Omaha daily bee., 1912-10-16

entry. Discovery of theft. Group OF
bank officials bending over ledger. Guilty
clerk at desk, unsuspected.
Next letter on the screen--a bank
presidents son asks father for $500 loan.
The son suspected. Arrested. Stern father
refuses to shield him.
Prison scene, bankers son visited by
his fiancee. Then the girl seeks detec-
tive and implores aid. Detective follows
clerk. Finds him betting on races. Clerk
arrested-confesses. Bankers son liber-
ated. Touching scene-father repentant,
consents to wedding.
But dear" whispered Helen, why
don't they have more realistic stories?
The pictures are so good, they're so
steady and so wonderfully taken. But it's
all SO unreal"
Don't want realism in a place like
this, romance and melodrama is what
they're after. Most Of these people get
enough realism at, home But l do not
to hundred-dollar butler In a thirty
seven-dollar flat!' as new picture
showed the interior of what was evidently
a cheap Harlem apartment.
A young woman seated self-conseiously
at the piano, while a solemn-faced bat
Ter, who would have. .graced a. Fifth ap-
enues mansion. brought in the MALI and
with naughty dignity laid it ondthe cheap
looking table.
That's great" laughed Warren. But
Ter goes we'll with golden-oak installment
house furniture! Til wager this is sup
posed to be a millionaires home-they're
always scream
And even Helen could not help laugh
ing at the absurdity of butler among
such furnishings.
The next was another western story.
More cowboys and pistols and gallop-
ing ponies and the inevitable western girl
in her slouch hat, short riding skirt and
leggings.
Huh" grunted Warren, IF the auto
mobile drives out the horse, they'll al
ways breed 'em for moving pictures"
And all the time the girl at the piano
was grinding out patheic or lively airs
to suit the character of the scenes. Helen
wondered how she could keep it up, how
long she had played that day and how
much longer would she have to play.
Plainly the management thought the mu-
sic gave an atmosphere to the pictures,
and so 1t was continuous.
Had about enough?' asked Warren.
But Just then there flashed on some
scenes from India. washing the Sacred
Elephants in the Ganges.
"oh, wait, dear, do want to see these.
This Is really wonderful
So steady and clear were the pictures
that one could see the sides of the hugh
beasts rise and fall with each breath, as
they lay patiently submissive while the
half-naked natives crawled over them,
vigorously scrubbing their thick creased
hides.
AS they passed out Helen was enthu-
siastic in her praise Of the last pictures.
Don't you see, dear, how interesting
and instructive 1t was? Why don't they
have more like that-traveis and scenes
from foreign lands?'
"'Cause they're not popular. These
people want their emotions stirred"
''But in all these cheap melodramatics
the situations are so impossible. Why
don't they have something more real"
Helen persisted. Something that could
actually happen?"
you'd better write out few seem
arios," sarcastically. They bring big
money--s50 apiece"
"Well, ] think could write something
that would be more real than these hair
breadth escapes" insisted Helen stoutly.
"Just a simple story of everyday iife-Tm
sure it could be made more interesting,
at least to women"
''That's all very well in theory" scoffed
Warren. But these things have to be
told by action. The action must be darned
obyious. too-subtleties and psychology
don't go. And there has to be something
doing every minute, Guess II you had
to write them for living you'd be
mighty glad to fall back on the pistol and
the forged check"