Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-11-28
HIsroRY IN THE M0EIEs.

The city papers cOnLhiM MoE0 ~
lees criticism OF the moving picture
shows, but no such crittclsmsis. De-
served BY the pictures shown ~ abb
lene. In the larger town& there are
what are known as pirate" shows
that uee uncehsofed pIctures that
Is, pictures that show revqitlng as
poets OF crimes or teach "a had iee
SON. Like all other arnussments, the
movie has great opportunities for
good II rightly directed and tAe ppsTI
Slbllitiee Of the moving picture haze
only yet been partly discsFnsd,
! For inetAace; the, vividpeaa with
which. history can be tspght through
the action pictures has atvaat field
Of good for the. rising generation.
At one OF the picture shows In Abb
lene . few, nights ago was, the story
Of Columbus. It began with hig ap-s
pearance before Ferdinand and Isa-
bella and carried him on to bis three
carayels and the discovery Of Amer
lea, ending with his final overthrow
By jealous rivals. In the half hour
presentation OF that series Of NOV
ing pictures q pupil of the schools
could obtain a better idea Of what
happened in that memorable period
than In three months study Of text
books. It would have been worth
while for every student Of history
in the city schools to have seen that
series Of pictures.
Another film worth mention was
the story OF the Odyssey. 1t gave Q
striking series Of views in action
that covered the wonderful story Of
Homer in an historically accurate
way, and the high school student
who sat through the performance
gained a better idea Of the. story
than any text book could give him.
The Passion Play in detail was q
religious picture that was a good
substitute for trip to Oberamnia-
gau.
These are but examples. Many
Of the moving picture themes seem
trivial and are largely for annuse-
ment, but the old time comic, which
had about as much real art as the
funny page of Sunday paper. 10
rarely seen in the movie Of today.
Millions Of dollars are going into
the preparation Of films that have
a historical or real dramatic value.
Great actors and actresses are TAX
ing part in the performances, and
in the little country towns all over
the nation persons who would have
but little opportunity Of seeing the
real personages are becoming fam
iliar with Bernhardt, Marlowe and
other famous persons of the stage.
Then the pictures that show for
eign scenes are educative in the
highest degree. It would be diff
| cult today to surprise visitor from
the interior by anything that could
be shown him in New York Of Wash
/ ington. He is familiar with the
streets OF Paris and Berlin ans
| Rome: he knows how the pyramids
actually appear and how the people
OF Egypt and China live and act and
4 look. All these things are the di-
rect result Of the moving picture
show, and while It Is possible that
some persons spend more attending
| these entertainments than they car
afford, yet they gain from them
knowledge Of the world and It's peo'
pie that they could never Obtain
otherwise.
It will be but few years hefoFt
moving pictures can be taken In thu
home and by amateurs as easily q
kodak pictures are taken today. an'
We shall have lanterns by which
these films can be shown in tn
1 barlor at small expense. Then ~
I shall see how our friends wakes
and dressed and acted and Rhal
Il have & delightful rsmembranee Q
I their exact personalities. With III
| moving picture camera and a.
] phonograph record It win be posi-
v BE 70 reproduce with marvellous 81
actness our absent friends and "a
| dnys Of long ago. The moVing pic
-. nS~ww tlm Rawalnn