Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-03-09
GREAT INTEREST
Is MANIFESTED
IN BIG PICTURE
BIG CROWD PROMISED FOR THE
SHOWING SATURDAY AND Sun
DAY At LOCAL THEATER.
BATTLE CRY OF PEACE" is STU
PEND0US, AND WILL ATTRACT
ALL THE VALLEY.

Perhaps the greatest out Of
crowd TO attend a moving picture in
Brownsville will be here Saturday and
Sunday to see The Battle Cry Of Peace
at the Dittmann theater. which is SEIZED
uled for a two days stay in Brownsville.
Manager A. Dittmann said today that
lie has received letters from all over the
Valley seeking information concerning
the appearance Of the picture. Browns
Vile is the only town in this section in
which this picture will be shown at
least in the next few months. as the
owners are not yet booking other points
In the Valley.
head and lead 10 KUN. ........-
That Commodore j. Stuart Blackto1.
the author. has gained the esd sought by
the play. there il little I,ul't. II is said
that many who have scpffrl at TIE idea
Of America being in any aaager II n
vasion have admitted that they were I'M
aware Of many of the facts presented in
The Battle Cry of Peace"
With the opening of The BeIilc Cry
Of Pcarc.'' q subtitle tells the audience
that the film is intended to show. by
bringing an imaginary foe into the Uni
ted States, just what might happen #
a foreign power should decide to at
tack this country. Great care has been
exercised in producing the picture not
to offend any national sensibilitics The
uniforms worn by the invading army are
non tescript aud the foreign spy in the
picture j. called "Emanon," which spell
ell backward j. No name
In writing the story the author has
lost no opportunity 10 show the pitiful.
almost ludicrouS inadcquacy Of Ameri
can dcfenses, but though the whole per
formancc is essentially preparedness
propaganda lone in motion pictures. the
lesson taught by the play itself does no;
dctract from the plays real dramatic
value. IL shows the invasion If the
United States by an unknown foreign
force. the whole fleet Of this country
having been SINK after a violent rcsis
lance beneath guns of q better equip
ped enemy. In the picture the towering
masses Of the dreadnau.htS actually
sink in a cloud of steam and under a
terrific she'll fire. Then the scene shifts
to the coast dcfcnSeS. firing vainlv 1T
the approaching fleet because they are
outranged by the enemy = guns and then
the enemy's shells begin play havoc with
the New York SkyScrapcr> and enemy
aeroplaneS drop inccndiary bombs on the
unprotected houses. Again aud again
the screen is blottcd out bv clouds of
smoke which vanish and show charrcd
and useless framework "f the buildings
remaining. The cncm.'s troops and
and march down the deserted streets.
Resident citizens are lined up and
slaughtered ~ machine Gun fire: their
homes are left ia pillagcrS and their
women and children are left helpless in
the charrcd ruins of their homes.
There * nothing of the martial glory
of marching troops or the possibility 81
victory to mitigate the horrors Of the
invasion and there j. not even the CLAM
or az history. because the invasion rep
rcscntS the warfare Of the present. where
hcroism j. discounted by the range ~
modern howitzcrS. Only every day war
remains. not exaggerated. the author de
ciares. but merely the natural course of
an invasion.
A plot runs through the drama. the
story If a New York family betrayed by
a spy. This keeps m the element If Sus-
pcnsc and ~snftcnS the horrors Of the
streets outside. But here also there =
nothing but tragedy With leads all 81
the main characters 10 a Violent end.
The success IL the whole drama does not
depend upon the vast spectacle of totter-
ing skyscraperS and terrific explosions
and the thousands If soldiers arranged
in the most approved Arguments Of at
tack and defense. II rests rather on the
writer's very rlcvcr handling Of contrast
and shows nj al times the moving pic
ture AT its best. The moral of prepared
ness is taught by a long series of vivid
and varied senes. rather than by any
particular character study. The scenes
and not the characters speak and scenes
can speak without words.
Throughout the entire performance a
symphony orchestra Of - pieces furnish
es music and effects that materially en-
nance the value Of the entire production
Now Feels Entirely Well.