El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-21
Ell Paso Movie Patrons Like the
Western Plays Above All Others

HEN it comes to choice Of
w subjects in the movie plays
said ]. W. Lewis, Of the
Grecian theater, depend on the West
ern play. either comedy or drama, every
time. This is the most popular of all
the offerings of the film companies
Then come the current events weeklies.
Though these are shown but once a
week, they are always very well at
tended and take wen. One of the teal-
ures in each weekly is a few of the
latest fashions that are being worn on
Fifth avenue in New York, or in Paris.
Dramas we find have strong hold on
the public and always draw good audi
ences All the newest pictures ar
showing dramatizatiOns of books, ana
even some magazine stories.
Miss Florence LaBadie, the actress
who played the leading role in Gym
beline,' and 'Undine' and who was
Venus in 'Tannhauser' is decidedly the
most popular woman star with our
audiences Warren Kerrigan heads the
men. This actor formerly made MS
biggest successes in western plays but
has lately been seen in society dramas.
The ThanhauSer Kid and 'hidlet al
ways mean an increase in our box re-
ceipts whenever We show them inc
former little actress has recently gone
on the vaudeville stage in California
and is making a very great success.
Love and Bad Men.
Love- exciting situations and
western setting. picture man can
bank on a full house in FL PasO with
any reel comprising these three, SAID
o. c. BiXley manager of the Princess
theater. 'sEl Pasoans certainly do take
to the western stuff, and are strong on
love. They like the situations tense,
and, if there IS some shooting scrape
thrown in and the hero is likely to get
murdered while he is kissing his best
girl, that always makes a strong hit.
A picture poster on the bill boards of
some such scene will bring everyone
that passes inside Sad plays do not
please Ell Paso audiences at all. Good
strong dramas come next 10 western
stuff"
western Reels Lead.
"Of all the styles of photo plays we
produce" said Tom Byrele, who man
ages things generally at the Unique
moving picture theater the western
stuff leads in popularity with our
audiences. Next to that comes the
comedy, with the war pictures third
and the drama fourth. Sad plays, PLAYS
about scientific subjects, or about
crimes are tag enders in a popularity
count I think this is true of the
average American audience in other
towns as well as FL PaGo. The newest
tnlnG, or you might say the latest nOD-
by of the photo play makers is the wild
animal picture play, and plays in which
animals take important parts.,Speakin
of animals. the Bison company has just
spent $4,000 for pure blooded Arabian
horse named Rajah, which will be used
in its animal plays. These animal plays
are such a fad Just now that the Bison
company is turning out one animal
play and one war picture a week An
other new thing in photo plays will be
of children, with Baby Doris Baker as
the lead, and under the management Of
Harry Pollard.
FavOrites With Audiences.
Everyone has his particular pet
moving picture actor. and among our
audiences I think the favorites are
King Baggott and J. y. Johnson. the
hero in the Rob Roy production. Miss
Lawrence was Z favOrite until
her retirement some time ago but she
has returned TO the photo plays again
and will be seen in some new plays
soon
Mrs. Fiske's production of Tess of
the D. UrbervilIes' is the first APP
pearance of this noted actress in the
movies. and the play chosen is coasid-
cred her greatest role. Photo play
adaptations of celebrated novels are
great favories with the public. All of
Sir Walter Scotts novels that have
been adapted into moving picture plays
have been big successes. The most re-
cent of his works to be put on the
screen IS Ivanhoe.'
CnrtOoRists in MOTEeS.
The movies have taken the place of