Evening star., 1916-10-02
"OPEN ALL NIGHT. !"
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-. September 3d.
The demands Of the most enthusiastic
movie fans have been satisfied. No
longer IL 1t necessary for the follower
Of the Aim to go home at the early
hour OF midnight. after the last show
in the third house he visits has been
closed. He can sit up and watch the
reel just a. long as the spirit sustains
him. He can get up and take his break
fast at am. and go to see a picture
show before work, even If he drives
a milk wagon. The all-night movies
have made their appearance. They r'in
the clock around. Several cities already
have managers too enterprising to close
Just because it Is getting along toward
uorning; no doubt it will not be long
before Mary Pickford theater parties at
am. are an established feature Of 80
cial life. and aim followers will watch
the dawn and Charley Chaplin fash
forth together.
Kansas Citt's all-night picture show
is an tnconspicuous feature Of 18th
street early In the evening. 1t shines
forth as brightly as it's narrow front
vii! permit but It is only one spark
Of the street and the town has gone to
bed. and Its white lights stand out like
g campfire in the tall timber. It up
spite Of = hostile clock and the beset-
ting weakness Of mankind for slumber.
The average man. who likes his NOV
les. but also likes his sleep. has never
theless q certain
AVERAGE Man curiosity as to
Feels Curiosity. Of humanity It is
that makes it profitable to run a show
that never closes. 80 the average man.
after vainly struggling against the
power of Morpheus for two or three
evenings. finally takes cup Of black
coffee or a cold shower bath to keep
himself awake and sallies forth to look
into the matter.
The narrow entrance gives into an un-
expectedly spacious little theater deco
s.tn atsd With 18th quiet dignity that is only
than q mere picture show: 1t is a tenn
pie where the real worshipers Of the
flm-muse sit up with her through the
fan If you do not occasionally obey that
impulse to watch q reel while the morn
ing star is setting.
EARLY in the evening-say at mid
night-the crowd still is q typical
movie crowd. Family parties still fill
the seats. with an occasional child lean
ing asleep against its fascinated moth
er. When the hero and the villain
reel clenched about the little country
schoolhouse and knock over the stove
to the great damage Of the stovepipe.
the audience sits up and says "A-ah y
as movie audiences will. Young men
and the mafdens they are taking to tn e
show sit primly side by side. About
1890 the hero marries the school teach
er. the pianist plays the wedding march
from Lohengrin with great unction,
and most Of that unction files out.
It leaves the house somewhat empty,
and settling down to the real business
of making a night Of 1t. The pianist
removes his coat, revealing a pair of
ball bearing suspenders draped over
burly shoulders. He has need to be a
man of stout physique. No early quit
ting for him at 1 am. You wonder
how he squares himself with the Mu-
sicians' Union, as he plays on and on
toward the dawn. He is indefatiga BILE,
and full Of the artistic conscience. His
work keeps up to the mark, though his
audience slumbers. He plays School
Days' for the school scenes and the
Light Cavalry Overture" when some
body chases somebody; his tempo never
falters.