The Washington herald., 1918-08-13
By DWG

New York. Aug. 13.-The movie
takers" is the name Broadway be-
stoves upon the garrulous patrons
who sit near them and discuss the
unwinding reel as it is flashed upon
the screen. Movie takers" are the
| bane of cinema fans. They can do
more to spoil so cents worth of en-
tertainment than a feet Of untamed
hornets.
The mammoth Rivoli Theater-the
Metropolitan of filmland-was in
darkness. Ushers with tiny electric
! rays were searching out seats for
late comers. Coming out of dazzling
light into the darkened theater
makes il impossible to see anything
| save the picture on the screen.
There came a young girl and a
young man who fumbled about fol
| seats. The man was particularly
clumsy. treading upon vagrant feet
= in his effort to reach a seat. and his
apologetic manner did not lessen the
! snorts OF disgust
: After a short wait, official war
pictures were announced. 1t was
actual photographing OF Americans
going over the top. The man with
1 the girl kept talking. Those about
! him were disturbed.
What are they doing now" he
would ask. And the girl would re-
late the incidents on the screen as
they passed before the audience. She
talked quietly but he semed to for
get himself and would not lower his
voice. Several shuffled their feet In
an effort to quiet them.
But as the picture grew more eN
citing, he waxed more talkative 4
few called out gruffly for the
movie talker" to shut up" Then
he seemed to realize that he was
disturbing others and the reel was
finished without a sound from him.
At the conclusion of the film the
100 piece symphony orchestra broke
forth with the Star Spangled Ban
ner. The lights came on and the
huge audience stood. Everybody
near the movie talker" looked
around at him. apparently ready to
shower him with glances of reproof
He was standing with his hand to
his forehead. He wore the Canadian
uniform. And he gazed through sight
less eyes into bleak, fathoms of dark
ness.
| No one said a word. Here and there
|
dimmed eyes and one little woman,
wearing a service pin, gave a chok-
ing little sob. The man and girl got
up and passed out-the soldier cropping
unsteadily and the girl looking very
white.
The Rialto is discussing a case Of
what playwrights call Unconscious
Assimilation" A woman out in In
dianapolis and a newspaper man in
| New York have written farces that
are similar in every detail The
stories are worked out from the
same starting point and end in the
same manner. And what is more re-
markable both selected exactly the
same name for the plays. There
seems to be psychic in the woodpile
somewhere!
With the announcement that the
Evening Post, the stately and dignified
organ that is never seen except in the
sections peopled by the rich has
been sold, Park Row is wondering
If there will be any change in
the editorial department and re-
porters are silk stocking journalists.
Editors do not go coatless in the
editorial rooms and they move about
on fine, soft carpet. Some of the
editors and reporters too wear frock
coats and one employee is said to
wear a silk hat to work. There are
brass rails about the editors desks.
Fine pictures hang on the walls and
cut flowers are daily placed in rare
vases. The visitor to the Evening
Post is graciously received. He does
not cool his ieet on a warped bench
at the outer rail. He is escorted into
room aching with elegance. To
smoke a pipe in the Evening Posts
editorial rooms would be like slap
ping King George on the back at a
court reception. The Evening Post
has ideals sartorial as well as editor
ial-and withal is a clean, splendidly
edited relief from saffron Journalism.