The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-01
First Sunday Moving Pic lures In Birmingham In-
 simultaneously Successful
LANE COMMENTS ON
 RESULT OF THE TRIAL
Says It Clearly Demonstrates That Public Wants This Form of Amusement-NO Arrests Are
 Made During Hours Open
Ry RICHARD F. LUssIER

or men, women and children praeti- cally fought their way into the thea tres. The scene enlightened those op- demonstrated that the Birmius ham public was enthusiastic about this form of Sunday amusement
 All the moving picture theatres of the city opened promptly at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Prior to the open~ ing hundreds of persons lined the walks on Second avenue where the majority of the movie" theatres are located. The moment the doors were opened the theatres were crowded and remained so until o'clock until last night, the closing hour. At the Tria- non theatre where the notable play "A Gentleman from Mississippi was presented, the people waiting to pur- chase tickets throughout the after noon were crowded from the sidewalk in front of the theatre into the street
 At both the Odeon theatres an im- mense box office business was donc The Odeon Two ran "The Sign of the Cross" a semi-religious subject, and this attracted large number, while the other theatres of the city present. ed their regular high class bills.
 Successful In Ensley
 From Ensley, where some objection had been made to the opening of the picture shows, came reports which clearly demonstrated the fallacy of the opposition. It was stated to Judge A o. Lane on Saturday morning by delegation of Ensley citizens that the people of Ensley did not desire sun day picture shows and would not sup port them. Two of the theatres cater ing to white people and one negro theatre opened in Ensley yesterday and the aid of the police was invoked to clear the streets in front of them so many of the people of Ensley attempt ed to buy tickets to see the perform anee.
 As far as lawlessness was concerned it was stated at the city jail that dur ing the period that the moving pie ture shows were open not a single ar rest was recorded and that only about 15 arrests for minor infractions of the law were registered throughout the Sabbath. This IS very unusual as Sun day is considered at the city jail to be good for at least a half a hundred arrests on all charges from disorderlv conduct to murder. Incidentally there was not a killing yesterday.
 In speaking of the Sunday pictures last night Commissioner A. o. Lane was very emphatic in stating the reasons why he favored the opening of the theatres.
 Judge Lane Comments
 Tt clearly demonstrates" said
 he, that the public is most heartily
 in favor of the Sunday shows. There
 is no question about that point. The
 Sunday picture shows also livened
 up the city. All the downtown streets were alive with people and
 the scene was not unlike a Satur-
 day afternoon.
 Another thing that should be
 emphasized is that due thanks and credit should be given the owners and employees of the moving pie
 ture theatres for contributing their time, theatres and all the proceeds to the poor and needy of the city.
 This was an act of real charity and the public should not forget it.
 Returning to the popularity of the picture shows with the public that is a sign of progress. Picture shows are the best medium of amusement before the public today. It enlightens the masses on the mysteries of the world; it educates them to the beauties of foreign travel; it practically brings the whole world to them for the small sum of cents; it solves domestic probelms by presenting healthful morals; it photographs all the stir ring events so that nothing now escapes the camera; and the world is all the better for the wide and popular usefulness of moving pie lures.
 "Other than its educational fea- lures Sunday pictures take young
 men off the streets. It keeps them
 from congregating in crowds to
 gossip and use bad language This
 afternoon several young men spoke to me of this feature. They asserted
 that they had made tour of all the picture theatres and it was the
 first Sunday afternoon they had thoroughly enjoyed in many months. They stated that the pictures had
 kept them from their usual prac-
 tices of lingering about their
 favorite haunts discussing in more
 or less forcible language all the
 current scandals and inventing new ones I think those boys were truthful and represent the attitude of the majority of the young men. But then it was not only the young men but everybody 1t seems tried to go to the pictures this afternoon. Every theatre was packed to the doors and that clearly demonstrates that the people of Birmingham de- mand this form of innocent amuse- ment."
 Many Indictments Returned