The Lakeland evening telegram., 1920-12-24
PEPTO-MANCAN
TAKE PLACE OF
Day Of Movie Theater Gone; Now
motion Picture Theater''

motion Picture Theater'
The truth Of the familiar saying,
The World Do Novel" can be illus
tlated no better than BY what has
happened to be the motion picture.
"Hey, Mickey, there's a swell pic
ture down at the Nickleodeon-all
about bandits and robbers-jes' full of
murders and slick tricks; and it's aw-
fully dark down there and maybe lots
of girls
That was what the movie fans" of
several years ago wanted. That was
what they got. And those same
movie FANS aided by carnival and
side show men who, entering the pro-
duction field, knew only how to ap-
peal to that kind Of. people, kept the
movie a movie"
But life is always changing; ideas
and ideals with it. And the movie"
Of yesterday, directed by men of
brains, education and conscientious
purpose, has become the motion pic
ture of today.
Yesterday that "movie" was per-
haps an abandoned second floor or un-
desirable business building, generally
a "remodelled" store. At its entrance
a rusty mechanical piano shrieked out
its wild tunes. It's walls were bare.
It's ventilation was so poor that it
was harmful. It's seating arrange
ment was nnscientific and wholly un-
satisfactory. It's floor was Uttered
with peanut-hulls and refuse. There
was but one entrance and one exit;
in many cases it was a veritable fire.
trap. There was no lighting and
many undesirables with questionable
purposes patronized it because of the
absolute darkness.
1t was a side-show of carnival
ii was the movie
Today the modern motion picture
theater is a specially designed and
constructed building. It's walls are
most artistically fashioned and fres-
coed. It's ventilation is scientifically
effected.
It's seating arrangements provide
comfort, ease and plenty of room. Its
floor is clean even from cast-off pro-
grams such as. are found in vaude-
Vile or regular playhouses. There
are numerous exits for use in emer-
gencies and safety from fire is provid-
ed by fire-proofing the operators
room. There is sufficient lighting for
all. Appropriate music is furnished
to add the soul touch to the picture
and generally the best musicians OF
the city make up the orchestra. The
atmosphere is that of a magnificent
community center where the real citi-
zens of the city gather to have their
hungry souls fed with the romance
and color and beauty and dramatic
crises of other worlds and other
lives, projected in moving figures up.
on a silent screen as though by some
Aladdin's lamp.
That is the motion picture theatel
Of today.
Yesterday it was a small ant
doubtful element that patronized thu
movie theater. Today, nothing II
the world. in point of attendance, in
terest and results, compares with thu
motion picture. The regular play
house appeals to particular class
|! 1.-THE vaudeville house appeals to {
i particular class. The concert appeals
to a particular class. The movie o
yesterday appealed to a particular
class. But the motion picture of to
day appeals to all the people of al
ages, everywhere.
II "The best brains of the country
| the best business organizations, tn
| best trained technical men, the mos
| popular actors and actresses, ana tn
best literary workers of the world ar
| behind the motion picture. With sue
an array of talent, furnishing for tn
screen, the romance and adventur
and color of two hemispheres, it
easily understood why the motto
picture has won its way, not as
casual entertainment but as vital
necessary part of life.