Arizona republican., 1918-12-06
THEkTERSO OPEN SUNDAY AT TER
 $ WEEKS 'DARk"
Three Musical Comedy Thea ters And Four Moving Pic ture Houses Will Throw
 Doors Open To Public

After nine weeks of closed doors, the theaters of Phoenix will reopen next Sunday. The moving picture houses, the Columbia, American and the Col iSeum, with their musical comedy, will all resume business on that day and the Elks theater will open for the season shortly before Christmas with a musi- cal comedy and stock company. The Strand theater, which is now in course of construction on West Washington street, will open later, the exact date not yet having been decided
 The theater managers yesterday all expressed themselves as positive that from the opening of the theaters Sun day for weeks to come they will do an unusually lorge business. In other cit ies where the theaters were closed on account of the Spanish influenza the theaters when they re-opened did such a business that every seat was filled at every performance for weeks, accord ing to advices from theatrical man. agers in these cities.
 Closed on October 8
 The Orpheum in Los Angeles, for in stance, was so well patrOnized that thousands were turned away at every performance.
 It was on October 8, last, that the theaters here were notified bv the city board of health that they must close. At that time it was believed that the closing order would be for only ten days or two weeks. The influenza was then just becoming a menace. The the aters sensed the necessity of keeping people from gathering in public places and in consequence closed their doors with the best of wishes for the health of the city but nevertheless with re- grets as each of the moving picture houses had billed excellent and costly productions, and the Columbia and American were about to open with en- gagements of musical comedy.
 In the long weeks that followed, the managers kept faith with the people and the city government. although It times there was some friction and inl- patience, due to what the managers say, looked like injustice toward them.
 But" as one of the managers said yesterday everybody seemed to be dO- ing his best to arrest the epidemic and therefore we pitched right in and helped. So long as it was the official wish that the theaters remain closed, we saw to it that they were kept closed. Now we are going to open and We are going to open with a bang.
 Hungry For Amusement
 The people of Phoenix are hungry for amusement. They have been de- prived for many weeks. There has been little for them to do except stay at home. While there is no place like home, home must have it's contrasts and diversions to be appreciated.
 "The people are waiting for the the aters 10 open and we are going to give them the very best amusement avail able The opening of the theaters Sun day will bear another significance. It will herald the end of the epidemic iI Phoenix and the resumption of normal conditions. Sunday and the opening ot the theaters will be a day of rejoicing in Phoenix"
 All the theaters which will open Sun day have been renovated and redeco- rated. the managers, taking advantage of the closed season to do this work. The meters to reopen Sunday after noon, all with new and attractive pro- grams, are the American theater, for merly the Empress on East Adams street, under the management of Bran don Brothers; the Hip and the Lamara on Washington street, the Columbia or West Adams street the Plaza and Amuzu on East Washington street.