Arizona republican., 1914-05-03
GREAT CROWDS
 OPEN GARDENS
New Amusement Park OH Second and Van Buren Streets Thronged With Interested Guests-Place Made Bower of Beauty

Ii there Was any doubt about Phoe- nix wanting an amusement park it was quickly dispelled by the crowds which flocked to the opening of the Gardens last night. They were looking for something different and they found it. They found a charming park, prettily laid out and well equipped with Vari ous means of amusement, a large and airy dancing floor that drew one to it as a magnet, good music, rustic bridges and comfortable hooks with seats and | tables and an ever present refreshment purveyor close at hand. large open air theater where special feature pie lures are shown and a restaurant which last night at least supplied the wants of the inner man in a manner that is bound to make it one of the most popular places in Phoenix
 The park itself with its great shade trees and the hundreds of coIored l lights is as lovely spot as one would find anywhere and it should be a haven of coolness and delight through the summer months. The management has 1 left no stone untrned tO make it att tractive and they certainly have sue ceeded
 It is to he the policy of the theater to run only special feature moving pie tures and the first one displayed was Soldiers Of Fortune" by Richard Harding Davis, a Limitation of the dramatization of his famous novel 1 That it proved a disappointment was not the fault If the management. If ! one may say such a thing of a moving picture. it Was all talk and no action.
 The pictures in themselves were beau tiful and most elaborate but the story | lacked action and cohesiveness. So much has been done in the way of | press agenting this picture throughout | the country that perhaps too much was l expected of il; but it was too long | drawn out and lacked interest. How ever it is well worth a trip to this big ! theater to see it, if only fer the lovely l land and seascapes if contains and it 1 will make you want to read the book | all over again to get fresh grip on l the story and make sure that Clay Was l the kind of a hero which you have al- l ways believed him to he and not the rather stodgy person Dustin Farnum made him out. How any man could l travel through six thousand feet of film and not kiss Hope until the very last flicker of the very last foot is more than the majority Of the huge audience
 which saw it last night. can under | stand
 The big amphitheater was packed to
 it's uttermost limits and the standees fill the hack and aisles. and they all got every cent of their moneys worth
 and more. Tn addition to the movies there was "Illumino" in one match-
 power electrical stunt that caused a real sensation A very thoughtlcss
 small boy in the watch tower, or is the light house. vouehsafed in sten torian
 tones that the gentleman's name was
 Hill. but we positively refuse to be-
 lieye it. "Ilumino" he was billed and | "IWnino" he shall remain and as tbe
 exponent of thrilinelv Illuminating
 exhibition he shall go down in history
 as the brightest star in the opening bin at the Gardens.
 III a'Nll'H tv tue bOunIeouS fcIdS'
 furnished by generous management
 and Soldiers of Misfortune" and the bully dance floor. and Peggy the
 Houseboat and the canal running at full peak load and the bright lights
 there was Miss Rosemary Chase, Wh6
 came all the way from Denver to chase dull care away from Phoenix w.
 could not hear her do it for We were
 in the thoater when she sang; but
 judging from the wild applause whcr
 she stopped singing she succeeded ad- mirably.
 Across the canal there are all kind.
 of stunts to amuse the crowds and the
 ldddies are going to love this plac,
 better than they have ever loved any
 thing in Phoenix before
 MAITLAND DAVIES