Putnam patriot., 1922-03-03

furnsstaed a1dssSrzgaa. ~ ~ere watch
frg fks TRIALS end trib1iatEonE u
kwxas yorng 1snaH b~sst With more
1ia1sItiss ard nlisforzsns than ever
falls % the lot q . heroine IN real
Re. %. ]. ~ ofS<n fhs lcs q the
sss4fy saiared enc who live for ~
tire reel he.
Begrr 4 a. sat q young woman and
~ eseorz. their eFes busy Sith the
pictures. their jass equally occupied
Nth ste masticstion % a well-sno1n
brand Il odoroas chewing yum.
Pretty. sin't saes+ ehsWed TIE
young man
III say -. eaeWea back ire
Young woman. They ssy." she con-
tiaaea. That she makes a million dol
lar year. has xhoie aoek u Role
RsYess ard taxes bath every nom
ny n tuBful = cream The chew
ing continued 1nabatingiy
W pandered - thls ridiculous
statement Undoubtedly The ygapg
lady behind us believed these absurd
fabaeat.ons whole hearte8iy. There
Eas 10 doubt that re wanted - be
.Iese them
NV. It j. decidedly - ire advantage
n the theatrical press agent 20 balls
IT. around his star any story that VII
interest tte pgblle Eserything has
been .rled. There IS scarcely an act
rezz # prominence o. the stage " the
screen VINO ~ one time Or another il
her career hasn't lost q kings ransom
ia jewels which she never mad to lose
Even 20 great ar artist = Sarah Bern
hardt has been pictured before the
public ~ possessing idiosyncrasies Of
the most fantastic KIND. the most IN
beliegable being the story that it was
her habit to sleep aHcomfortably each
night in a coffin Baths of milk. pet
coEras. affair with royalty All kinds
and conditions u bunk have been LAID
a the door Of the people u the thea
ire. With the result that through these
commercial effort u the desperate
pres agent a vast tissue Of lies has
grown up about the stage which an
avid public has swallowed at a single
gulp.
Sueh stories make rare meat FOR re.
formers, who ike the young lady al
the movies. chew ms meat publicly
with relish and noise There has late
81 been such an one on exhibition in
New York A minister Of more or
less prominent congregation has taken
upon himself the duty Of informing
the American public that the stage IS
completely rotten and that the people
Of the theatre are polluted. degenerate
enemies u the deeeaey Of society 4
disgusting manalaughter case in the
California courts which attained pub.
LEFTY only through the activities Of 4
mofbidly sensational press. followed
closely by The mysterious murder of a
certain man also prominent in the
moving picture world added food Il
the already heavy menu Of this stem.
torian zealot with the result that
thanks 70 the publicity given his utter
anees by the press, the impression IL
gaining ground among large share
Of the public that the stage is little
better than a modern Sodom and Go,
morrah.
The sayings Of this particular re-
former are 50 ridiculous that they DO
not warrant either recognition OF
refutation Yet there are some
friends Of the theatre and some mem.
beers Of the profession who are dis
turbed They are not quite willing
that the stage should be allowed 10 be
villifed while no one takes up the cud-
gels Of truth
The stage has probably plenty Of
disreputable people numbered in the
profession But so has practically ev-
cry other profession in life. There
are sensational trials. Tor instance. Of
raseally bank cashiers, yet the public
does not wholly distrust the banking
profession and condemn il for the
misdcmcauors Of one or two unworthy
members Lawyers. ii is true. are