The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1915-01-13
THE MOTION PICTURES.


10y bNN
mo relation OF thc motion picture play
t Tho Public School and the Church. or
81, relation 10 the Saloon anil other forms
or dcNtr, has been subject of much
discussion thtourhou, The country ever
since the advent of the motion picture
thcatrc During tho early ioys of the
moving pictur the subject was NOT given
sac much thought AS il has since the mo
tion picture theatre has COME into It's
own in the minds of tho masses This
form OF amusement and education has
been scycrcly criticised 10y frs, one and
then another of people who are acknowl-
edged to Ice blessed with learning hut if
these criticisms arc investigated until the
bottom Is reached it Is found IN nearly
every case that some personal prudgo on
sclnshncss rests thereon 10 has been
proven beyond an shadow ofa doubt that
the motion picture producers. as well as
the National Hoard OF Ccusors and all
who are connected with the motion pic-
turc business from the presidents of the
largcs, manufacturers TO the smallest cN.
hihnor with but very few exceptions.
arc cndcayoring in every way possible io
cooperate with the schools and churches
10 put down one of the most damnahlu
evils with witch the country IT, at present
possessed, that is the unrestricted iiov of
The terrible ''rircwa,cr and It's nunci-
Gus allies the opium den the house of
ill tamc. the gambling room etc Mr.
J y Richardson q prominent worker iu
the gospel rrnms of the lioWory iu New
York City. writes % nadc personal
investigation and was surprised Co lind
Tia; the All night loafng 700 the saloons
ct the lower Wrst side had docpascd auN
The saloonkoclcrs rcgreitully Admitted
10 aud for answer pointed io melton
picture show across the street \ pr,s-
porous sNloonkccper of the lower west
side remarked ~ hlamc the movie, ton
this Utted business, mime was never So
bad as since that thing stanad zap lts
the srcuders that stay and stay until
closing time That means business to me
hu, they arc not doing it now they're geo
ing over to tie movies with their wivu.
and children They, of course then
take their wives and childwn home from
the movies and not having started iut,
the Turing ,alons Of the hell earlier u
the night, they 90 TO bed Ike men aud
the blAAlng saloon has mssed another
customer Cor that night ami further "a,
father has spent possibly irom hiteon t,
tOrnty cents la something that has beer
beneficial 70 himself and family Instead
urhis entire days wages in something
that Is a curse 10 him, hi. family and tii,
country at large THUS the movies 3,
the fins, step ia his course away from hi.
iifo of misery snl dotauchcry The nest
step TO the doors of the llouse of God
Is much easier made than direct from Ga,
lileor .hamc Nov to illustrate Oh,
MANNER IN which the movies are honofi
cial 20 our public school system We will
quote prominent school teacher al
Cleveland "lt has been my custom :,
devote one language iercd per week t,
oral expression and storytelling a.
their ewn accord the pupils began to tel
me of stories seen a, the photoplay
,hestrcs during The week. aid a. nothinl
! had yet tried brought, such enthusiastic,
response and untaggiug interest, nav,
kop, this hour ever sinoe for oral an,
written reproductions OF stories present
"a 81 the picture play theatres Tho dc