University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1914-09-14
COLUMBIANS LIKE
THE SILENT DRAMA

Led by the big, flashing, electric
star, you approach the theater and
find nearly a hundred persons wait
ing for the first show to be finished
The crowd fills the lobby and over
flows onto the sidewalk. On both
sides of the street the curb is lined
with automobiles. Along one wall OF
the lobby, under that glaring sign
that announces "The Million Dollar
Mystery" are a dozen baby carriages
The crowd is good-natured and you
are allowed to push your way to the
window behind the brass railing and
pass your dimes over the counter
About half of the pleasure seekers
are students; the rest are townspeo-
pie. All ages and both sexes are
represented; perhaps there are more
women than men. 1t is a typical Fri
day or Saturday night crowd in front
of one of Columbia's moving picture
theaters.
Cultured Columbia has not escaped
the moving picture craze that Is
sweeping the country. The most dem
ocratic amusement of today has a
strong appeal even in this academic
community. There are nights when
more people pay to see moving pic
lures than attend a Varsity baseball
game on Rollins Field the afternoon
of the same day.
Business Eight Years Old.
The business of furnishing this
form of amusement to Columbians has
become one of the towns leading in
dustries. Beginning eight years ago,
when the Broadway Odeon opened its
doors, the business has grown rapid
ly. Today there are four theaters in
Columbia that show pictures continu-
ously. They represent an investment
of more than $4,000. Outside of the
banks there is probably no business
house in the town that handles as
much cash as the leading moving pic
ture theater. 1t is cash business; all
expenses must be met as they are
incurred. The employees of the the
ater and the performers that -ppear
on the stage must be paid in cash.
The films must be paid for as they
are used.
OF course the moving picture hous-
es flourish best in the nine months
that the students spend in Columbia.
For some of them it is pretty hard
proposition to break even during the
summer. But during the school
months as many as 1900 persons,
about one-eighth of the towns popu-
lation, may attend the shows in one
night. 1t is not unusual for the Sat-
urday night crowd at the leading the
ater to run over a thousand. During
July and August crowd half as large
is rare.
Each theater has, to a certain ex-
tent, its own clientele. Some persons
are regular first-nighters; the door
keeper sees them every time there
is change of program. The theater
that is open only during the afternoon
attracts patronage largely composed
of women and children. A different
crowd attends the night shows.
Clean Acts Demanded.
Columbia audiences demand high
class programs. Some of the moving
picture theaters also give vaudeville
act. The taste of Columbians in vau-
deville is unusually high. They de-
mand clean acts above everything
else, according to Homer G. Woods,
proprietor and manager of the Star
Theater. Mr.. Woods ought to know,
for he has been in the show business
for more than fifteen years. He has
been property man.. publicity agent
stage manager and proprietor. He
has travelled with a circus. Since he
came to Columbia six years ago he
has been connected with the M Thea
ter, now the Annex, and the Star.
Mr.. Woods has gained a reputation
with vaudeville people as a manager
that won't tolerate any risque features
in an act He says that he knows that
his audiences won't stand for them
in the long run.
The moving picture industry is still
in its infancy, Mr.. Woods thinks. But
it Is pretty lusty infant already. The
canned drama is steadily encroaching
on the field of the legitimate stage.
1t has already replaced the ten
twent'-thirt' melodrama. The stars
of "legit" are going over into the fold
of the movies" Sarah Bernhardt
and Dustin Farnum are some of the
big names that appear in the moving