of trains rushing by sta
tons, and, In snort OF all kinds OF
commonplace, everyday Incidents. The
pictures which were at first exhibited
at high prices in large theaters, soon
became a regular end-Of-the-p pro gram
feature in vaudeville and stock compa-
ny theaters.
The public quickly grew tired OF the
commonplace street scenes, and partly
in response 70 popular demand and
partly because Of the Increasing COM
Z
ture concerns, the phOtoplay, or dra-
matte exhibition specially posed Tor the
moving picture camera was eFOlVed-
Still having in mind the psychological
appeal of violent motion in pictures,
the first crude phOtoplays nearly all
were chase pictures The plot might
be anything at gls II only II introduced
q chase. A fleeing thief, pursued by
two or three policemen and motley
collection Of citizens" was feature Of
almost every film
Travel Pictures Come Into Vogue.
A bout the same time the possibilities
Of the moving picture as an instrument
of instruction began to be realized, and
travel pictures came into vogue NO
ton still being regarded as an essential,
Z the camera man mounted moving trains
and as a result the patrons Of the the
I alter were Whirled backward and for
ward through miles and miles OF seen
cry, little attempt being made at Sc
lection or diTersificat ton. Perhaps the
first general use Of the moving picture
for educa tioual purposes was political
the Republics national campaign com
mittee in 1900 using moving pictures OF
I scenes and incidents IN the Philippine
Islands to support their contention that
the Islands should be retained under
American ownership
But still the moving picture had not
come into its own AT best 1t was but
the last vaudeville stunt on the program
ir a cheap theater, and large percent
age of the people usually scurried cut
before the pictures began because 'they
hurt my eyes.
Then the 0NicCelOdeOn."
Then came the "nickelodeon." As for
the honor Of Homer's girth many cities
I claim to have Graded the five cent the
/ ater, but perhaps history viii accord 1t
To Memphis. III was the Inspiration Of
Z q soda fountain man. He had bought
an expensive soda fountain and had in
stalled it I'm an old drugstore he soon
found that he was losing money, Just
when he seemed to be on the brink Of
bankruptcy. his landlord came and Of
fered him the next door building at a
| bargain rental The building ne already
/ had was not paying, but as he had ev-
erything 90 gain and nothing to lose, he
/ concluded he would take both build
I ings-
He cast about for some means Of
making Ii pay, and Just then a maker