South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-15
Seeing America
First
By Fred Kelly.

Still More From Diary:
Los Angeles is the most perpieXing
city in America-simply because il is
the hOtbed OF the moving picture in
dustry. Most of the moving pictures
YOU see were made in or near Los
Angeles. The consequence OF this is
that the visitor never knows whether
he is looking at the sure-enough or
the make believe. II may be the real
thing and then again it may be only
the reel thing. Yesterday I saw a
squadron of fire engines and ladder
wagons dash down the street. But
] did not bother 10 go 10 the fire. For
how was l TO know that it was not
just a moving picture outfit?
No mater what direction YOU turn.
in roaming about Los Angeles. YOU
come upon clumps of actor folk de-
piCting weird scenes. Twice within
an hour, one afternoon, 1 thumped my
chest and declared my intention of
leaping from the automobile and
rushing 10 the rescue of beautiful
maidens in distress. But each time
/ was assured that the villains Pur-
suing these flaXen-haired maidens
along the roadside were merely the
Jack Daltons of the films.
In the course of Il short automobile
ride through a stretch of country
within 10 miles of Los Angeles / was
was an eyewitness TO the following
astonishing sight:
A young girl bossing a gang of
workmen building Il stretch of high
way.
A seven passenger touring car filled
with rather attractive women wear
ing tights-the way people do in the
automobile advertisements in some
magazines.
Two cowboys delivering a hand
cuffed Indian to a farmer.
sultan, accompanied by a bunch
of slaves, en- route to tiger hunt.
1t requires a week or two in Los
Angeles 10 grow accustomed TO seeing
each day dozens of occurrences any
one of which would doubtless cause
riot anywhere alse. At the railway
station one morning l saw two men,
one in evening dress and the other in
modified clown costume struggling for
the possession of an ordinary paving
brick Yet they attracted compare
lively little attention. 1t seemed to
be generally understood by all by
ISLANDERS that the two were merely
movie persons. Even regular resi-
dents of Los Angeles say, however,
that they do not become immune TO
shocks. Every now and then they
are about to yell police, when they
stop TO think what town they are in,
and assume that what appears to be
a murder or a burglary is simply a
scene from q tWO-reel thriller.
It is said that more than $4,000. per-
sons. actors. directors. and other
employees. are engaged in the moving
pictures industry about Los Angeles.
There are more than a score of pro-
ducing studios in the city and i'm
mediate locality-au attracted by the
10 months of clear sky.
/ have heard so many favorable
reports in Los Angeles about the Los
Angeles summer climate, that l am
half inclined TO believe they may be
true - some of them. After going
through a rather hot day in March,
/ inquired:
What will it be in August
WhereupOn l was assured that
either last year or the year before, l
forget now which. the hottest day of
the year occurred in March. On
further inquiry I satisfied myself that
this was true Thus it appears that
one must not be too incredulous of
things people have TO say about the
weather
/ even believe n Los Angeles man
when he tells me the nights are al
WAYS cool-sleep under blankets. l
have heard men and women COM
plaining of the heat an hour before
sunset and of the cold an hour after
ward.