The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-10
THEATORIALLY
Things That Would Never Be Said
Regarding Movies, ct cetern. in
Any Other Way.
BY XII.

The much maligned professional
critic is as near the mouthpiece of the
theater or musical public as one can
find in this complex economic system
of ours. The only difference between
him and the rest of the customers
out 'front.' lies in the fact that he pays
| for his seats only wien he has deigned
to say adverse things about that par
| ticular managers productions and the
fact that he has to see all the sho VS.
and programs, whether he feels like it
or not.
When he honestly likes a show or
spectacle" as the French call it, and
has said so in rather exuberant terms,
he is a hero with the managers. Moth
ing is too good for him. Extra ticke-s
are forced upon him. He is guest at
as many dinners as he can eat or
wants to. His words with his name
attached are spread broadcast over
the country and the public is told that
this man knows shows-'and look
what he said about ours"
However, let that critic out of the
depths of his experience venture to
talk adversely, to find fault with the
acting. with the staging, the approprl-
ateness of the program and its appeal
to the public at large. and then his
star has set. Letters of condemnation
from the manager, from his aSSociat IS
in the business and from the particu
lar friends of the manager and his
associates pour into his office. They
are not always directed at him either.
They have been known to have been
directed to the employer of said critic
and in these cases. they have even
been known to insinLate that the ad-
verse comment was paid for by this
particular managements opposition.
Apparently the czars of the amuse-
ment world do not want any assistance
1 hot h IN wa r.
They do net want anyone to suggest
that what they are furnishing the pub
lie might be improved with little
effort.
It happened in the days of yore
that Aesop headlined as a monologist
and even unto nowatimes he Is getting
big billing on the movie screen. Audi
tors of Aesop were usually guests Of
his more or less kindly master. So
they naturally listened with due &C
cord. But, the tales were like unto
one of our vaudeville talk-fests now
anights and matinees. Yea, these
stories were sure-fire entertainment
and they registered well
Then, Aesop went to Delphi and got
in wrong as is a saying of the times.
Unlike our switchboard sisters at
Central the Oldtimer began to get
right numbers. Why, he rang up so
many plain truths about some of the
listeners in" on his fables that they
detected whom he meant even with
his sugar coating camouflage.
Then, somebody whispered into
somebody else's ear that Aesop was
stepping into the character of a dis
trict attorney So, to preserve order
in their dusty domains the Delphians,
not the "Phili:es," turned down their
thumbs on the great Aesop. even as
did tn. populace of Rome in the times
of Caesar. And 10, Aesop was thrown
| into the sea. No doubt he entered
Davy JOnes's locker on the ocean bed
where there was plenty of wet goods
to keep him IN good spirits.
1t has been said that a prophet is
not without honor save in his own
flat, apartment. neighborhood or
country or city. Well, Aesop and his
fables were well preserved in spirits
or safe deposit vaults or something
And in the year 1921 the spirit of the
worlds greatest story teller Ieaped
into the mental machinery of Paul
Terry, the cartoonist. Paul mixed 101
per cent of fun with the old fables
and made them into laugh provoking
movies.
Now in the theaters showing pic
lures called 'Aesops Film Fables"
audiences are laughing themselves
into a state of happiness. And today.
thumbs are up on Aesop. He is a
hero again and probably evermore. for
he's preserved in celluloid or what
ever compoSes movie film material
Today applause means the same thing
as thumbs up did of yore and if APP
p'ause is any criterion of popularity
at all. the public is giving "Aesop's
Film Fables" a big hand.